An air fryer cooks fast and gets greasy fast. The basket holds the food, the tray catches the drips, and the heating element sits right above both — so every meal leaves grease in three places. Cleaning after every use takes two minutes. Cleaning after a month of neglect takes an hour and a soak. The rule is simple: clean it while the grease is still soft.
Hot soapy water, a soft sponge, a damp cloth, and baking soda for stubborn spots. No steel wool, no abrasive pads, and no oven cleaner — they strip the nonstick coating off the basket. Most baskets are dishwasher-safe, but check the manual first: hand-washing lasts longer and the basket is small enough to wash by hand anyway. The microwave cleaning guide covers the same habit for the other appliance that gets greasy every day.
Unplug and cool. Unplug the air fryer and let it cool for 10–15 minutes. Never clean it hot — the basket burns, and cold water on a hot nonstick surface warps it.
Wash the basket and the tray. Take the basket and the tray out and wash them with hot soapy water and a soft sponge. If grease has baked on, soak them in hot soapy water for ten minutes first — soaking does the work scrubbing cannot.
Wipe the inside. Wipe the inside of the air fryer with a damp cloth to pick up crumbs and grease. Turn it upside down gently to shake the crumbs out of the bottom — they collect under the tray where you cannot see them.
Clean the heating element. Brush the heating element gently with a soft brush or a dry cloth to remove the grease and crumbs stuck to it. Never spray water on the element, and never scrub it — it is the one part that breaks if you are rough with it.
Clean the outside. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth, including the vents at the back. Grease on the vents blocks the airflow and makes the air fryer run hot.
Dry and reassemble. Let every part dry fully, put the tray and the basket back, and run the air fryer empty for two minutes to dry the inside. A damp basket put straight back grows mold in the drawer.
For baked-on grease, make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it on the spot, and leave it for 15 minutes before you wash it off. Never use steel wool or an abrasive pad on a nonstick basket — they scratch the coating, and scratched nonstick flakes into the food. If the nonstick is already flaking, replace the basket: a flaking basket is done, and no amount of cleaning fixes it. A steam mop faces the same rule — the steam mop vs traditional mop comparison covers what each cleaning tool is good for.
Wash the basket and the tray after every use — two minutes while the grease is soft. Wipe the inside once a week, and clean the heating element once a month. A vacuum cleaner follows the same rhythm — the vacuum cleaning guide covers the filter and the brush roll that need the same regular attention.
Most baskets are dishwasher-safe, but check the manual. Hand-washing is gentler on the nonstick coating and the basket is small enough to wash by hand in a minute.
Wash the basket and the tray, wipe the inside, and run the air fryer empty with a small bowl of water and lemon juice for a few minutes. A smell that survives cleaning means grease baked onto the heating element — brush it off gently.
Usually grease pooled in the tray or on the heating element. Empty and wash the tray, wipe the element, and put a little water in the tray before you cook fatty food — it keeps the grease from smoking.
No. Oven cleaner is too harsh for the nonstick coating and the heating element. Hot soapy water and baking soda paste handle anything an air fryer can bake on.