Last updated on November 11, 2026 by Emma Collins
An air fryer saves time on weeknights, and it pays you back with grease: a thin film builds on the basket after every cook, and crumbs collect under the crisper plate. Left alone, that residue starts to smell, smoke and stick. Learning how to clean an air fryer properly is a short job after a normal cook, and it keeps the non-stick coating and the heating element in good shape. The short version: unplug it, let it cool, wash the removable parts in hot soapy water with a soft sponge, and check the manual before anything goes in the dishwasher. The same soft-sponge, no-harsh-chemicals approach works on oven racks too.
How often should you clean it?
Clean the basket and drawer after greasy cooks. Chips, chicken thighs, sausages and anything with a coating leave oil behind, and that oil turns sticky once it has been reheated a few times. After plain vegetables or reheated bread, tipping out the crumbs and a quick wipe with kitchen paper is often enough.
Wipe the inside of the cavity when you can see a haze on the walls or smell old fat as it heats up. Give the heating element a deeper clean when it looks dark and tacky, or the fryer smells smoky. No manufacturer gives a fixed number of uses, so go by what you can see and smell rather than a calendar.
Emma’s tip: Once the fryer has cooled after dinner, I tip out the fat and put the basket in hot soapy water straight away while I clear the table. A short soak at that point saves far more scrubbing than leaving it until the next morning.
What you need and what to avoid
- Washing-up liquid and hot water
- A soft sponge (the non-scratch kind, without a green scourer side)
- A soft- to medium-bristle brush, such as a washing-up brush, for the mesh and corners
- A soft cloth and a clean tea towel for drying
- Kitchen paper, for blotting off loose grease first
What you avoid matters more. Metal utensils, steel wool and abrasive pads scratch non-stick coatings, and a scratched basket sticks more every time. Oven cleaner, caustic sprays and abrasive powders are too harsh for the coating and the element, and they are hard to rinse out of a small drawer that holds food. The same gentle approach works when cleaning oven racks without harsh chemicals: hot soapy water, a soft tool and a soak.
One habit that has saved me a lot of scrubbing: I keep a soft washing-up brush just for the air fryer, so it never picks up grit from the brush I use on roasting tins.
| Part | Usual method | Dishwasher? | Do not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basket or pan (drawer) | Hot soapy water, soft sponge; soak 5–10 min | Only if the manual says so | Metal utensils, steel wool, abrasive pads |
| Crisper plate, tray or rack | Same wash as the basket | Only if the manual says so | Metal utensils, steel wool, abrasive pads |
| Inside walls | Soft cloth, warm soapy water | No | Spray water into vents or controls |
| Heating element | Soft sponge, hot water; soft brush (Philips steps below) | No | Steel-wire or hard brush; turning it over unless the manual says so |
| Outside and controls | Damp cloth; dry cloth for controls | No | Immerse the unit; water near electrics |
| Use this | Do not use this |
|---|---|
| Soft sponge | Steel wool |
| Soft cloth | Abrasive pads and scourers |
| Washing-up liquid | Oven cleaner, caustic sprays |
| Soft- to medium-bristle brush | Steel-wire or hard-bristle brush |
| Dry towel for drying parts fully | High-temperature “burn off” (unless the manual has a clean cycle) |
Step by step: the basket, drawer and crisper plate
- Unplug the fryer and let it cool completely. Philips says about 30 minutes for its Airfryers; if your manual gives a different time, follow that.
- Pull out the drawer and lift out the basket or crisper plate. Tip crumbs into the bin.
- Pour any pooled fat from the drawer into an old jar or onto kitchen paper for the bin, never down the sink, where it can set in the pipes. Blot the greasy film off the drawer with kitchen paper.
- Put the crisper plate or basket back in the drawer, or in a washing-up bowl, and fill with hot water and a good squirt of washing-up liquid so the mesh is covered. Leave it for five to ten minutes if food is stuck (the soak time Philips gives for its pan).
- Wash with the soft sponge. Use the soft brush on the mesh holes and the corners of the drawer, where grease collects, working gently rather than pressing hard.
- Rinse under hot running water until no suds or greasy film remain.
- Dry with a tea towel, then leave the parts on the draining board until they are completely dry before you put them back. A damp drawer shut into the machine soon smells musty.
Wiping the inside and outside
With the drawer out and the fryer still unplugged, wring a soft cloth out in warm soapy water until it is damp rather than dripping, and wipe the inside walls of the cavity. Never pour or spray water into the opening, and keep the cloth away from the vents and controls. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth, then go over the control panel or touchscreen with a dry one.
Emma’s tip: For the back corners of the cavity, I wrap a damp soft cloth around the handle of a wooden spoon. It reaches right in without my fingers going anywhere near the element, and it can’t scratch anything.
How to clean an air fryer heating element
The element sits above the basket and catches spatters from everything you cook. With the fryer unplugged and cool, shine a phone torch up into the cavity: if the coils or the shield around them look dark and sticky, they need a clean.
Philips gives these steps for its own Airfryers:
- Make sure the fryer is unplugged and not hot, and take out the basket and pan.
- Lay a soft cloth on the worktop and turn the appliance upside down on it so you can reach the element.
- Wipe the element and the inside with a soft sponge and hot water.
- Loosen stuck residue with a soft- to medium-bristle brush. A flexible brush reaches the area behind the element.
- Turn the fryer upright, put the pan back, and run it empty for a few minutes so loosened residue falls into the pan. Then wipe the pan out.
Only turn your fryer over if your manual says so; not every manufacturer suggests it. On any other brand, the safe version is the same idea without the flip: wipe what you can reach from below with a barely damp sponge and use a soft brush on stuck spots. Philips’ own cleaning page sets out the full Philips sequence.
Can the basket go in the dishwasher?
Only if your manual says that part is dishwasher-safe. Philips says the pan, basket and frying insert of its Airfryers are dishwasher safe, but other brands vary, and some parts are hand-wash only. Bosch’s air fryer cleaning page gives the same advice: check what your model allows first.
If the dishwasher is allowed, a hot, short programme is kinder to the coating than a high-temperature intensive one, but the manual wins. Lay the basket so the spray reaches the mesh, and let it dry fully before it goes back in the drawer. Hand-washing is still the gentlest option, and with a soak it usually takes only a few minutes.
A worked Philips method
If you own a Philips Airfryer, these are the times Philips publishes. Owners of other brands should use their own manual’s figures.
| Philips step | Time |
|---|---|
| Cool after unplugging | About 30 minutes |
| Soak stuck residue | 5–10 minutes |
| Empty run after cleaning the element | A few minutes |
| Steam-clean (NA55x models only) | 20 minutes (15 steam, 5 dry) |
Some Philips NA55x models also have a steam-clean function: 20 minutes in total (15 of steam, 5 of drying), with the water tank filled to the maximum and the fryer about 20 cm from a wall. It is a feature of those models only, not a general method.
Smells and stubborn grease
A lingering smell nearly always means fat is reheating somewhere you have not cleaned. Check under the crisper plate, in the back corners of the drawer and on the element. Clean those, then leave the drawer pulled out slightly for an hour so the inside airs and dries.
Emma’s tip: When a smell hangs around, the first thing I do is lift out the crisper plate and look underneath. That is usually where a forgotten chip or a little pool of fat is hiding.
For baked-on brown patches on the basket, a second soak in fresh hot soapy water is better than scrubbing harder. If the smell stays after a proper clean, check the manual, as some models have their own cleaning cycle. If you can see the coating flaking or peeling, stop using that basket and contact the manufacturer about a replacement part.
What never to do
- Never immerse the main unit in water or put the whole air fryer in the dishwasher. It holds the electrics.
- Never clean any part of it while it is hot or plugged in.
- Never use metal utensils, steel wool, abrasive pads or a steel-wire brush on the basket, pan or element.
- Never run it at full heat to “burn off” grease, unless your manual has a clean cycle that tells you to.
- Never put parts back while they are still damp.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put an air-fryer basket in the dishwasher?
Only if your manual says that part is dishwasher-safe. Philips says its pan, basket and frying insert are, but other brands vary and some parts are hand-wash only. Hot soapy water and a soft sponge is the gentler default.
How do I clean the heating element?
Unplug the fryer and let it cool. Wipe the element with a soft sponge and hot water, and use a soft- to medium-bristle brush on stuck residue. Philips owners can turn the unit upside down on a soft cloth to reach it, then run it empty for a few minutes; on other brands, follow the manual.
How often should I clean my air fryer?
Clean the basket and drawer after greasy cooks, wipe the inside when you can see or smell residue, and clean the element when grease builds up. There is no official fixed number of uses.
Why does my air fryer smell?
Usually because grease left under the crisper plate, in the drawer or on the element is heating up again. Clean those parts and let everything dry fully before reassembling.
Can I use baking soda or vinegar?
They are not official manufacturer methods for air fryers. Some owners use a mild bicarbonate paste on cool, removable parts and rinse it off well, but check your manual first and never use it on the element or any electrical part. Vinegar is better kept for jobs like descaling a kettle.
Conclusion
An air fryer stays clean with a short routine: unplug, cool, tip out the crumbs and fat, soak and wash the basket in hot soapy water, wipe the inside, and dry everything before it goes back. Give the element a gentle clean when grease builds up, and check the manual before the dishwasher or before turning the machine over. Vinegar has its place elsewhere in the kitchen, for example to descale a kettle, but soapy water and a soft sponge are all an air fryer needs. If yours lives on a crowded worktop, these small kitchen storage ideas can help free up space so its vents stay clear.
Emma Collins is the editor of The Homely Way, a UK home and lifestyle magazine. She writes practical, plain-English guides on home improvement, cleaning, heating and saving money around the home — always with UK prices, UK products and real-world costs, and no jargon. When she is not writing, she is planning the next guide.
