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Leftover grease and oil in a silver colored pot on kitchen stovetop

What to Do with Leftover Grease and Oil

We all have that dreaded decision to make after cooking a meal – what are we going to do with the leftover grease or oil? While it may seem like an easy fix to quickly dump it down the drain before anyone notices, this just creates long lasting and often expensive repair and cleaning costs down the road. Whether you have a small pan full of bacon fat or a pot full of oil for those crispy homemade fries, there are always solutions to dealing with your leftover grease and oils that will help prevent any damage to your kitchen drain. Read below to learn more!

Are You Using Too Much?

This may be a shock to many avid chefs, but there is an appropriate amount of fat, grease, and oils that should be used when cooking any meal. You can get rid of the oils altogether and roast or broil your foods in the oven. This minimizes the amount of cleanup after dinner and eliminates the chances of oil finding its way down your drain. For sautéing, try using butter as it not only eliminates the use of oil but gives your meat and vegetables a much better taste. All in all, measuring your oils or finding ways to cut them out entirely will reduce any accidental spills down your kitchen drain.

Reuse It!

Pouring used oil out of black nonstick pan into metal container to be reused

You might be thinking, “reuse cooking oil? No way!” Don’t worry! You can actually reuse your cooking oil 1 or 2 times after its initial use without it being unsanitary. So, if you plan on cooking with oil later throughout the day or for tomorrow’s dinner, you can save it instead of throwing it away. Simply grab a coffee filter and slowly pour the used oil over it to catch any leftover crumbs of food, storing the freshly filtered oil in a container for your next meal. If, after a few uses, your cooking oil starts to smell rancid, then discard it immediately and use a fresh batch.

Dispose It Properly

Disposing of your grease, fat, and oils properly is essential to the health of your kitchen drain. If you are not able to reuse your cooking oil or want to get rid of it completely, let it cool before pouring it in a container. You can use an old Tupperware container with a lid, a plastic Ziplock bag, or store it in a larger coffee bin or milk carton. If your container has a lid or way of sealing it completely so as not to make a mess in your garbage can, then it will work perfectly!

Recycle Your Oils

Green recycle symbol with dark yellow oil and grease pouring through it

Just like paper, cans, and plastics, there is a certain way for oils and grease to be disposed of properly. Instead of sealing them in a carton or plastic bag, check to see if there are any collection programs in your city that have a way for you to recycle your oils and grease. Many programs use these cooking oils to create biodiesel fuel for trucks and larger vehicles instead of allowing them to mix in with everyday trash.

If your drain has suffered from too much grease & oil, contact your local drain cleaning experts, Riley’s Decatur Sewer Service through the website, or call (217) 428-3066 today.

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