Can You Clean The Inside Of An Air Fryer? | Safe Steps

Grease mist and crumbs don’t stay in the basket. They drift up, stick to the ceiling, and bake on near the heating coil. Left alone, that buildup can trigger smoke, odd smells, or bitter flavors the next time you cook.

Wondering, can you clean the inside of an air fryer? Yes—cool it, unplug it, and wipe with a damp cloth.

This page gives you a safe, low-fuss way to clean the cooking chamber, the ceiling near the heater, and the spots that are easy to miss.

Inside Cleaning Cheat Sheet By Area

Area	What Works	What To Skip
Ceiling near the heating coil	Damp cloth, a drop of dish soap, soft toothbrush	Steel wool, scraping tools
Heating coil surface	Soft brush, barely-wet sponge, gentle strokes	Spraying cleaner directly on the coil
Fan guard or air outlet	Dry brush first, then a lightly damp swab	Pouring water into the top vents
Side walls and back wall	Warm soapy wipe, then plain-water wipe	Abrasive pads that dull coatings
Basket rails and cavity ledges	Microfiber cloth, bottle brush for corners	Soaking the main unit
Door rim or front lip	Soapy cloth, cotton swab for seams	Bleach or harsh degreasers
Bottom cavity under the basket	Crumb sweep, then damp wipe and dry	Leaving wet puddles behind
Outer vents	Dry brush or vacuum brush attachment	Pushing debris deeper with a wet rag

Can You Clean The Inside Of An Air Fryer? What “Inside” Means

For most basket-style models, “inside” means the metal cooking chamber that sits behind the basket. It includes the ceiling where oil splatter lands, the side walls, the back wall, the rails the basket slides on, and the floor of the cavity.

The heating coil and nearby fan area sit at the top. You can clean them, yet you treat them like electrical parts. That means light moisture, no spraying, and no soaking.

Oven-style air fryers add racks, a drip tray slot, and a larger ceiling area. The cleaning approach stays the same: remove loose debris, loosen grease with mild soap, then wipe and dry.

Tools And Supplies That Make This Easy

You don’t need a cabinet full of cleaners. A small set of gentle tools keeps the nonstick surfaces and coatings in good shape.

• Microfiber cloths or soft dish cloths
• Mild dish soap
• Soft toothbrush or small nylon brush
• Cotton swabs for seams and tight corners
• Wooden skewer or chopstick wrapped in a cloth (for rails)
• Baking soda and water for a paste on stuck spots

Prep Steps Before You Touch The Heating Coil

Start with safety. Unplug the air fryer, then let it cool until the metal feels room temp. If you cooked fatty food, give it extra time so the grease firms up and wipes away instead of smearing.

Pull out the basket, crisper plate, racks, or drip tray. Wash those separately in warm soapy water and set them aside to dry.

Move the unit to a sink-side counter or lay a towel under it. You’ll be wiping, not rinsing, so you want a spot where drips won’t bother you.

Step-By-Step Method For Cleaning The Inside

Step 1: Knock Out Loose Crumbs

Turn the unit upside down over a trash can only if it feels stable and your model’s manual allows it. If not, keep it upright and use a dry brush to sweep crumbs from the floor and rails.

Dry brushing first helps. Wet cloths can push crumbs into corners.

Step 2: Loosen Grease On Walls And Floor

Dip a cloth in warm water, wring it hard, then add a tiny drop of dish soap. Wipe the side walls, back wall, and cavity floor. Work in sections and flip the cloth so you’re not rubbing old grease back onto clean metal.

Follow with a second cloth dampened with plain water to remove soap film, then dry with paper towels.

Step 3: Clean The Ceiling Near The Coil

This is where most buildup hides. Put a towel down, tip the air fryer back, and shine a flashlight into the top. That angle gives better reach.

Use a lightly soapy cloth to wipe the ceiling. For ridges and tight zones, use a soft toothbrush with gentle strokes. Stop once the surface feels smooth, not tacky.

Step 4: Wipe The Heating Coil Without Flooding It

Use a barely-wet sponge or cloth. Think “damp,” not “dripping.” Slide along the coil, not across it, so you don’t snag the shape.

If you hit a stubborn patch, dab on a thin baking soda paste, wait ten minutes, then wipe it off with a damp cloth and dry right away.

Step 5: Tidy The Fan Guard And Air Outlet

Many air fryers have a fan and air outlet near the coil. You can’t take these apart on most units, so keep it simple. Brush away dry dust and crumbs, then use a damp swab to lift greasy specks.

Skip spray cleaners here. Mist can drift into the motor area.

Step 6: Clean The Door Lip, Rails, And Seams

Grease collects where the basket slides and where the front lip meets the drawer. Wrap a cloth around a chopstick and run it along the rails. Use cotton swabs for seams and corners.

Wipe once with a soapy cloth, once with plain water, then dry. If you feel grit, repeat with a fresh cloth instead of scrubbing hard.

Step 7: Dry And Do A Short Empty Run

Let the unit sit open for ten minutes so hidden moisture can evaporate. Put the dry basket back in, then run the air fryer empty for three to five minutes at a moderate temp. That helps drive off any remaining dampness and can loosen tiny bits you missed.

What Manufacturer Guides Say About Inside Cleaning

Manuals tend to agree on the basics: unplug, cool, use gentle tools, and avoid harsh scrubbers. Philips suggests turning the unit upside down on a cloth to reach the heating element, then running it empty for a few minutes after cleaning so loosened residue drops into the pan. You can read the exact steps on the Philips Airfryer cleaning steps page.

Ninja manuals vary by model, yet the same ideas show up again and again: keep water away from electrical parts, clean with mild soap, and don’t use abrasive tools. If you own the AF100UK series, the Ninja AF100UK instruction booklet is a solid reference for care and cleaning.

Stuck-On Grease: Three Fixes That Don’t Scratch

When oil bakes on, rubbing harder can damage coatings. Use patience and light pressure instead.

Baking Soda Paste For Spots

Mix baking soda with a splash of water until it forms a thick paste. Spread a thin layer on the spot, wait ten minutes, then wipe clean and dry. Keep paste away from vents and the control panel.

Warm, Soapy Steam From The Basket

After a messy cook, fill the basket with warm water and a small squirt of dish soap, then slide it back in with the unit off. Let it sit for fifteen minutes. The warmth can soften grime on the walls above, making your wipe-down easier.

Soft Brush For Coil Grooves

If residue sits in the coil grooves, a soft toothbrush can lift it. Brush gently, then wipe with a damp cloth and dry.

Residue And Odor Fixes After Cleaning

Sometimes the fryer looks clean yet still smells off or smokes. That usually means there’s a film near the ceiling or a drip of oil on the cavity floor.

What You Notice	Likely Cause	Fix
Thin white smoke on preheat	Oil film on the coil or ceiling	Wipe the top again, then run empty for 5 minutes
Burnt smell after cleaning	Soap film left behind	Wipe with plain water, then dry and run empty
Sticky walls	Grease not fully removed	Soapy wipe, then baking soda paste on tacky zones
Rancid odor	Old oil in seams or rails	Swab seams, clean rails with cloth-wrapped stick
Black flecks on food	Loose residue dropping from ceiling	Brush ceiling, wipe, then empty run to catch bits
Food tastes “off”	Old crumbs trapped under basket ledges	Dry brush corners, then damp wipe and dry
Fan noise seems louder	Debris near the air outlet	Dry brush the outlet area; don’t add water there
Smoke only with fatty food	Splatter building up fast	Use a liner or splash guard that fits your model

What Not To Do When Cleaning The Inside

Most air fryers fail early from moisture where it doesn’t belong or from scratched coatings that start to peel. These habits keep you out of trouble.

• Don’t submerge the main unit in water.
• Don’t spray cleaner into the cooking chamber or vents.
• Don’t use oven cleaner, bleach, or strong degreaser inside a food appliance.
• Don’t use metal scrapers, steel wool, or rough scouring pads.
• Don’t run the unit wet. Dry the chamber and basket first.
• Don’t remove screws or pry off panels unless the manual tells you to.

How Often To Clean The Inside Of An Air Fryer

Think in layers. The basket and tray need a wash after each cook. The inside chamber needs a quick wipe often, and a deeper wipe less often.

• After each cook: Wash the basket and crisper plate. Empty crumbs from the cavity floor.
• After several cooks: Wipe the walls and floor with a damp soapy cloth, then dry.
• After greasy meals: Check the ceiling and coil area for splatter and wipe it while it’s fresh.
• When you smell smoke: Do the full inside method above, including seams and rails.

Cleaning The Inside Of An Air Fryer After Messy Meals

If you’re still asking, “can you clean the inside of an air fryer?” it’s often because you peeked in and saw grime you didn’t expect. Two moments make inside cleaning feel urgent: after cooking bacon or sausages, and after breaded foods that shed floury dust.

If you catch the splatter early, it wipes off with soap and warm water. If you wait, heat turns that film into a hard layer that takes longer to soften.

Quick Checklist For A Clean Cook Next Time

Use this checklist right after dinner while the unit is cooling. It keeps the inside from turning into a weekend project.

1. Unplug and cool the unit.
2. Wash basket, tray, and racks.
3. Dry-brush crumbs from the cavity floor and rails.
4. Wipe walls and floor with a wrung-out soapy cloth.
5. Spot-wipe the ceiling near the coil if you cooked fatty food.
6. Dry all surfaces, then do a short empty run.

Store the air fryer with the basket slightly open so moisture can escape. Airflow helps.