With Christmas fast approaching you may be preparing to cook a wide range of dishes, which may involve oils and fats. But did you know that these are responsible for the majority of blocked drains? As such, getting rid of fats and oils safely is something that needs to be thought about all year round, but how can you dispose of fats and oils safely?
Why is it important to dispose of fats and oils safely?
It is essential to dispose of fats and oils safely for a number of reasons, including:
- Preventing drains from blocking- pouring fats, oils and grease down the sink is one of the most common causes of a blocked domestic drain. This is because the oils congeal and will not be moved by the force of the water, restricting the space within the pipes and eventually causing your sink to back up.
- Polluting the environment- if the drains become blocked at any point of the drainage system this can cause problems elsewhere leading to leaks because of a build up of water pressure within the drain. This can lead to waste and dirty water polluting the environment and waterways.
- Avoiding pests and infestations- oil is attractive to a large number of pests, including rats, flies and ants. As a result, disposing of a large amount of oil, directly into the bin, can attract pests to your home or property and cause a lot of damage to the local homeowners too.
What are the effective options for disposing of fats and oils safely?
There are a range of effective options available for disposing of oils and fats safely. These include:
- Pouring waste oil into a non recyclable container and putting this into the bin- it’s important to make sure that this is well sealed and will not spill to avoid environmental damage and to avoid attracting pests.
- Freezing waste oils and fats- if you opt to freeze the oil you should make sure this is in a suitable, sealed container before placing this in the freezer. Once in the freezer the oil will solidify and can then be disposed of in the bin. This is good because it avoids creating any unnecessary waste.
Why should large amounts of oil not go straight into the bin?
Large amounts of oil shouldn’t be put directly into the bin because, as mentioned above, this can attract pests to your property. There are also other problems associated with disposing of oil in this way. These include making it difficult for you to dispose of waste bags, and causing issues for refuse collectors when they pick up your waste.
You should also avoid putting oil onto your compost heap as it is not nutritious for the compost and makes it less effective.
Professional drain cleaning for domestic and commercial properties
If your commercial or domestic drain is blocked, we are the team that you can count on here at KAM Maintenance. We have the expertise and skills, as well as the equipment and tools to professionally unblock and clean your drain, including state of the art CCTV to check pipes and waterways. For more information or advice, get in touch today!