While air fryers are an invention of convenience, it can be tricky figuring out how to clean baked on grease from air fryer oven. There’s plenty ground to cover, so let’s get started with some advice, tips, and tricks on cleaning your air fryer!
Table of Contents
- Air Fryer Maintenance: The Basics
- All The Best Air Fryer Cleaning Hacks – Tips And Tricks!
- How To Clean An Air Fryer Oven – Vinegar Method (And More!)
- How To Clean Baked On Grease From Air Fryer Oven – When, Where, And How?
- FAQs
Air Fryer Maintenance: The Basics
Many of the questions around air fryer cleaning revolve around the type of spray to use. So I’ll go over this to begin with.
The most commonly asked about cleaners are specific sprays for cleaning air fryers, oven cleaners, and degreasers.
Is There An Air Fryer Cleaning Spray?
Unfortunately, there isn’t yet a spray made specifically with the purpose of cleaning air fryers in mind.
However, there are plenty of other multi-purpose cleaning sprays that work just as well!
Dawn Powerwash spray is a particularly popular one, but there are plenty of highly-praised vinegar-based cleaning methods too.
Can I Use Oven Cleaner On My Air Fryer?
You should never use oven cleaner to clean an air fryer.
Not only does oven cleaner have a high likelihood to ruin your air fryer, the fumes left behind it are toxic. They’ll make any future food made in that air fryer potentially unsafe.
Why is oven cleaner still used in ovens then?
Well, an oven has a much larger open space, and is made of materials that can be thoroughly washed/submerged, making it much easier to clean.
In conclusion, oven cleaner is much too strong for cleaning an air fryer, and so is unsuited for this use.
What’s The Best Degreaser For Air Fryer?
Like oven cleaner, most degreasers are unsuitable for use in an air fryer.
A notable exception would be ‘degreasing’ dish soaps, however, as they don’t ruin non-stick surfaces and don’t release any toxic fumes. They’re often the best option as they’re typically a little more powerful than other dish soaps, but not strong enough to cause harm to you or your fryer.
All The Best Air Fryer Cleaning Hacks – Tips And Tricks!
1) Wipe After Every Use
This is hands-down the best way to maintain your air fryer and keep it working for many years past its prime. If you make sure to give your (COOLED DOWN) air fryer a thorough wipe after every use, it’ll be sure to last you.
Use a damp microfiber cloth, paper towel, or wipes to give the heating element a clean.
2) The Lemon-Vinegar Bowl Hack
This tip is particularly useful for plasticky (or otherwise unpleasant) smelling air fryers.
Simply fill an oven-safe bowl halfway up with vinegar and add a few tablespoons of lemon juice before air frying on low heat for a few minutes. Repeat this however many times as needed until your air fryer smells fresh again.
3) Use Cotton Swabs
Using cotton swabs is another trick that’ll preserve your air fryer’s longevity, especially in terms of the air fryer’s fans.
Use a dry cotton swab to clean in between the cracks and crevices of your fryer – this could be in the basket or pan itself, but more importantly in-between the vent opening.
It’s also important to clean up around the external seams on your air fryer to remove any remaining food particles.
4) Use a Toothbrush
Using a toothbrush is practically essential for deep-cleaning the inside of the air fryer – especially the heating element.
Use it to get under the heater and scrub the metal beneath and around it.
5) Use A Scouring Pad
In combination with the toothbrush, a scouring pad is vital for efficiently cleaning baked on grease on an air fryer. It will not only lift up any stubborn food particles and residues, but will also polish the metal on your air fryer.
However, make sure not to use this on surfaces coated with non-stick as it’ll ruin the finish. Instead, use a strong degreasing dish soap on these areas.
How To Clean An Air Fryer Oven – Vinegar Method (And More!)
1) Semi-Deep Clean
This cleaning method is good for a semi-deep clean, and is best used monthly. It’s especially good for getting out any oil used for, say, air fryer french fries.
For a full deep clean, follow my steps detailed below. It’s good for a quick but thorough cleaning, and will make your air fryer last that much longer. Your air fryer will also be less likely to develop unpleasant odors if you follow this regiment.
What You Will Need
| – White or apple cider vinegar |
| – Baking soda |
| – Blue Dawn dish soap |
| – Sea salt (optional) |
| – A bowl |
| – A toothbrush |
| – A scouring pad (optional) |
| – A cloth or paper towel |
How To Clean Air Fryer With Vinegar – Method
- Double-check to make sure your air fryer is fully cooled and unplugged before beginning.
- Begin by filling your bowl halfway up with the vinegar of your choice.
- Then, add two tablespoons of the dish soap and two teaspoons of baking soda.
- Mix and let it fizz up before dipping your toothbrush into it and scrubbing in between the heating element.
- Go over the scrubbed parts with a scouring pad and wipe with a cloth, before repeating the toothbrush-to-cloth process until everything is clean.
2) How To Clean Baked On Grease From Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Prep
- The only way to remove baked on grease from your air fryer is to thoroughly deep clean it. Before starting to deep clean your air fryer, first make sure that it is completely cooled down, there’s no food inside, and that it is unplugged from the wall.
- After this, remove the basket and ’pan’ from you’re air fryer and spray them with your cleaning product of choice – ‘degreasing’ dish soap works great. Leace them for a few minutes before wiping off the spray, then let them soak in warm soapy water.
Main Clean
- Now, let’s begin on the cleaning of the air fryer’s main body itself. For starters, what we’re not going to be doing is submerging the entire air fryer underwater! You can put water in an air fryer for cleaning, but it should only be a tiny little bit, and you have to be careful to dry it all off.
- To clean the inside, take that same spray from before, degreasing washing up liquid, a toothbrush, and a scouring pad. Carefully turn your air fryer upside down, and let it rest on it’s ’head’. From there, you’ll be able to see the heating element. This is where most of the cleaning is going to be focused around.
- First, clean everything with a damp or sprayed cloth. Wipe around all the sides of the heating element and of the inside of the air fryer. On the inner walls of your air fryer, do this until the cloth comes back clean.
- Then, get started with cleaning up the heating element. Follow the steps from my ’semi-deep clean’, except using only dish soap, the scouring pad and toothbrush, and maybe a little spray of vinegar here and there. Do this, again, until you can wipe everything down with a cloth and have it come back stainless. Make sure to thoroughly dry off the fryer after doing this, using cotton swabs to get at the crevices. The best air fryers will have an ergonomic design, making this step much easier.
- Next, clean the outside of your air fryer with a sprayed cloth. Wipe it all around the outside, and use cotton swabs to get at the hard-to-reach parts once more. Make sure to give the vents a little clean too. Make sure to get all of the oil that may have been used in the air fryer.
Finishing Touches
- Finish cleaning off the air fryer tray and basket in the same manner as you would wash a plate. Don’t use a scouring pad or an actual degreaser as they will ruin the non-stick coating. Repeat this until the parts are no longer greasy to the touch, and make sure to use cotton swabs to get into the corners if needed.
- Double check to make sure your air fryer is completely clean and dry before turning it the right way round and placing the tray and basket back in. From there, follow the steps listed below the ’Lemon-Vinegar Bowl Hack’ to get your air fryer smelling fresh again. After this, your air fryer should be clean, fresh, and smelling good!
How To Clean Baked On Grease From Air Fryer Oven – When, Where, And How?
Cleaning kitchen appliances is an inconvenient job, but nonetheless it must be done.
Cleaning your air fryer regularly – for example, a simple wipe down between uses – can prevent the grease from being baked in and difficult to remove. However, even if you follow this step you should still deep clean your air fryer every now and then to fully clear out build-up.
There are plenty of different methods you can use, but many find dish soap or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to work exceptionally well. Likewise, a toothbrush and scouring pad seem to be the best tools for the job.
Just remember that these shouldn’t be used on any non-stick areas (e.g., the basket) and you’re good to go!
FAQs
Is There An Air Fryer Cleaning Spray?
No, but you can use a multi-purpose cleaning spray on your air fryer.
What’s the best method to degrease an air fryer?
Many find dish soap or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to work. Their tools are usually a toothbrush and scouring pad.
Hi. Can I use 1 part vinegar plus 2 parts water to wipe the interior of my air fryer oven – spray onto a cloth before wiping? Wipe all parts, including the heating elements? Then wipe dry with another cloth? Thanks.