The basket occasionally went in the dishwasher which cleaned the surface, but the well gunked grease has been building up.
Tried soaking the basket in soap and hot water. Scrubbing with a soft sponge. And then running the dishwasher multiple times but it only got a small part of the grease out.
Simple pick up your airfryer and throw it outside the window
Post a picture of it, the basket and the mesh.
If it’s really bad then like someone else suggested: get some oven degreaser from the store, spray it down, let it sit for 10 minutes and wash off with hot water. Try not to breath the stuff, it’s nasty.
But you should be cleaning it weekly. Warm it up for a minute or two, then with folded paper towels wipe it out over a trash can. Leaving a light coating is actually to your advantage, it will keep the new stuff from sticking.
It is slightly wet because of the water I had it soaking in. So it appears slimier than it really is. But the grease won’t come off.
Is it teflon coated? If so you should be careful. Many of the suggestions here are for increasingly abrasive options which will scratch that coating and cause it to eventually flake off, which means it will get into your food, which definitely not something you want to eat
On one hand the grease itself is probably not a food safety issue anymore. Similar to a cast iron pan once oil/grease heats enough on a surface it polymerizes and essentially bonds to the surface. This is generally safe unless the oil is exposed to very high temps (beyond what is typically used for cooking) but it looks bad on stuff like sheet pans
However you do want to be a bit more diligent cleaning as a result. Unlike a cast iron pan where the polymerization layer (seasoning) is generally very smooth this is generally not; it is bumpy and has more nooks and crannies. This means there are more areas where filth and bacteria can be harbored. Not a huge issue, just make sure you clean well.
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but here it is anyway. If it doesn’t come off with dish detergent and a scrub sponge, just call it a permanent seasoning and let it be. If scrubbing it like mad won’t make it come off, then it won’t come off if your food touches it.
You could try oven cleaner…
I do this with ours. Spray it and let sit for at least half an hour in the sink. Hose off the caustic with hot water, then nylon brush the residue.
Hose off the caustic with hot water
Wear eye protection if truly hosing. You don’t want that shit in your eye.
