Air fryers are easy to use and save time when cooking – so it is no wonder why the appliances have become so popular in recent years. However, just like an oven they still need to be cleaned, as they can quickly accumulate grease and grime. Keeping your air fryer clean is not only important for cooking reasons and ensuring your meals taste delicious – but it is key for hygiene purposes, too.
Cleaning expert Ida, known to her 1.3 million TikTok followers as @cleaningwithida, has shared her simple hack for giving your air fryer a good hose down with minimal effort. She explains: “Quit the scrubbing, this hack does the work for you.”
First, Ida removes the air fryer trays and places them on her kitchen counter. She adds dish soap and baking soda to the trays before filling them with hot water.
At this point, Ida lets the mixture sit for 15 minutes, then she moves the trays to the sink where she rinses them thoroughly before drying and placing them back in the appliance.
But how often should you be cleaning your air fryer? According to appliance brand Russell Hobbs, you should be making sure to wash the basket of your device after every use to “protect it from the build up of food”.
The brand added: “If you use air fryer liners, you may not need to clean the basket as often, but it’s important to still clean it after every few uses.”
Usually, the basket and removable crisping plate are dishwasher safe, but you may need to give your appliance a deeper clean if you spot stubborn build up of food or grease.
One part of the air fryer that people often forget to think about is the outside. While it isn’t cooking the food, the outside of the machine can end up with an oily coating or food splatters after constant use.
Fortunately, you most likely only need to wipe this down with a cloth and a mild detergent, the experts at Lakeland advise. However, it is important to dry the outside of the machine thoroughly before using it again.
The reason why it is so important to clean your air fryer is because leftover food particles can become “a breeding ground for bacteria”, Sage Appliances warns. If your air fryer is covered in grease and grime, this can also affect how well it works.
If the heating element is covered in grease, heat distribution will be impacted, which can result in “uneven cooking”.
Grease buildup can also obstruct airflow, which means that if you want a meal cooked to perfection, you will remember to clean your appliance properly.
