Newsletter Article: What to do with fat, oil, and grease

This post is the first in my newsletter series. Each month I will write one post that can be used as a resident newsletter article. I hope you find these useful for educating residents on how to do their part in pest control. With Thanksgiving (and all the delicious food it brings) right around the corner, I thought it appropriate to publish something on the proper storage and disposal of cooking oil. So without further ado…

Make sure your drains don’t clog during the holidays—store oil for another use or put it in the trash. Fat, oil, and grease left out will go bad and feed roaches. Fat, oil, and grease put down the kitchen sink or toilet will eventually clog your pipes. Clogs can also occur outside your home in the public sewage system, resulting in a nasty backup. Pouring oil down a storm drain is the same as pouring it into a lake—it will cause problems. 

Frying oil can be reused if stored properly. Oil can be reused for up to six hours of fry time. You should always store oil in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Strain out any particles in between uses and put them in the trash. It's best to keep the oil in the fridge, not on the stove.

Throw oil away so that it won’t clog drains. Wipe dishes and pots that are coated with greasy leftovers with a paper towel prior to washing or placing in the dishwasher. Freeze used oil in a container with a tight fitting lid then throw the hardened oil away on trash day. Place fat trimmings from meat into the trash not the garbage disposal. Just in case anything gets down the sink, once a month pour ¼ cup baking soda into drain, followed by ½ cup vinegar. After 15 minutes, pour a small pot of boiling water down the drain.

Keep pests from feasting on your grease. In addition to storing grease in the fridge, keep white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it to clean these areas with a paper towel:

• the stovetop,
• under the stovetop (most lift up!),
• the backsplash,
• the floor in front of the stove, and
• walls around the stove.

Comments

[Allie]

Grinding up a lemon, lime, or other citrus fruit in the disposal also cleans, sanitizes, and deodorizes the disposal.

I've heard this advised a lot, but didn't put it in the initial post because I've also heard of it clogging the disposal. So know your disposals, and if you think this will work, recommend it!