An air fryer that isn’t cleaned regularly builds up grease that smokes, smells, and eventually affects the taste of your food. The good news is that cleaning an air fryer after each use takes about five minutes if you do it while it’s still warm. Letting grease cool and harden is what turns a five-minute job into a twenty-minute one.
After every use
Let the air fryer cool for about 10 minutes after cooking. It should be warm but no longer hot. Remove the basket and the drawer or tray underneath it. Both get greasy from dripping fat, and both need to be cleaned every time. Wash them with warm soapy water and a soft sponge. Most air fryer baskets have a non-stick coating that scratches easily, so skip the abrasive scrubbers. If food has stuck, soak the basket in warm soapy water for 10 minutes before washing rather than scrubbing hard.
While the basket is soaking or drying, wipe the inside of the air fryer housing with a damp cloth. Grease droplets collect on the interior walls and the heating element area at the top. Don’t let water drip into the heating element. A barely-damp cloth handles this without soaking anything. Dry the interior with a dry cloth before reassembling.
Cleaning the heating element
The heating coil at the top of the air fryer collects grease splatter and burnt-on residue over time. Once every two weeks or so, flip the air fryer upside down (when it’s completely cool and unplugged) so you can see the heating element clearly. Wipe it gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth or a soft brush. Avoid getting it wet. If there is burnt-on residue, a paste of baking soda and water applied very carefully with a toothbrush, then wiped clean, handles it. A dirty heating element smokes and can cause a burning smell during cooking.
For stuck-on grease and baked-on food
If grease has built up and hardened on the basket or tray, fill the basket with hot water and a squirt of dish soap and run the air fryer at 200 degrees for 3 minutes. This essentially runs a steam cycle that loosens baked-on residue. Let it cool, pour out the water, and wash normally. This method works well for baskets that have been neglected for a few uses.
For stubborn spots, a baking soda paste works without damaging the non-stick coating. Apply it to the problem area, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub gently with a soft sponge, and rinse. Avoid using metal utensils or steel wool on the non-stick surface. Once a non-stick coating is scratched, food sticks more aggressively and cleaning becomes harder every time.
What not to do
Most air fryer baskets are labeled dishwasher-safe, but the dishwasher’s high heat and harsh detergents wear down non-stick coatings faster than handwashing. If longevity matters, handwash the basket. The main body of the air fryer should never go in the dishwasher or be submerged in water. Only the removable parts get washed.
Cooking sprays, especially the aerosol kind, build up a sticky residue on non-stick surfaces that standard dish soap doesn’t fully remove. If you use cooking spray regularly, add a baking soda scrub to your monthly cleaning to break down that buildup. Or switch to brushing oil on food directly instead of spraying the basket.
The five-minute rule
An air fryer cleaned while still warm takes five minutes. An air fryer cleaned the next day after grease has hardened takes much longer. Building the habit of wiping it down right after the meal is the only real trick to keeping it clean long-term. Keep a dish brush near the sink specifically for the basket so there’s no friction in starting the cleanup. These air fryer parchment liners also cut down on cleanup significantly by catching drips before they bake onto the basket.
Want a reset without the overwhelm? When You Were Never Taught to Clean ($11.99) is the no-judgment guide for anyone starting from scratch. Grab your copy here.
