Another hazardous hack making the rounds on TikTok is the hands-off air fryer cleaning method. This involves filling the cooking compartment with water and dish soap, and then turning the appliance on for a few minutes to heat up the soapy water. Although alluring, this hack could pose a serious risk to your unit. “Running your air fryer with soapy water is absolutely dangerous,” exclaimed Carly Castro, owner of FreshLee Cleaning Co. and third-generation professional house cleaner, in an exclusive interview with House Digest. Castro went on to explain that “adding water to a running air fryer will produce steam, which can create smoke and even start a fire. Also, hot water may splatter, which can cause bodily burns. It’s also important to mention that air fryer fans are quite powerful, which means that the water and soap can be sprayed all over the element.” Castro says she has received multiple messages from followers on her TikTok page, @cleanwcarly, reporting that their air fryers stopped working entirely after trying the hack, or, failing that, continued functioning but gave everything they subsequently cooked a soapy flavor.
The good news is that you can replicate the effectiveness of this hack, minus the risks, by simply cleaning the cooking compartment with hot water and soap in the sink. Boil up a kettle of water, pour it into the pan with a few drops of dish soap, and let it soak to loosen stuck residue. Some air fryers also have dishwasher-safe components, so you might be able to pop these in with your other dirty dishware. For stubborn grease and rock-hard food residue, you can also try something like the Zep Home Pro air fryer and microwave cleaner.
