How to clean a deep fryer!

It was time. Time to break down and really scrub this thing up. I have tried before, washing it in the sink in soap and water, the dishwasher, bleach cleaner....with no results! My husband told me the grease just stained it and it wouldn't come off. After finding some new cleaning methods, I decided to try it again.

As you can see, my deep fryer is nasssstyyyy!!! How on earth have we been eating out of this gross thing?! Good news!!! Even for a deep fryer as bad as this one, there is hope! But as a warning, it took some work!! This was not a 5 minute and be done with it job.


Tips! :)
*Wear old gross clothes! You will stink. 

*Don't have plans for awhile after starting. This is time consuming, and in the end, you will stink. 

*Wait until the kids are napping. This is gross and you won't want to fill sippy cups with *those* hands!

*Wear gloves especially if you have sensitive skin to keep from getting chemical burns!

*Unplug the deep fryer!! Set the heating unit aside while cleaning. It cannot get wet. It may ruin the motor :) 

What you will need :)

*A dirty deep fryer (a given)

*Vinegar

*Baking soda

*A box of magic erasers (I used 2 for mine)

*Hydrogen Peroxide
*A sponge

*A scrubbing tool

Part 1- The lid. 

This part was annoying, but I felt so accomplished when I got it done! For the top of the lid, I used a magic eraser. I did NOT use one on the inside because magic erasers contain chemicals that you would not want to get in your food. 

I used the magic eraser on all the stainless steel, the handle, and the outside of the window. Basically, the whole top. It took a little scrubbing, but it is the easiest way to get the grease off the outside. I have tried many chemicals and just plain water, and this works the best by FAR!!

For the inside....

I put it in my sink (which was free of dishes) so the dirty inside was facing up. As you can see, I have about a  half inch of gunk. Dried grease mixed with gross food. Ick!! I put a layer of baking soda all over the inside so it covered the whole surface. Then, I SLOWLY poured vinegar onto the top, careful not to pour too fast and just wash all the baking soda off. Then I would scrub at it a little. The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar loosens the stains. I repeated these steps a few times until I got most of it off. Then I made a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (which will form a paste) and I rubbed it on the stubborn spots. That should set for at least 30 minutes. Then I scrubbed it off with my scrub brush. 

While I waited for that to set, I moved on to part 2. :)

Part 2-The body

This is simply the stainless steal outside. As you can see, mine had a lot of grease stains that ran down and the handles were just gross!!

For this, I used a magic eraser all over the outside. Then I took a wet rag to wipe it down. I finished it off with a dab of baby oil to give it some shine. :) 

Very easy! (The easiest part!) And, it looks SO much better when guests come over!! 

Part 3- The inside

Well, the first thing I did was to remove the grease. I put mine into an empty milk jug until I can dispose of it properly. Do NOT put it down your sink! Thats not a good idea at all. I removed the grease before I ever got started.

Right now, the inside is just gross. How did I ever feel like cooking food in that?! I never did get mine perfect. :( But I got it SO much better!

I started with my trusty baking soda and vinegar!

These two simple, non harsh, ingredients are so potent when together! I got off what I could using this and scrubbing like a mad woman! Then I boiled enough water to completely fill up my inside container, and I let it set in hopes the rest of it would be loosened by the hot water. I used a bottle brush with a long handle to run along the inside and it loosen quite a bit of gunk the baking soda and vinegar missed. I was unable to get it all off. That stuff sticks in there like cement!! But I made a MAJOR improvement! 

**Disclaimer-After putting the boiling water in the inside part, please note it will be hot!! Don't stick your hand in it :)

Part 4-the basket. 

There really isn't much to this one. I just had to scrub it. Since its mesh and has all the holes, I couldn't make any magic happen. In fact, I had to use my finger nails at certain points to get it off :( :( :(

I did find using a toothpick in the small holes helped poke some of the grease chunks out. I used my sponge on the rest and I sprinkled baking soda on it. I just scrubbed it for awhile. 

Part 5-The dishwasher!

I ran the basket, the lid, and the inside through the dishwasher. While I did this, I wiped off the coils (the part that gets hot to heat the grease) and magic erased the knobs and little screen. 

I also showered. It was very much needed! 

Then I put it all back together. It looked SOOO much better!!! 

There you have it!! Not too hard. Just time consuming (or it was for me) and takes a little work...but SO worth it!! Good luck! I would love to hear how it worked for you!!

Also, don't wait 2 years before deciding to clean it again and it might not look as bad as mine. ;) I will defiantly do this more often for less work!!