India, Oct. 15 -- An air fryer that is not cleaned properly does two things: it starts smoking from built-up grease residue, and it slowly loses cooking performance as leftover oil affects airflow and heat distribution. The good news is that cleaning one properly takes a few minutes, not a deep-cleaning session, regardless of whether your basket is glass, ceramic or non-stick.

Use a soft sponge and avoid abrasive scrubbers or metal utensils entirely, since both accelerate coating wear. Stuck-on residue should be soaked in warm soapy water for a few minutes rather than scrubbed off aggressively. Once a coating starts visibly flaking or scratching, it is a sign of wear, not something to scrub through, and continued heavy use of a damaged c...