Does your air fryer stink? Then it is probably time for a deep clean of your air fryer! With these easy steps, it will be done in just 30-minutes! NOT taking a few minutes to clean your air fryer will result in some funky odors from the grease build up and food splatters you’re likely to find around the heating element.You might think cleaning the air fryer between sessions can be a pain, but it’s really not bad! Most air fryers have a non-stick coating, so they clean off quite easily with hot, soapy water. And many air fryer baskets are dishwasher safe. Refer to your owner’s manual to be sure. If you take the time to wash it after each use, you’ll thank yourself later.
If you don’t clean your air fryer often enough, crumbs and leftover food get left behind in the basket and end up burning the next time you use it. The leftover oil can cause your drawer to smoke and ruin the food you’re cooking. At a minimum, it starts to stink; in the worst-case scenario, it’s a fire hazard waiting to happen.
Every month or so, when the air fryer is completely cooled, wipe down the inside to remove any build-up. Follow these steps to give your air fryer a deep clean.
The best and easiest way to clean your air fryer basket is to clean it every time you are done cooking with it!
Taking just a few minutes to clean your air fryer at the end of a cooking session will ensure your deep cleaning session will be a breeze!
This is how I clean my air fryer basket after each cooking session (note: NEVER immerse your entire air fryer unit in water!).
Once it has cooled down, use a paper towel to wipe out any drippings and grease.
- Next, soak the air fryer basket in the sink with hot soapy water (I prefer a nice degreaser, like Dawn dish soap).
- After soaking, use a microfiber cloth (NEVER use anything abrasive) to wipe everything down.
- With a wet paper towel, do a quick wipe down the exterior of the air fryer unit as well as the interior cavity.
Note, if your air fryer basket is dishwasher safe (it will say if it is or isn’t in the manufacturer’s instruction manual), you can go ahead and run it through the dishwasher. Although I have found that soaking in hot soapy water usually does the trick, and I feel like it will prolong the life of my air fryer.
While regularly cleaning your air fryer basket will do wonders for keeping your air fryer clean and free of gross smells, it is so important to deep clean your air fryer.
How often you should clean your air fryer really depends on how often you use it. Take a peek at the heating element on a fairly regular basis. You may need to clean it every couple of months or 2-3 times a year.
TOP TIPS RECAP:
- Clean your air fryer after each meal. Wipe down the top and bottom of the air fryer and clean the air fryer basket. NEVER use abrasives to clean your air fryer. That will wear your air fryer basket down quickly.
- Use Dawn Powerwash to clean the air fryer basket. Once the air fryer has cooled down and you’ve wiped out the majority of grease and food chunks, spray the basket with Dawn Powerwash don’t add water, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Wipe it out, then wash it with hot water.
