When you think that you are free from the gunk and the grime from your instant pot air fryer, you forget to check the lid, probably because you think it shouldn’t be too dirty or it is unnecessary.
But it is necessary because, when the air fryer lid is neglected, it becomes easy to access for bacteria and fungi infections to penetrate your food and cause you one form of illness or the other.
The instant pot air fryer lid is not a part that should be ignored or neglected. But how do you clean the lid that comes with a lot of conditions like unscrewing and loosening?
For the instant pot air fryer lid, get a screwdriver to loosen the lid completely because the lid has to be detached from the heating elements and the fan.
If you notice, you will observe that the instant pot air fryer lid is about 11 pounds which makes it heavy.
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How can you wash your instant pot air fryer lid?
Before you use your air fryer lid, you must first disassemble the lid and the heating element, and the fan.
Method 1
Get a bowl and pour a cup of vinegar into the bowl, add some squirts of washing liquid soap, and put the heating element and the fan in it.
Ensure that the heating element and the fan are sited in the vinegar with the vinegar covering them totally and submerging them.
Leave them to soak for 10 minutes.
Afterward, get an old toothbrush or preferably get a soft sponge to wash it thoroughly.
Ensure that you don’t apply too much pressure on the heating element or fan because they may have been coated with fine paint, and it would hurt to damage or peel them off in the process.
After cleaning with a soft sponge or toothbrush, rinse thoroughly in clean water, then get a microfiber cloth to clean them to avoid rust and other chemical buildups.
Read: How To Use Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
Method 2
Another easy way to clean your instant pot air fryer lid is by pouring some squirts of liquid soap into a bowl of warm water. Make sure the bowl is filled to the brim, then place your heating element and fan gently and the screws as well.
Place them into the warm soapy mix so that the soapy mixture covers them.
Then allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
While you are waiting for it to soak, turn the air fryer lid itself.
It will now be light to handle because the fan and the heating element have been detached from the main lid.
Now you are left with the plastic part.
Now get a soft cloth or a microfiber cloth, dip it into the same warm soapy mixture, squeeze out the water and rub gently on the lid cleaning off the greasy areas and stained parts.
You will observe that the stains will come off.
Now back to the soaked heating element and fan. If you check thoroughly, you will observe that the buildups are coming off on their own.
So get a soft sponge or an old toothbrush, then use it to softly scrub off the dirt and the gunk that has remained in there for months and probably years now.
Once the whole scrubbing has been done, rinse the element and the fan with clean water. Then you can get a bowl of vinegar, soak the element in there, and allow it to sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Then get a soft cloth to rub on it until the moistness is all out.
You can now fix back the heating element and the fan with the aid of your screwdriver. Now your air fryer lid is ready for use!
Can you use baking soda to clean?
No. It is completely unnecessary, even though baking soda is one of the best cleaning agents.
The baking soda is also abrasive, so using it and rubbing it against the soft surfaces of the lid, the heating element, and the fan may not give you what you want.
And it would end up peeling the coatings on them. Instead, make use of washing tools and agents like; mild liquid soap and lemon liquid if you wish.
Please do not use salt to rub on the surface because of its coarseness.
Can you clean your instant pot air fryer lid in a dishwasher?
First off, your air fryer lid is about 11 pounds which makes it heavy.
Too heavy to fit into the dishwasher. Besides, such an appliance is unfit to be washed in a dishwasher.
First off, there will be a lot of internal damage not only to the dishwasher but also to the appliance in question.
The dishwasher washes with excessive heat, and then, there is every tendency that the heat will melt either the paint on the lid itself or the paint on the heating elements and fan.
Another important thing you should always check before washing any appliance is that you should always check the manufacturer’s manual for instructions.
The manufacturer would know if it is necessary to use a dishwasher or not. So always check the manufacturer’s manual.
Read: How To Clean Instant Pot Air Fryer Basket
How often should you clean?
As often as three times a month. Although this is largely dependent on your schedule, and how long you use it in a month? These are the determining facts that you should check before attempting to clean the lid of your instant pot.
If you use the instant pot frequently a week, then it would only be proper if you clean it once a week or once in two weeks.
In conclusion, while safety is important, hygiene is also important.
Learn to carve for yourself a time when you can painstakingly wash your lid effortlessly so that it doesn’t give you access to germs.