Quick answer: To clean an air fryer, unplug it and let it cool, then remove the basket and crisper plate and wash them in warm soapy water (or the dishwasher if the manufacturer says they are dishwasher-safe). Wipe the interior and heating element with a damp cloth, clean the exterior, dry every part fully, and reassemble. A light clean after each use takes about three minutes, and a deeper clean once a week or after anything greasy keeps smoke, odors and stuck-on residue from building up.
Air fryers are one of the easiest small appliances to keep clean, but they are also one of the most commonly neglected. After analyzing patterns across many verified owner reviews for popular models from Ninja, Cosori, Instant Vortex, Philips, Dreo and Gourmia, the same complaints show up again and again: a fryer that starts smoking, a basket that smells like last week’s salmon, and a nonstick coating that wore out far too soon. Almost all of these come back to cleaning habits rather than a faulty machine. This guide walks through exactly how to clean a basket-style air fryer and an oven-style model the right way, plus the mistakes that quietly ruin the coating.
What You Need Before You Start
You do not need special products. Most of this you already own:
- Warm water and a few drops of regular dish soap
- A soft sponge or dishcloth (avoid steel wool and abrasive scrubbers)
- A soft-bristle brush or an old toothbrush for the heating element
- Baking soda for stubborn baked-on grease
- A microfiber cloth or paper towels for drying
Skip harsh oven cleaners, bleach and anything abrasive. These strip the nonstick coating that makes an air fryer worth owning, and once that coating is gone food sticks, smokes and tastes off.
How to Clean a Basket-Style Air Fryer (Step by Step)
Step 1: Unplug and let it cool
Always unplug the unit first and give it fifteen to twenty minutes to cool. The basket and interior hold heat far longer than the exterior feels, and rushing this step is the most common way people burn their fingers. Never run water near a warm heating element or motor housing.
Step 2: Remove the basket and crisper plate
Pull out the drawer, then separate the crisper plate (the perforated insert) from the basket. Food and grease love to hide in the gap between these two pieces, so always take them apart. If your model has a button release on the handle, press it gently rather than yanking.
Step 3: Soak and wash the removable parts
Fill the basket with warm soapy water and let it soak for ten minutes to loosen baked-on bits. Then wash the basket and crisper plate with a soft sponge. For dried-on residue, make a paste of baking soda and a little water, apply it to the spot, wait a few minutes, and wipe it away. Many Cosori, Instant Vortex and Ninja baskets are labeled dishwasher-safe, but verified owners consistently report that gentle handwashing preserves the nonstick coating much longer. If you do use the dishwasher, place parts on the top rack.
Step 4: Wipe the interior and heating element
With the parts removed, look up into the unit. The heating coil sits at the top. Wipe the interior walls with a damp cloth, and use a soft brush to gently dislodge any grease or crumbs stuck to the coil. This is the single most important step for anyone wondering why their air fryer is smoking, because oily buildup on the element burns off and produces that blue-gray smoke. Never submerge the main housing in water.
Step 5: Clean the exterior and control panel
Wipe the outside with a slightly damp cloth, then dry it. For touchscreens, use a barely damp cloth and avoid getting moisture into the buttons or vents.
Step 6: Dry everything completely and reassemble
Let every part air-dry or towel-dry fully before putting the fryer back together. Trapped moisture can cause odors and, in rare cases, electrical issues. Reseat the crisper plate into the basket and slide the drawer back in.
How to Clean an Oven-Style Air Fryer
Oven-style units and air fryer toaster ovens have more parts but the principle is identical. Remove the racks, the crumb tray and the air-fry basket, and wash them in warm soapy water. Wipe the glass door inside and out, clean the interior walls, and pull out the crumb tray every few uses since trapped crumbs are the usual cause of smoke in these models. If you are still deciding between the two formats, our breakdown of basket versus oven style air fryers covers how cleaning effort differs between them.
How Often Should You Clean It?
| Cleaning level | How often | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Quick wipe | After every use | Basket, crisper plate, quick interior wipe |
| Standard clean | Every few uses or after greasy food | Full wash of removable parts plus heating element |
| Deep clean | Weekly to monthly | Element, interior, exterior, vents and crumb tray |
The honest rule from owner feedback: clean it after anything that drips fat, such as bacon, wings, sausages or burgers. Cooking something dry like reheated fries does not need a full wash every time, though a rinse never hurts.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
Using metal scrubbers or harsh chemicals
This is the number one coating-killer. Once the nonstick surface is scratched, food sticks and the basket degrades fast. If your coating is already flaking, it is usually time to replace the unit rather than the basket. Our guide on how long air fryers last explains when a fryer is genuinely worn out versus just dirty.
Ignoring the heating element
People clean the basket religiously and never look at the coil. Grease accumulates there over weeks and is the most common cause of smoke and burnt smells. A thirty-second brush of the element during a standard clean prevents almost all of it.
Leaving water in or around the housing
Submerging the base or letting water seep into the controls can damage the electronics. Only the removable basket and accessories should ever go in water.
Letting grease bake on between uses
The longer residue sits, the harder it sets. A quick wipe right after the unit cools is far easier than scrubbing carbonized grease a week later. This habit also keeps flavors from transferring, so your fish does not make your next batch of cookies taste strange.
Not cleaning before first use
Always wash a brand-new basket and run the empty fryer for a few minutes to burn off manufacturing residue. If you are brand new to the appliance, our beginner guide to using an air fryer covers this break-in step along with preheating and temperature basics.
How to Get Rid of Air Fryer Smells
Lingering odors are common with strongly flavored foods. To remove them, wash the basket as usual, then soak it in a mix of warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda. For a stubborn smell, place half a lemon or a small dish of vinegar in the cleaned basket and run the fryer at a low temperature for a couple of minutes. Make sure everything is fully dry afterward, since trapped moisture is itself a source of musty smells.
A Note on Coatings and Liners
Disposable parchment liners and silicone mats can cut cleanup time dramatically, but use them correctly. Never preheat with a loose paper liner inside, because it can lift into the heating element. If you use foil, weigh it down with food and keep it away from the coil. Our explainer on whether you can put foil in an air fryer covers the safety details. Liners reduce mess but do not replace the periodic element and interior cleaning described above.
Keeping a Clean Fryer Cooking Well
A clean air fryer simply works better. Airflow stays unobstructed, food crisps more evenly, and you avoid the smoke and odor problems that send so many units back to the store. If you have reached the point where no amount of cleaning revives the performance, it may be time to upgrade. Our roundup of the best air fryers for 2026 compares current models on capacity, ease of cleaning and durability, and if a growing household is the reason your fryer always looks greasy, the best air fryers for a family guide focuses on larger, easier-to-clean baskets.
Treat cleaning as part of the cooking routine rather than a chore you save up. Three minutes after each use and one deeper clean a week is all it takes to keep any air fryer, from a compact single-basket model to a large oven-style unit, running like the day you bought it.
