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AirfryerHQ

Cleaning tools

Non-scratch sponge

Named directly by manufacturers, and the thing it replaces — a scourer — is prohibited by every manual in this catalogue that mentions the subject.

AirfryerHQ’s verdict

Genuinely useful

Solves a real problem that comes up often, and does something you cannot easily improvise.

Every manufacturer here that discusses cleaning says the same two things: use a non-abrasive sponge with hot soapy water, and never use scouring pads, steel wool or abrasive cleaners. The green side of a standard washing-up sponge is a scouring pad. So the useful content is not 'buy a sponge' — it is 'the side of the sponge you have been using is the one your manual prohibits', and that is worth a page.

What it actually does

Lifts softened residue without cutting into a non-stick coating. Combined with soaking, it is the entire manufacturer-endorsed cleaning method for baskets and plates.

An ordinary washing-up sponge with a non-abrasive backing rather than a green scouring pad. It is on this list not because it is clever but because the alternative most people reach for is explicitly forbidden.

When it helps and when it does not

When it helps

  • Ordinary after-use cleaning of baskets, drawers and crisper plates
  • The chamber interior, which manufacturers direct you to wipe with a slightly moist non-abrasive sponge or cloth
  • After soaking, which does most of the work on anything baked on

When it gets in the way

  • Perforations and grooves, which a flat sponge bridges — that is what the brush is for
  • Carbonised deposit around the element area, which needs a manufacturer's own method rather than force

What to use instead

The soft side of the sponge already at your sink, and hot water and time. Soaking replaces almost all scrubbing, and it is what the manufacturers recommend before any tool at all.

Using it safely

  • Never a scourer, steel wool or an abrasive cleaner on a coated part — prohibited by every manual in this catalogue that addresses it.
  • The main unit must never be immersed. Wipe it; do not put it in a sink.
  • Unplug and let the appliance cool for at least thirty minutes before cleaning.

Looking after it

A sponge that has been used on burnt-on grease holds it. Rinse it out properly or it carries residue back onto the next thing you wash.

Evidence and confidence

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.
Applies to
Applies generally
Why this rating
Three manufacturers, three companies, one instruction. The page exists because the prohibited tool is the one most people have in their hand, which makes this a genuine correction rather than a product recommendation.
Last reviewed
2026-08-30

What this does not cover

  • AirfryerHQ has not bought, fitted or used any accessory. Every judgement here is reasoned from what the accessory does physically and from what manufacturers publish about it.
Sources (4)

  • Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L Air Fryer CAF-TF101S-AES — User Manual (PDF)

    Arovast Corporation (Cosori) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: Hot soapy water with a non-abrasive sponge and soaking as the stated method; metal utensils and abrasive cleaning materials to be avoided on the coating; a slightly moist non-abrasive sponge or cloth for the interior; and the appliance never immersed.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk

    Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 818/0764. The document covers several languages in one file; every figure recorded here comes from the English section.

  • Tower T17023 2.2 Litre Air Fryer — Safety and Instruction Manual (PDF)

    RKW Ltd (Tower Housewares) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: That scouring pads, steel wool and any strong solvent or abrasive cleaning agent must not be used, on the appliance or on the accessories.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk

    Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 745/2194.

  • Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer — User Manual (PDF)

    Instant Brands (EMEA) Limited — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom and European Union)

    Relied on for: That metal cleaning utensils must not be used on the non-stick cooking tray.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk

    Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 936/1104. Covers the Vortex 4 and Vortex 6 in one document.

  • AirfryerHQ assessment of airflow, element proximity and material behaviour

    AirfryerHQ — Calculated or inferred by AirfryerHQ (Not jurisdictional)

    Relied on for: The mechanism this is read against: forced convection, boundary-layer disruption and a small chamber.

    AirfryerHQ's interpretation of what it says

    Citation checked — the document exists and is described correctly

AirfryerHQ sells nothing and earns nothing here. There are no affiliate links, no sponsored placements and no brand recommendations anywhere in this section. The verdict above is what we think, arrived at before anybody asked whether it would sell anything.

Can it go in? The material questions

  • Metal tins, trays and cookware — Explicitly permitted by one manufacturer for baking, and recommended by three others whenever a batter is involved.

If this is why you are here

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