How to Clean an Air Fryer Without Damaging It

Quick answer

Let the air fryer cool, unplug it, remove the washable parts and clean only the parts the manufacturer says can be washed. The electrical body should not go in water, and the heating area needs a gentler approach than a basket or removable tray.

The most important mistake to avoid is treating every surface the same. Philips, Ninja and Sunbeam all sell air fryers with dishwasher-safe removable parts, but that does not mean the appliance body, heating element or every accessory should be scrubbed or soaked.

If grease is building up inside the cooking chamber, clean it before it becomes a baked-on layer. Use soft cloths or sponges first. Avoid steel wool, hard wire brushes and aggressive chemical cleaners unless the exact manual explicitly allows them.

Check these things before you start

Is the appliance fully cool and unplugged?

This is the first step on current Philips and Sunbeam care guidance. Do not clean around the heating area while the appliance is hot or connected to power.

Which parts are actually removable?

Basket-style air fryers usually separate into some combination of drawer, basket, crisper plate, rack or divider. Oven-style designs can add trays, shelves and removable partitions.

Do not assume that because one removable part is dishwasher safe, every removable part is.

For example, Philips lists the NA230 StarPlate as dishwasher safe and its general Airfryer support says the pan and basket can be dishwasher-safe on supported models. Ninja Australia describes the drawers and crisper plates on its dual-zone models as dishwasher safe. Sunbeam's AFP6000 guide lists baskets, trays, removable divider and handle as dishwasher safe.

Is the surface non-stick?

Abrasive tools can shorten the useful life of a coated basket long before the appliance itself fails.

Philips specifically warns against hard or wire brushes around the heating area, while Sunbeam warns that abrasive cleaners, scrubbing brushes and chemical cleaners can damage its unit.

If food is stuck on, soaking the removable part in warm soapy water is usually a safer first move than escalating immediately to a harsh scourer.

Does the model have a special cleaning function?

Some air fryers now have cleaning functions that change the process.

Philips NA551 includes Steam Clean. Philips says the function is intended to make grease build-up easier to remove around the large basket and heating area, and recommends using the steam-clean function for 15 minutes after use for optimal results.

That is an extra tool, not permission to ignore the normal manual. The appliance still needs the correct water setup, spacing and care process for that model.

The safe cleaning process

1. Remove crumbs and loose food first

Empty the basket, tray or drawer before adding water.

Loose crumbs turn into greasy paste when immediately mixed with wash water. Removing them dry first also makes it easier to see where actual baked-on grease remains.

If your model has an oven-style cavity, check corners, rack supports and the area beneath removable trays for loose debris.

2. Wash removable food-contact parts

For dishwasher-safe parts, you can use the dishwasher if the manufacturer allows it.

Hand washing is still useful when you want to protect a non-stick surface from repeated high-temperature dishwasher cycles or when residue needs soaking before gentle wiping.

Use warm water, ordinary dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge as the default unless your manual says otherwise.

3. Clean the cooking chamber separately

The chamber is part of the appliance, not a sink-safe container.

Use a damp cloth or soft sponge and keep liquid controlled. Sunbeam's AFP6000 guidance allows the interior to be wiped with a damp cloth and warm soapy water, while explicitly saying not to immerse the oven, cord or plug.

Wipe away cleaner residue afterwards rather than leaving a soapy film near the cooking airflow.

4. Treat the heating area gently

This is where generic "deep-clean hacks" become risky.

Philips' current Airfryer support instructs owners to unplug and cool the appliance, remove the basket and pan, then use a soft sponge with hot water around the inside and heating element. If food residue is stuck to the heating element, Philips allows a soft- to medium-bristle brush and specifically warns against steel wire or hard-bristle brushes.

Do not bend, scrape or aggressively scour a heating element.

If the exact manual does not tell you to clean the element directly, do not invent a procedure from another air fryer that looks similar.

5. Dry everything before reassembly

Removable parts should be dry before they go back into the appliance.

Pay particular attention to water trapped around basket joints, handles, removable dividers and crisper-plate feet. Water sitting in an assembled air fryer can create odour, corrosion or steam where you do not expect it.

6. Use model-specific cleaning functions correctly

If your air fryer has Steam Clean or another care cycle, use it as an aid to the cleaning process rather than a substitute for removing loose food and wiping accessible residue.

For the Philips NA551, the steam-clean function is an feature on this model. That does not mean a non-steam Philips, Ninja or Sunbeam should be filled with water and run in the same way.

What changes by air-fryer design?

Single-basket models

A simple single drawer usually makes cleaning easier because there are fewer removable interfaces. The Philips NA230 is a useful example: its StarPlate is dishwasher safe, and the basket architecture is straightforward to inspect after each use.

Dual-zone models

Two drawers mean more corners, handles and crisper plates to inspect.

Ninja's dual-zone models and the Philips NA352 both support dishwasher-safe removable cooking parts, but grease can still accumulate around the fixed body and heating area above each zone.

Clean both zones even if one looked less dirty after the meal.

Convertible or oven-style models

The Sunbeam AFP6000 adds baskets, trays and a removable divider. Its manual says those removable pieces are dishwasher safe, while the appliance body itself must not be immersed.

The practical difference is simple: there are more removable parts to clean, but the fixed oven cavity still needs controlled wiping rather than soaking.

Steam-enabled models

Philips NA551 adds a Steam Clean function. It can reduce grease build-up in the supported basket/heating area, but it also means the owner must follow the model's steam and condensation precautions.

A cleaning feature is useful only when it is used as designed.

Common cleaning problems

Grease will not come off the basket

Start with soaking and a soft sponge rather than immediately moving to an abrasive pad.

Repeated hard scrubbing can trade one problem—grease—for another: damaged coating.

There is grease around the heating element

Let the appliance cool fully. Use only the access and brush method the manufacturer supports.

For Philips models covered by its current support article, a soft sponge and soft- to medium-bristle brush are allowed. That should not be transferred automatically to every brand.

The air fryer smells after cleaning

Check for detergent residue, trapped food under a crisper plate, moisture left in removable parts or grease higher in the chamber.

If the smell is electrical, burning-plastic-like, accompanied by smoke from the appliance body, or persists after a normal clean, stop using the appliance and move to manufacturer support rather than repeatedly running it empty.

The basket coating is flaking or badly scratched

Cleaning cannot restore damaged non-stick coating.

Check whether the exact basket or drawer is available as a replacement part. If food-contact coating is visibly deteriorating, do not keep escalating with harsher cleaning methods.

Steam or condensation appears behind the appliance

On steam-enabled Philips models, steam-related functions can release significant vapour at the rear. Philips advises leaving space from the wall and keeping the air outlet away from electrical sockets.

That is a placement issue as much as a cleaning issue.

Cleaning mistakes to avoid

• immersing the appliance body, cord or plug;
• putting a non-dishwasher-safe part in the dishwasher;
• using steel wool or a wire brush on coated parts or heating components;
• spraying cleaner directly into electrical vents;
• using oven cleaner because the appliance looks like a small oven;
• scraping a heating element to remove baked-on food;
• reassembling while parts are still wet;
• copying a steam-clean method onto a model without that function.

A good cleaning routine should reduce residue without creating a new surface, coating or electrical problem.

Next step

If the air fryer is clean but still smokes, smells strongly, trips power, heats unevenly or shows a damaged coating or component, the next step is troubleshooting or service, not a more aggressive clean.

Use the exact manufacturer support page for the model before dismantling fixed parts.

If cleaning effort is becoming a recurring ownership problem and you are considering a replacement, go back to the Air Fryers category and compare basket layout, dishwasher-safe parts and maintenance features as part of the decision—not as an afterthought.