TL;DR
- After every use: basket and crisper plate in warm soapy water. Two minutes while it is still warm.
- Every few uses: wipe the heating element and the inside of the drawer housing. Grease up there is what makes an air fryer smoke.
- Never use: metal scourers, oven cleaner, or a knife to chip food off. All three destroy the coating.
- Baked on grease: soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then a soft brush. Patience beats force.
- Dishwasher safe usually means dishwasher tolerant. Hand washing makes a non stick basket last years longer.
Table of Contents
Air fryers get filthy in a way ovens do not, because the fan atomises grease and sprays it over every surface including the element above your food. Most of what people blame on a faulty machine, from smoke to smells to weak browning, is really just a cleaning problem.
The good news is that a basket takes about two minutes if you do it while the thing is still warm. Leave it a week and you are scrubbing carbon.
What to clean, and how often
| Part | How often | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Basket | Every use | Warm soapy water, soft sponge, while still warm |
| Crisper plate | Every use | Same. Get into the holes, that is where grease hides |
| Drawer housing | Every 3 to 4 uses | Damp cloth. Grease drips down here and bakes on |
| Heating element | Every 5 uses | Unplug, cool, wipe with a damp cloth. Biggest smoke cause |
| Fan guard | Monthly | Soft brush, dry. Never soak |
| Outer shell | As needed | Damp cloth. Nothing abrasive |
| Oven racks and trays | Every use | Soapy water or dishwasher |
| Crumb tray (ovens) | Every 2 to 3 uses | Empty and wipe. A fire risk when neglected |
The two minute habit. Wash the basket while the machine is still warm and grease lifts with a sponge. Wait until tomorrow and the same grease has polymerised into a hard brown film that takes twenty minutes and a soak.
The everyday routine
- Unplug it and let it cool until it is warm rather than hot. Five minutes is enough.
- Lift the crisper plate out of the basket. Both parts need washing separately, and food hides underneath.
- Warm water, a drop of washing up liquid, a soft sponge. No pressure needed if you catch it early.
- Rinse and dry properly. Water left in the basket rusts the metal under the coating over time.
- Slide it back only when dry. Trapped damp is what causes that stale smell.
Baked on grease
Fill the basket with hot water and a drop of washing up liquid, then leave it for 20 minutes. The heat and detergent soften the film so a soft brush lifts it away. Repeat rather than scrubbing harder, because pressure is what wears the coating through.
For the element, unplug the machine and turn it upside down so you can reach the underside. Wipe with a damp cloth. If grease has carbonised, a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water on a soft cloth will shift it. Let it dry fully before plugging back in.
A machine that smokes every time you use it almost always has grease on the element. Our guide to air fryer smoke works through the causes in order.
What never to use
| Do not use | What it does |
|---|---|
| Metal scourers or steel wool | Cuts straight through the non stick coating |
| Oven cleaner | Caustic. Strips the coating and leaves residue that gets into food |
| Knives or metal utensils | Gouges the surface, and food sticks to every scratch afterwards |
| Bleach | Corrodes the coating and the metal underneath |
| Abrasive powders | Micro scratches build up and the basket stops releasing food |
| Soaking the main unit | Water in the electrics. Never put the housing in a sink |
The dishwasher question
Most manufacturers list the basket as dishwasher safe, and that is true in the narrow sense that it will not fall apart. Dishwasher detergent is alkaline and abrasive though, and it dulls non stick coatings over time. A basket washed by hand will outlast the same basket run through a dishwasher three times a week.
Racks and trays from air fryer ovens are a different case. Those are usually stainless steel or chrome, so the dishwasher does them no harm. Models with ceramic coatings such as the Cuisinart AIR-180 tolerate machine washing better than PTFE.
If coating chemistry matters to you, our guide to PFAS and non stick air fryers explains what these surfaces are made from and when to replace them.
Getting rid of smells
A stale or fishy smell means grease somewhere you have not washed, usually the element or the fan guard. Clean both first.
If the smell persists, half a lemon in the basket at 180C for 5 minutes will neutralise a lot of it. A shallow dish of white vinegar left in the drawer overnight works too. New machines that smell of plastic are a separate problem, covered in our air fryer plastic smell guide.
Liners: helpful or not
Perforated paper liners cut cleaning time and do no harm, as long as the holes line up and food weighs them down. A loose liner will lift into the element and catch fire, so never preheat with an empty one in the basket.
Silicone liners last longer and are easier to wash, though they block some airflow from underneath and cost you a little crispness. For messy things like mozzarella sticks or wings the trade is worth it. For chips it is not.
Foil works but blocks the holes it covers, which is exactly where your airflow comes from. Use it sparingly, never over the whole plate, and never with acidic food.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put an air fryer basket in the dishwasher?
Usually yes, and most manuals say so. Dishwasher detergent is harsh on non stick coatings though, so a basket washed by hand will keep its surface years longer. Two minutes in the sink while the basket is still warm is quicker than loading the dishwasher anyway.
How do I clean baked on grease from an air fryer?
Soak, do not scrub. Fill the basket with hot water and washing up liquid, leave it 20 minutes, then lift the softened film off with a soft brush. Repeat if it needs it. For the element, use a paste of bicarbonate of soda on a damp cloth with the machine unplugged and cool.
How often should I clean my air fryer?
The basket and crisper plate after every use. The drawer housing every three or four uses. The heating element every five uses or so, since grease collecting up there is the single most common cause of smoke. Air fryer ovens also need the crumb tray emptied regularly.
Why does my air fryer smell even after cleaning?
Grease somewhere you have not reached, almost always the heating element or the fan guard above the food. Both get sprayed with atomised fat and neither gets washed in a normal clean. Unplug the machine, turn it over, and wipe the element with a damp cloth.
Can I use oven cleaner on my air fryer?
No. Oven cleaner is caustic, and it will strip the non stick coating and leave residue that ends up in your food. Warm soapy water and a soak handle everything an air fryer can throw at you.
Are air fryer liners safe?
Paper liners are safe when food is sitting on them, holding them down. An empty liner will lift into the heating element and catch fire, so never preheat with one in an empty basket. Silicone liners are safer but block some airflow, which costs you a little crispness.
When should I replace my air fryer basket?
When the coating is scratched through to the metal, or when it is flaking. Food sticks to every scratch and it only gets worse. Many manufacturers sell replacement baskets for a fraction of a new machine, which is worth checking before you replace the whole thing.