After a jam-packed festive season full of Christmas turkey, potatoes smothered in goose fat, gravy, meat juices, countless fry ups and general indulgence of yummy, fat laden food, the Maintracts team tend to receive a higher volume of calls relating to blocked sinks and drains!
While cooking with oil makes a tasty meal, it can be difficult to dispose of, and with so many people opting to just pour it down the kitchen drain out of convenience, it will not take long before the sink/outside drain becomes blocked. We thought we would take this opportunity to explain how to dispose of fat, grease, and oil in the kitchen safely and effectively to avoid it clogging up your pipes.
How to dispose of grease and fat safely
- Before you think about disposing of it, ask yourself, can the grease or oil I have used be reused for more cooking? This may not be something that appeals to everyone, but in some instances, when using oil for deep-frying fish or chips, it may be possible to reuse the oil to prevent unnecessary wastage. If you do reuse the oil, try straining it first to remove any debris. This will make it easier to reuse.
- If you have decided not to reuse leftover oil, please refrain from pouring it down the sink! Instead, empty leftover cooking fat into a container such as an empty butter or ice cream tub. Pouring the leftover fats into a container allows them to sit, cool and solidify which will make them much easier to throw away in the bin afterwards. You will not only be helping the environment, but you will also reduce the chances of suffering from blocked drains.
- Finally, give the pan/plates a final wipe over with kitchen paper towel to ensure they are free of as much fat as possible, and then place the towels in the bin to reduce the amount of fat and oil that goes down the drain when you wash up.
Limiting what goes down your drain in the first place by ensuring food and fat has been scraped off your plate before washing, is vital when trying to avoid a blocked drain. This includes the dishwasher and try to limit how many oil-based products you use in the bath too.
Coffee grounds can also be problematic, so make sure you scrape the used grounds into the bin before washing up your cafetiere. Better still, find alternative uses for your used coffee grounds – they are particularly useful when sprinkled onto plants/soil as they contain lots of key minerals for plant growth.
How to clear an outside drain blocked with fat
If you do encounter a blocked drain despite your best efforts to prevent one, you will benefit from our tips on clearing drains blocked with fat to ensure you are back up in running in not time.
If you have tried everything you can to remove the problem, but it has not worked, then you will need to call a drainage professional who will be able to identify the problem and remove it. The Maintracts team are always here to help 020 8682 2244.
