Its not as simple as throwing the removable\nparts into the dishwasher. I recently wrote a\npost about precisely this issue<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The damage that a dishwasher can cause is significant and will damage your air fryer parts eventually. If you aren\u2019t overly concerned about shortening the lifespan of your air fryer, use your dishwasher<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it is an issue for you, I suggest that\nyou follow the following method. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By far the biggest benefit is the taste of\nthe food. With a dirty air fryer that has lots of grease, this gets heated up\nwhen the air fryer is being used. This has the effect of tainting the taste of\nthe food you are cooking and also releasing quite an unpleasant odor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaning your air fryer also causes it to\noperate more efficiently. It is therefore cooking your food faster whilst\ncosting you less money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The simple truth is that you should be\nlooking to clean it every time you use it. This sounds like more than a burden\nthan it actually is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s face it, very little grease is\ncreated by most foods using an air fryer. Therefore, a simple wipe down and rinse\nof the basket should be sufficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By not doing this, the grease is drying and\ngetting hard. It therefore makes it much more difficult to clean at a later\ndate. Especially if you have layers of buildup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are cooking bacon or similar foods\nthat release a lot of fat, you should definitely clean it fully after every\nuse. You need to go through the full process detailed below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the taste of your food is \u2018funky\u2019 or tastes like other foods you cooked previously\u2026 your air fryer needs cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smoke coming out of the air fryer is another sure fire signal that cleaning is required. This is happening because the heat is burning the grease. It may not be the case that you have cooked really fatty food like bacon, it may well even happen if you used slightly too much oil previously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your food starts sticking to the base of\nthe basket, this indicates that a clean is required. This is because the\nnonstick surface is compromised\u2026assuming of course that it is not damaged. If\nyou haven\u2019t read it, I highly recommend that you read my post about non-stick\ncoatings in air fryers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A balance is required when it comes to\ncleaning the grease from your air fryer. You obviously need to get it cleaned\nbut at the same time, you do not want to damage any of the coatings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why I do not\nrecommend using a dishwasher<\/a><\/strong>. They operate at high heat which erodes\nthe surface of the nonstick cookware. It can lead to flaking which can be\ntoxic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this same reason, I don\u2019t recommend that you use any steel<\/a> wool or scourers. You obviously want to protect the non-stick or Teflon surface, using those will scratch and damage it over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I am also against using any strong\ndetergents or things that aren\u2019t designed to clean. Often, these can have the\nopposite effect and actually cause damage instead of cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I highly suggest you follow the method\nprescribed below. It is a balance between protecting your cookware and getting\nit clean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaning your air fryer of all the dirt and\ngrease it has accumulated could not be easier. You can read my full post on removing\nthe air fryer smell here<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You simply need some hot water and a\nsponge. If you are also cleaning the outside of your air fryer, you will need a\nmicrofiber cloth. For baked in food and grease, you may also need a soft\nbristled brush or silicone pad, alongside some bicarbonate of soda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1 \u2013 <\/strong>Ensure the appliance is unplugged and remove the basket and tray from the main unit. Only when it is cold, pass over the whole unit with paper towels<\/a> to remove any loose grease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2 \u2013<\/strong> Use\na damp cloth over the whole unit removing as much grease as you can. Simply use\nhot water and a sponge at this point. The heating element can be cleaned using\nthe sponge too. Do NOT use anything abrasive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3 \u2013<\/strong> If you\nhave wiped the tray and it still has food stuck to it, put some bicarbonate of\nsoda onto a sponge and start rubbing. This will form a paste and you can use a bristle\nbrush to help remove the food. You can repeat this step for the air fryer\nbasket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 4 \u2013 <\/strong>If the\nbasket is not cleaning as you would like, place it into a filled hot water\nsink. Allow it to soak for a period of time until it breaks down the grease and\nthe caked-on food.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBenefits of removing the grease from your air fryer <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How often should I clean my Air Fryer? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Signs your Air fryer needs a clean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What to avoid using when cleaning your air fryer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to clean your air fryer <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What you will need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Method<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"how](\"http:\/\/www.dutchovenscookware.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/how-do-you-get-baked-on-grease-out-of-an-air-fryer-basket.jpg\")