The holidays are fast approaching, and with that comes all of the holiday entertaining and cooking. When it comes to good tasting food, fat is flavor, so whether your are deep frying your turkey, or sauteing your veggies in bacon grease, when you are kicking it up a notch, do yourself a favor and be sure to dispose of your grease properly. Grease, oils, and fats are one of the number one enemies of your plumbing system. Here is why you should keep all grease, oils, and fats out of your drains.
Why Is Grease So Bad For Drains?
Grease is one of the worst things your can poor down the drain. The reason being is that once it cools off, it solidifies. As a liquid the grease may make it past your plumbing, but as a solid it may linger there indefinitely, mixing with other debris that go down the drain. This forms a nasty sludge that will eventually clog your drain. Grease, oil, and fats clog your pipes like they do your arteries. To keep things flowing properly they need to be disposed of properly.
How To Dispose of Grease, Oils, & Fats
The best place to dispose of grease, oils, and fats is in the trash can. However, you can simply poor it in the trash can. This makes a mess and can be dangerous. To properly dispose of grease, make sure it cools down to a safe temperature first. Once it is cool enough to handle poor it into a disposable container like a milk carton or take out container. Then you can safely through it away. Some people even like to freeze it first, to avoid making a mess.
Another option to dispose of used grease, oils, & fats is to recycle it. This is a good way to dispose of large quantities of cooking oil. For example if you deep fry your Thanksgiving bird this year, it will take 3-5 gallons of oil. That is a lot of oil to try and get rid of. Many cities provide grease recycling services. To recycle you grease first you must let it cool down, then strain it into a sealed container, and drop it off. Check with your cities recycling center to learn more.
What If I Have Already Poured Grease Down The Drain?
If you have already poured grease down the drain, don’t fret. You can try pouring hot water (but not too hot) and soap down the drain. The hot water should liquefy the grease while the soap helps carry it away. If you notice signs of slow drainage or have stubborn clogs, Professional drain cleaning is a great way to reduce the amount of buildup in your pipes. Regular drain cleaning is good for your plumbing, and with the holidays coming up can help ease the added pressure your holiday cooking may put on your plumbing. For more plumbing tips, or to schedule your drain cleaning contact Lesco Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling today!
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