Deodorizing drains and eliminating limescale with lemons are just two of the many cleaning techniques available on Tiktok. And although it’s true that many of these tips and tricks can come in handy, there are also those that you should definitely avoid. Currently, a video about how to clean an air fryer is becoming viral with over 200k likes.
Unfortunately, this trick is more likely to backfire than help; in fact, you risk damaging your air fryer beyond repair. We’ll break down why this TikTok tip is useless and offer some alternatives.
What Exactly Happens In This TikTok Hack?
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This 14-second clip, originally posted by @tanyahomeinspo, shows someone pouring dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of a dirty air fryer basket. The next step is to place the basket in the air fryer and cook it for three minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The basket is then washed thoroughly and returned to service looking like new.
However, even the most high-quality air fryers aren’t made to hold that much water, so this solution is problematic. It’s hard to determine from the video how much water is actually utilized, although the basket appears to be buried up to its base. At this altitude, the air movement from the fan might easily spray water from the surface into the inside electrical components, effectively short-circuiting your air fryer. In addition, the air fryer could overheat if it tried to “cook” that much water, which would be dangerous in itself.
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However, 1-2 teaspoons of water can be put into the basket before cooking to keep the food wet. This tiny amount of water would quickly turn into steam as it evaporates. If you add a little water to the pan, the fat drippings won’t burn to the bottom and create as much smoke. As a result, your kitchen won’t be overtaken by that foul odor, and the cleanup process will go more smoothly.
Traditional air fryers, on the other hand, lack the capability to boil or steam food. Because of the air fryer’s convection oven design, it cannot achieve a high enough temperature to boil water, hence raw rice grains should never be cooked in one. Your air fryer’s vents will also let out any steam that forms, so doing so is ineffective. Adding more than a few teaspoons of water to an air fryer is strongly discouraged.
Also Read: Oven Cleaning Hacks: Try These 6 Brilliant Hacks to Clean Your Oven!
The Best Way To Ensure Your Air Fryer Is Always Ready To Go Is To Know How To Clean It.
If the instructions don’t specify how to clean the interior of your air fryer, you can use a dish rag, dish soap, and a soft bristles brush to get everything shiny and clean.
When cleaning your device on a regular basis, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. As most air fryers have removable pieces that can go in the dishwasher, cleanup is a breeze. If you want your accessories to last as long as possible, you should clean them regularly. Neither submerging nor placing the main unit in a dishwasher is permitted.
