The Simple TikTok Hack For Cleaning Your Air Fryer

Cleaning kitchen appliances that need to be plugged into outlets can be challenging. You want your appliances to last, which means you're worried about damaging any of the wires or touchscreen features. A few appliances make it easy for you to clean, like an air fryer with removable trays. While cleaning the trays is a breeze, what do you do when the inside of the air fryer needs a deep clean? Submerging the air fryer into the water in your sink is a no-go. Luckily for us, TikTok user @kingbcouve has offered a superior hack. Instead of handwashing the basket, use it to your advantage by pouring in a bit of dish soap and water.

Air fryers are a staple in most homeowners' abodes, making cooking food effortless in a short amount of time. You don't have to worry about standing by the stove to keep an eye on what you're cooking. If you have things in the air fryer and the oven, you're free to relax until everything is ready. Although some homeowners' favorite kitchen appliances are air fryers, they can get dirty quickly with grime and grease residue. Even though you might give it a good scrub down, sometimes it needs a little more.

Dish soap is the easiest way to clean anything because it's formulated to cut through any harsh grease residue. Air fryers collect grease stains faster because of how often homeowners use them and how little homeowners clean them. However, this TikTok hack that @kingbcouve posted on his page works magic on air fryers that haven't been cleaned in a long time. This beginner-friendly hack takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You'll need a non-abrasive sponge, a microfiber cloth, hot water, and two tablespoons of dish soap.

First, combine the water and dish soap in a bowl to get it soapy, then dump it into the air fryer's basket. Next, completely close the basket, turn on the air fryer, and use the "fryer" setting for three minutes. The "fryer" setting will warm up the water and steam the inside, softening and removing the residue. Once the time is up, dump the water into the sink and rinse the inside.

If there is still grime or grease residue, repeat the steps one to two times. After you're satisfied with the inside, fill the basket with hot soapy water and let it sit for 10 minutes — leave the insert inside to get cleaned too. After 10 minutes, lightly scrub the insert with your sponge. Give everything one last rinse, and dry it with a microfiber cloth.

An air fryer cleaning trick is to clean it after every use, especially if you notice leftover food bits. You don't want them to stick to the basket — it'll make them harder to remove. Although, if the basket has no small food pieces left over, you can leave it to clean for another day or wipe it down with a damp cloth. As long as you use cooking spray before every use, the air fryer won't need a deep clean every time. Even though air fryers have nonstick baskets, the cooking spray will add an extra layer of protection so that when you wash it, you don't peel the coating and damage the air fryers.

When you do decide to clean your air fryer, always ensure it's entirely cooled down before washing it with water or wiping it down. Moreover, refrain from spraying oven cleaning solutions directly into your basket because it'll stick to the inside and lead to problematic fumes whenever you use it next. Instead, use soapy or lemon water and follow the steps we took you through to clean the inside of your air fryer thoroughly.

It's also advisable to line the metal inserts with liners to catch leftover food and minimize the cleaning time. It'll prevent food bits from sticking to the inserts. You can even line the insert with aluminum foil if you don't have liners. Once you're done using your air fryer, remove the liner and throw it away.