How to Clean a Fish Fryer

Unplug your fish fryer and allow the oil inside to cool completely, which takes about 2 hours.

Plug your sink and turn on the hot water. Squeeze two or three drops of grease-cutting dish soap into the stream of running water.

Remove the fish frying basket from the main body of the fryer. Lift the basket from the inside of the fryer, and shake it gently to allow the oil to run back down inside.

Immerse the fish frying basket in the hot, soapy water in the sink. Let it soak for at least 15 minutes.

Pour the oil that's still in the fish fryer into an empty aluminum can and discard it.

Scrape the interior of your fish fryer with a plastic spatula, to remove any bits of food that are stuck to the sides and bottom. Discard the food bits.

Dip a clean dishrag into the hot, soapy water and squeeze out the excess.

Wipe the outside of the fish fryer clean with your wet rag.

Squeeze four drops of dish soap into the bottom of the fish fryer. Squeeze four more drops down each side of the fish fryer. Rub the soap all over the outer sides, with your hands, to start cutting through the splattered oil. Let it set for 2 to 3 minutes.

Use the dishrag to clean the outer sides of the fryer, rubbing in a circular motion. Rinse out the dishrag and wipe the sides again to remove the suds, rinsing the rag as needed until the sides are clean and soap-free.

Dip your rag into the hot, soapy water in the sink, and wring out the excess. Rub the rag in a circular motion around the interior of the fish fryer, creating a lather with the dish soap drops added earlier.

Fill the fish fryer with hot water, and let it soak for 30 minutes.

Squeeze two or three drops of degreasing dish soap on a scrub brush, and scrub the fish fryer basket in the sink. Remove the particles of food cooked onto the basket by scrubbing small areas at a time -- in an up-and-down motion. If needed, drain the sink and refill it with hot water and a few more drops of dish soap, to remove all the grease from the basket.

Rinse the fish fryer basket with hot water, and set it on a tea towel or drying rack to dry.

Pour half of the soapy water out of the fish fryer. Use the dishrag and the remaining water to clean the interior of the fryer, rubbing the inner sides and bottom in a circular motion -- one small area at a time -- to remove the remaining grease.

Pour the rest of the water out of the fryer, and fill it halfway with clean water. Use your hands to work the clean water around the interior to remove the soapy residue from the sides. Dump the water and refill it, repeating until the interior of the fryer is free of soap.

Dry the outside of the fish fryer with a tea towel and allow the inside to air-dry.