Cleaning an air fryer is a dreaded kitchen chore, as baked-on grease and burn marks often require significant scrubbing. After an hour of work, you can end up covered in grease, while charcoal stains and food crumbs remain stuck inside the basket.
Air fryers are difficult to clean because oil and fat splatter around the basket and bake onto the surface at high heat, forming a greasy, burned residue. Grease is hydrophobic, meaning it does not mix well with water, so removing these stains can be challenging without hours of scrubbing or new cleaning products.
Dishwasher tablet solution
Danielle Davenport, known online as Cleaning with Danielle, has shared a simpler and more hands-free solution using a dishwasher tablet. She said: "The dishwasher tablets will actually break down all the fats and oils…this is my favourite method because it is so quick and easy to do."
Dishwasher tablets are designed to remove food stains on dishes, which means they can also help loosen grease or burned marks inside an air fryer basket.
How it works
Grease usually does not mix with water, but dishwasher tablets contain surfactants, which help them penetrate greasy residue and break it down into droplets. They also contain alkaline ingredients, which react with the fat and oil in the stains and help dissolve them.
Using a dishwasher tablet requires no intense cleaning and costs nothing extra, since most people already have them in their kitchens. It makes cleaning an air fryer less stressful, helping you stay on top of the task without spending an afternoon covered in greasy stains.
Step-by-step cleaning guide
Unplug the air fryer and let it cool completely before cleaning. Place a dishwasher tablet in the air fryer basket and pour boiling hot water from a kettle into it. Leave it to soak on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a basin with warm water and dissolve a dishwasher tablet. Place any trays or grills inside the basin. Dip a sponge or cloth into the warm water solution and gently wipe the air fryer door or bottom to remove stains. A lot of brown residue may come off, so have a few cloths on hand. Do not use scourers, as they risk breaking the air fryer.
Once the greasy residue is removed, use a clean cloth to lightly rinse the air fryer surfaces and dry them with another cloth. When the time is up, rinse and dry the air fryer basket and any other components. Make sure everything is completely dry before switching the air fryer on again.
Cleaning should take only a few minutes. Doing this at least once a week helps prevent burnt-on grease from building up and makes the air fryer easier to keep clean in the long run.
