How to clean an air fryer basket? How to remove baked on grease from the air fryer (organically and safely)? How to keep your air fryer clean after a deep degrease? Below will answer all questions, let’s read on!
When your basket or tray has cooled, clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cleaning sponge or cloth. 99 percent of the time, a straightforward dish sponge and non-toxic cleaning soap will work! Rinse it under warm, running water and let it air dry or towel dry with a clean cloth.
Continue reading to learn more.
How to Clean Your Air Fryer Basket and Trays?
Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how to clean your air fryer basket and trays:
Let It Cool before Submerging in Water Or Giving It a Scrub
You shouldn’t put a hot air fryer basket or tray under cool water, just as you wouldn’t put a hot glass dish that had just come out of the oven under a stream of cool running water. Clean the basket after it has had time to cool.
Use Warm, Soapy Water and a Soft, Clean Sponge Or Cloth to Clean
After your basket or tray has cooled, clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cleaning sponge or cloth. Ninety-nine percent of the time, a straightforward dish sponge and non-toxic cleaning soap will do! Rinse it under warm, running water, then either let it air dry or use a clean towel to dry it.
Use a Soft Bristle Brush to Get Off Tough Debris
It can be challenging to remove tough messes from the teeny, tiny grates in air fryer baskets and trays, such as grease, breading, and chocolate. Use warm, soapy water and a designated appliance cleaning brush (even a brand-new, soft-bristle toothbrush will work to remove the dirt). If necessary, you can place the cooled basket or tray in your clean sink basin and soak it in warm, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, give it another go with your brush to see if you can get rid of any remaining mess.
For Tough Odors, Think Citrus!
Making fish in an air fryer, then making chocolate chip cookies the next day with a fishy flavor, is not something I enjoy doing. Use a citrus scent from fresh fruits in your cleaning solution to avoid this. In my warm, soapy water, I’ll add a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon or orange juice, and within 10 to 15 minutes, the odor is gone.
Other Air Fryer Cleaning Tips to Remember
- Period. The air fryer base is NOT suitable for the dishwasher or the sink. This has an electrical component that, if submerged in water, could be extremely dangerous. Simply wipe down the exterior of your air fryer with a clean, warm, soapy cloth after each use to keep it spotless. Make sure it is unplugged before doing so, please!
- The heating element that contacts the food when the heat is circulating may require cleaning from time to time even though the electrical unit of the air fryer should not be touched. Some food items may “pop” up due to the force of air circulating, and you don’t want debris to build up over time. Make sure your appliance is completely cool and unplugged before cleaning it. Take an upside-down appliance and clean it with a warm, damp cloth that has been soapy. Before using the basket again, dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth and let it air dry.
- On your air fryer basket, avoid using abrasive cleaning tools like sponges or brushes. Many are made of nonstick spray or a similar material, which over time can harm your basket.
How to Remove Baked on Grease from the Air Fryer (organically and Safely)?
Now that you understand why and how your air fryer basket collects baked on grease we will help you clean out all that gunk in an organic and safe manner without using harsh chemicals, ruining your non-stick coating or having to replace your air fryer basket all together.
Start by squeezing a common dish detergent with strong degreasing properties, like dawn, directly onto the outside and inside of the basket’s sides. Then, use your hand to spread a thin layer of soap over the basket’s surface, making sure to cover the entire basket evenly.
After applying dish soap to the basket, lightly dust the soap-coated basket with baking soda using the box you have at hand. Make sure to coat the entire basket. To agitate the soap/baking soda paste, get into any cracks, and tackle any large globs of caked grease, use an old toothbrush or a soft bristle brush. Dawn soap aids in breaking down the grease, and baking soda’s effervescent qualities help lift the grease off the basket. Lock the fryer basket back into the air fryer pan after stirring the paste, and then add more baking soda to the pan.
Now comes the power of vinegar; add about ¾ cup of vinegar to the pan. As soon as the vinegar is added, the baking soda will begin to bubble up, which is good because it means the solution is working. Next step is to take a tea kettle, fill it up with water and drop a lemon cut in half in the water, let the water come to a boil and add the boiling lemon water to the vinegar in the pan. Airfryer pan and basket should be left overnight after the mixture has been stirred.
Dawn soap, baking soda, vinegar, and lemon water all have potent natural degreasing properties that will break down the stubborn grease that has been baked on. Baking soda also naturally lifts the grease from the basket.
The following day, take the basket out of the organic degreasing mixture but don’t throw away the liquid; instead, use it to clean off any leftover grease on the basket while it is still warm and under running water. To remove grease, frequently submerge your sponge in the organic degreasing mixture. If you follow these instructions, all of the baked-on grease ought to be able to be removed without damaging the nonstick coating.
The Brillo pad side of your dishwashing sponge should not be used because it is too abrasive and will remove or harm the nonstick coating. You can use the Brillo pad with confidence if your air fryer basket is uncoated and nonstick. Similar considerations apply when using any oven degreaser; these cleaners contain potent chemicals that are unsafe for nonstick coating. While degreasers for cleaning ovens can be incredibly effective at removing baked-on grease, they will jeopardize the quality of the coating on the basket.
It shouldn’t take more than two repetitions of this procedure to get your air fryer basket as spotless and pristine as new. If the basket is not entirely clean, you can repeat the steps.
How to Keep Your Air Fryer Clean After a Deep Degrease?
As you can see, removing hardened grease from your air fryer basket requires quite the process. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks that can help keep your air fryer basket grease-free for months to come after a thorough cleaning.
First and foremost, we advise washing the air fryer basket after each use. It works best to do this while the basket is still warm rather than when it is piping hot from cooking; wait until it has cooled slightly to avoid getting burned. Heat preserves grease’s liquid state, making it simple to remove after use. In order to gently clean and degrease the basket, we like to use a clean microfiber towel that won’t damage the nonstick coating. We take our microfiber towel, dampen it with warm tap water, add a little dish soap, and then squeeze out the excess water. After cleaning it, rinse it in warm water, then dry it off with a dry microfiber towel.
The next thing we advise is to line the inside of the basket with aluminum foil. Any food you cook in the foil will catch any dripping grease in the foil, and when you are finished cooking, throw the aluminum away. Then, clean your basket as noted above, and you are ready to start cooking again.
Last but not least we recommend running our infamous vinegar and lemon steam bath once a month to keep your air fryer clean and smelling fresh. We advise mixing 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar and 1 tablespoon of lime juice in a microwave-safe dish before putting it in the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 350-400 deg and run the air fryer for 3 min, let it cool with the dish inside for another 15 min. Lime and vinegar will coat the interior and dissolve grease while absorbing any plastic odors. After this steam bath, wash the basket once more, and then wipe the inside of the air fryer with a damp towel to remove any plastic odors and grease buildup.
FAQs
How Do You Get Baked-on Grease Out of An Air Fryer Basket?
3 parts baking soda and 1 part water are combined to make a paste. Let it sit in the air fryer for 30 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, then rinse. You can use this mixture as a substitute for the Dawn Powerwash Spray. For me, the Dawn Powerwash Spray works better.
How Do You Degrease the Inside of An Air Fryer?
Water and heat will help lift off cooked-on grease and debris easily, so add a cup of water to your air fryer basket, turn it on a high setting for a few minutes, and leave it alone. When you open the drawer, you’ll see that a lot of dirt and gunk has been effortlessly lifted without the need for soap or scrubbing.
What Can I Soak My Air Fryer Basket In?
NewAir, maker of Magic Chef air fryers, recommends soaking the food basket and drawer in soapy water for 30 to 60 minutes before cleaning again. If the smell still exists, cut a lemon in half and rub it over the basket and drawer. After letting it sit for 30 minutes, wash the items again.
Why is My Air Fryer Basket Sticky?
Don’t overfill the basket if you want your fried foods to be crispy. The likelihood that food will stick in the air fryer increases with the amount of food that can heat up and melt.
Summary: How to Clean An Air Fryer Basket?
How to clean an air fryer basket? When your basket or tray has cooled, clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cleaning sponge or cloth. 99 percent of the time, a straightforward dish sponge and non-toxic cleaning soap will work! Rinse it under warm, running water and let it air dry or towel dry with a clean cloth.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment. My Prime Home tries to give you the best home improvement information. Don’t forget to share the post. Thank you for reading.
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