I think we can all agree that the air fryer is one of the greatest inventions ever. Air fryers are basically a mini oven, that can cook your food pretty quickly. From salmon to bacon to cookies, almost any and everything can be cooked in an air fryer. They also create fewer dishes since you don’t have to cook with one or multiple pans.

When it comes to cleaning kitchen appliances, people don’t think to clean your toaster or oven, and sometimes the air fryer falls in the mix of that. Because these appliances are more recent on the market, it might take some time to learn how to thoroughly clean them, especially depending on the type of air fryer.

Between grease buildup from cooking bacon or charred bits from chicken, air fryers should be cleaned regularly. Besides, who wants to fill their air fryer with food when it’s still filled with grease and stains from the last meal you cooked in it? Also, you don’t reuse dirty pots and pans without cleaning them first, so why is an air fryer any different? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean an air fryer, because you definitely don’t want your chocolate chip cookies to smell like last night’s salmon dinner.

What You Need to Clean an Air Fryer

Items:

• Dishwashing liquid or soap
• Sponge
• Warm or hot water
• Baking soda (optional)
• Vinegar (optional)
• Lemon (optional)
• Toothbrush (for optional cleaning and scrubbing in hard areas)

How to Clean an Air Fryer

Start cleaning your air fryer by first making sure it is off and unplugged. Remove the grates and baskets. Use some dish soap and a sponge to thoroughly clean both the grates and baskets. For stubborn stains that won’t come out, soak the parts in soap and water for at least 30 minutes. Make sure you knock any loose crumbs or oil with a paper towel before soaking. After letting it soak and scrubbing again, dry the air fryer components with a paper towel. Put the grates and baskets back together in the air fryer.

To deep clean caked-on bits and food that won’t come out even with soaking, add a cup or so of water to the air fryer basket. Turn the air fryer on to a high volume to heat up the water. Leave it on for a few minutes then turn it off. You’ll see those bits, gunk and caked-on particles will be loose and gone. Pour the water out and wash with soap and water. Some air fryers are also dishwasher safe, however cleaning them by hand will ensure you can get all of that gunk out.

Getting Rid of Odor

To keep grease and gunk out, you can also use air fryer parchment paper liners to make sure no grease gets on the bottom or in the grates of the appliance. Using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda or scrubbing with a lemon before cleaning can help get rid of any fishy, meaty or weird odors.

Why You Should Clean Your Air Fryer

Not only is it incredibly unsanitary to keep using your air fryer without cleaning it, but it’s also a hazard. Keeping too much grease in your air fryer can cause a grease fire. Your air fryer can also get really smoky if there is grease or charred bits stuck to it. It’s best for your physical health and safety to keep your air fryer clean.