What to Do With Leftover Grease & Oil

Cooking greasy foods or with a lot of oil oftentimes makes for some of the best foods. Whether you’re cooking some good ol’ fashioned chicken cutlets or frying up a pan filled with bacon, one thing is for sure — do not pour the excess oil and grease down the drain! Once the oil or grease solidifies itself within the pipes, clogs can easily form which can lead to further plumbing problems down the road. Instead of pouring this dangerous sludge down the drain, you should…

Freeze the Grease

You don’t want to pour the excess grease and oils down the drain so you pour them in the trash, right? Not so fast! Rather than having a smelly, wet trash can, pour your leftover grease and oils into a plastic container or bag and place it in the freezer. The night before your garbage is collected, take the grease out of the freezer and scrape it into the trash or throw away the bag before you take it to the curb. This way you can avoid any bad smells and messes in or outside of your home.

Utilize Your Disposal

Sometimes excess grease or oils are going to end up in your sink and down the drain. While this isn’t ideal, don’t start panicking just yet — especially if you have a garbage disposal. Turn the water on the coldest setting to solidify the grease before it gets too far into the drain pipe. After you let the cold water run for a few minutes, turn on the disposal to shred up the solidified grease. Keep the cold water on to help flush the pieces out without having them melt back down.

Flush It Out

Not every sink is going to have a garbage disposal to chop up solidified grease. If you happen to spill grease or oil based products (hair and face washes) into the sink in its oil form, turn the water on its hottest setting. This will help the grease to keep moving down the pipe and lower your risk of developing dangerous clogs. It also pays to have a catcher installed in every sink so you can at least catch some of this oil before it enters the drain.

The number one rule when it comes to cooking with oil, grease, or using oil-based products — keep it far away from your drains! When your plumbing becomes clogged and you need the blockage removed, contact Len The Plumber. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (800) 950-4619.