Air Fryer Cleaning Guide: How to Do It Without Wrecking the Coating

Air fryers are brilliant until it's time to clean them.

Baked-on grease, burnt crumbs welded to the basket, and a non-stick coating that scratches if you look at it wrong. Most people either avoid cleaning theirs properly or unknowingly wreck the coating with the wrong tools.

Here's how to do it right every time.

What not to use

Metal utensils, steel wool, abrasive sponges, or anything with a sharp edge. Non-stick air fryer coatings are thin and scratch permanently. Once they're gone they're gone — and you're looking at a costly replacement.

What to use instead

A non-scratch plastic scraper for the baked-on bits, a soft sponge for the general clean, and warm soapy water. That's genuinely all you need.

How to clean your air fryer — step by step

1. Let the basket cool completely before you start — never clean a hot air fryer
2. Remove the basket and drawer from the unit
3. Use a non-scratch plastic scraper to lift any baked-on food or grease — hold it at a low angle and use short strokes
4. Wash the basket and drawer in warm soapy water with a soft sponge
5. Wipe the inside of the main unit with a damp cloth — never submerge it in water
6. Dry everything thoroughly before reassembling

How often should you clean it?

Clean the basket after every use. Give the drawer and inside of the unit a deeper clean every three to five uses depending on what you're cooking.

The right scraper makes it easy

The SafeScrape is safe on every non-stick coating — Ninja, Philips, Tefal, Cosori, all of them. It lifts baked-on grease in seconds without leaving a single scratch. Dishwasher safe when you're done.

Get yours from £6.99 with free UK delivery at safescrape.co.uk