Home and commercial kitchens use cooking oil for different types of recipes. While it plays the most important part in cooking, recycling or disposing of used oil does not come too easy. Disposing of used cooking oil down the sink is out of the question because it clogs the drainage causing immense problems.
Throwing used oil in landfills is another bad idea because it contaminates the environment and if it finds its way to the sewer system, it causes clogging. Cooking oil recycling is the most decent and best way to prevent damage to the environment, sewer systems, and kitchen drains. If you have used cooking oil from your home kitchen, put it in a jar or bottle instead of washing it down the drain.
If you run a commercial kitchen, but used oil into a tank and get in touch with a recycling company to come to pick it up. While using the local recycling company’s services is the best alternative for getting rid of your used oil, you can also repurpose it in many other ways that include turning it into biodiesel or using it as a lubricant.
Some of the creative ways to repurpose used oil are advanced, and they require a professional recycling company.
Creative ways for cooking oil recycling
- Lubricant for household items
Used cooking oil makes an effective household lubricant for various things such as key locks and squeaking door hinges. It also prevents metal surfaces and tools from rusting.
- Polishes and conditions
Cooking oil recycling helps restore dull furniture around the home to look as good as new. All you do is mix equal parts of vinegar, used cooking oil, polish, and recondition your wood furniture to give it back life and get rid of small scratches.
- Fueling the lamp
Used oil can fuel your lamp oil, saving you on the costs of buying regular fuel for it.
- Soap making
One of the most popular cooking oil recycling uses is making lye soaps. The soap-making process using used oil is easy to find online and on soap-making books.
- Preserving leather
If you have leather furniture or shoes, you can use used oil to preserve and soften the material for longevity.
- Paint remover
Washing paint off the hands is one of the hardest things to do. However, if you rub your hands with used oil and allow it to sit for a few minutes, the paint will wash off without a fuss.
- Moisturizes hair
If you are looking for ways to keep your hair soft, conditioned, and moisturized, cooking oil recycling will provide you with the perfect product. All you do is heat up some used oil to room temperature, massage it into the hair deeply, shampoo, and rinse the hair for a soft, shiny finish.
- Coating gardening tools
If you do not soil and grass sticking on your lawnmower blades or gardening tools, you can apply a coat of used oil on the surface to repel sticky dirt and grass.
- Composting process
Used vegetable oil feeds the worms responsive for the composting process. It is important to note that only used vegetable oil is appropriate for the compost piles. Using animal-based used oils leads to the formation of pathogens caused by nuisance animals.
- Making animal feed
You can also use used cooking oil by drizzling it on your pet food for taste improvement and maintenance of healthy and shiny coats. If you have a bird feeder, you can mix some used cooking oil with the birdseed for a better taste.
- Cleaning the car
Removing debris and dirt on the surface of your car becomes much easier if you wipe it with a rag or towel that has little-used cooking oil on it. Used cooking oil also removes pollen, bugs, and grime.
Wrapping it up
Cooking oil is one of the most reusable home products as it provides you with many creative ways to use it. Instead of draining the oil down the sink or putting it away with the garbage, store it in a jar, and any time you need to do any of the above things, take out a bit of the used oil and reuse it.
Besides cooking oil recycling at home, you can also arrange for a pick with your local recycling company to come and pick up your used cooking oil.