You're making a mistake with your air fryer and don't even know it

Once a lockdown lifesaver, the air fryer has firmly earned its place on UK kitchen counters.

In fact, a study by Good Food Nation suggests nearly 7 in 10 adults across the UK now own one.

Despite their convenience, cleaning routines are proving a challenge and it's easy to forget you need to clean the basket until you go to make dinner the next day, only to have a dirty fryer basket - or liner.

In fact, many people don't even know that despite a liner, they still need to wash their air fryer.

And it's not a step you should skip if you want to keep your air fryer in working order.

The reminder to not make this mistake comes after new research from Shark.

It revealed almost a third of people have never cleaned their air fryer, raising concerns about hygiene and maintenance.

Salomé Gião, in-house Microbiologist at Shark, revealed her expert advice on keeping your air fryer clean and hygienic.

She stated: “Although their convenience is what makes them so popular, they need more care than ovens.”

According to the expert, you need to do the following:

• Daily: You should wash the air fryer basket and tray every day with a soap solution. You should do this even if you have a liner as it's important to disinfect the basket after use
• Deep clean: In addition to regular use, a deep clean should be carried out at least once every 4 weeks—or every 2 to 3 weeks depending on how frequently the appliance is used. This helps eliminate bacteria from any spills or splatters that may occur during cooking.

To do this, all you need to do is ensure you are "using a non-scratch sponge".

Once you have this, you can "create a baking soda paste to hone in on those areas of stubborn grease.

For overall cleanliness, create a mixture of white vinegar and washing-up liquid to remove bacteria - after, rinse with warm water and put back all parts."