How to Clean an Air Fryer… Inside & Outside!

What a great invention the air fryer is; it allows us to eat those mouth-watering fried foods with 80%-90% fewer fats and calories. While it’s still not the healthiest choice, it certainly is a better one! Best of all, they are really easy to use and, contrary to what most people think, air fryers are not difficult to clean! 

Unlike deep fryers that become caked with oils and burnt-on grease, your air fryer will encounter some amount of greasiness but not as bad. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep your air fryer clean in order to keep it looking and performing its best. For this, MaidForYou has got some simple tips to clean your air fryer along with a deep cleaning method to maintain the appliance. Read on!

Routine Cleaning Method for an Air Fryer

First, you’re going to have to wait for the appliance to cool down completely as you can get severely burnt if you touch the air fryer while it is hot. Once cool, unplug it and take out the removable components which include the crumb tray and frying basket. Get rid of crumbs and food bits by tapping them out over the kitchen sink. If some of the foods are loosely stuck to the basket or tray, use a paper towel to remove them.

Next, the crumb tray and frying basket will need to be washed thoroughly to remove grease and stuck-on foods. Check your air fryer manual to learn whether these removable components can be cleaned in a dishwasher; if not, don’t worry, there is a simple way to wash them by hand.

Start by preparing a warm or hot soaking solution consisting of water and any anti-grease dishwashing liquid. Make sure that it is nice and soapy so that it loosens the grease and stains on your air fryer’s removable components. This should take about 15 or 20 minutes of soaking time. Remember, the hotter the cleaning solution is, the faster it will break down the grime.

How to Clean the Crumb Tray

Most air fryer crumb trays have a teflon coating which is prone to scratches when abrasive cleaning scrubbers or kitchen tools are used on them. This is the last thing you want because once a non-stick surface is scratched, foods begin to stick to it, thus, making cleaning that much harder. To clean your crumb tray safely, use a sponge or soft dish brush to scrub away grease. Don’t leave out the corners which can be cleaned efficiently with a dish brush.

After you have scrubbed the entire crumb tray of your air fryer, rinse it thoroughly and pat dry.

How to Clean the Frying Basket

Unlike the crumb tray, the frying basket is slightly more challenging to clean. This is because foods tend to stick in tight spaces that are hard to scrub. Nevertheless, soaking your frying basket will help to loosen burnt-on foods and grease, therefore, the real challenge will be getting into those crevices to actually remove the grease and crumbs. For this, a dish brush or narrow cleaning brush is useful.

As you start to brush the basket clean, dip it in a basin of water and give it a shake to remove or rinse off particles that are removed from the surface but still lodged in crevices. Do this at intervals for a thorough clean. Once you are satisfied with the cleaning results, rinse your frying basket under running water, and dry it with a clean towel. 

It’s also important to wipe down the inside of your air fryer with a clean, damp cloth after every use to prevent grease buildup, as well as to remove food bits and crumbs that will begin to rot inside if left for too long. To finish off, clean the exterior of your air fryer with a damp cloth, and put the crumb tray and frying basket back inside (once completely dry). 

How to Deep Clean Inside Your Air Fryer

At least once a month, a deep clean of your air fryer’s interior is necessary to remove grease buildup and bacteria. It’s a fairly simple process but an important one nonetheless. 

Follow the steps below to deep clean the inside of your air fryer:

1. Once cool, take out the crumb tray and frying basket; clean these components as you typically would.
2. Remove large food bits and crumbs by tilting the appliance and brushing them out.
3. In a bowl, make a paste of baking soda and water. Avoid making the paste runny as it needs to be mildly abrasive to scrub away grease.
4. Use a toothbrush to clean inside your air fryer with the paste. Be thorough with this step and check for missed spots as you go about scrubbing the interior of the appliance. 
5. To rinse off the paste, dampen a clean microfibre cloth and wipe all around the inside of your air fryer until all traces of the baking soda paste has been removed.
6. Make a mild cleaning solution with liquid dish soap and water; dampen a microfiber cloth in it, and clean the exterior of your air fryer.
7. Allow the air fryer to air-dry completely before replacing the removable components and closing the lid.

That’s all it takes to clean your air fryer and continue to enjoy the tastiest air fried foods! It’s super simple and super important so be sure to use the cleaning guide and tips above to maintain a clean and sanitary air fryer!