How to Dispose Leftover Grease and Oil Properly

Like how to know when it’s time to change your toilet, it’s just as important for your plumbing system that you know how to dispose of leftover grease and oil properly.

Disposing cooking grease and oil is a filthy thing, and we always want it done as soon as possible and dump it down the drain, which may not be the best practice if you don’t want your plumbing system breaking down anytime soon.

There are many ways to dump your grease and oil, but in this article, we’ll only discuss the proper ways that are both friendly to the environment and the plumbing.

Where NOT to dispose grease and oil

There are proper ways of disposing of leftover grease and oil, but it’s not through the following:

• The drain – Grease and oil are dirty, and in time, there may be some leftover in your pipes that can cause a clogged drain. If left uncontrolled and as the clog gets bigger and bigger with each grease dump, you can get your plumbing system in big trouble in no time.
• The sink – This one’s probably the most tempting, as you’d only need to take a few steps after taking the leftover oil and grease to find yourself at the kitchen sink. As tempting as it is to let it go down the sink, you shouldn’t. Even for just small amounts, oil and grease are very harmful and can easily cause problems with your pipes.
• The toilet – Just like with the drain and the sink, dumping grease and oil down the toilet can damage your pipes as it’s likely to cause clogs. Furthermore, since it has water in it, it won’t work that well because oil moves slowly in water.

Also, don’t forget that it’s not just cooking oil, it’s used cooking oil with all the leftover grease and food pieces. If new oil can cause clogs; used grease and oil are so much better at causing them.

Throw it in the trash

No, you shouldn’t pour cooking oil all over your trash bags. Instead, put the used oil and grease in a sealed container that can slowly decompose like a milk carton. You can also use a plastic bag if no better container can be found.

Furthermore, some people prefer putting the oil in glass jars and metal containers. While it’s effective and these containers have good seals, they take much more time to decompose. Once you’re done with the oil, you should also clean the pots, dishes, and everything with oil with paper towels before washing them.

Recycle oil

You don’t have to throw away all that oil when you can reuse it. It saves money, and you can keep the oil away from the environment for some time longer. Depending on what you’re cooking, you can use the oil again to up to approximately five times.

However, keep in mind the signs of bad oil, such as changes in oil colour and texture.

Is oil clogging your drains?

Throwing away leftover grease and oil is a tricky thing, but it gets even more difficult for your plumbing system when you do it the wrong way. If your plumbing is suffering from the risks of bad leftover grease and oil disposal, it’s best to seek the help of blocked drain Sydney plumbers.