Keep Grease From Going Down Your Drain With TikTok's Clever Disposal Hack
You've just finished a delicious home-cooked meal, and now the time for clean-up is nigh. Washing the dishes and putting everything away is a breeze, but what to do with that leftover grease? It's unwise to throw it down the drain, but pouring it into the trash can be messy, too. Thanks to the internet (and years of cookers going through the same dilemma), there is a handy hack that will save your pipes, and save you time! All you need is some aluminum foil, which you can tuck into your sink drain to act as a cup when you pour out the grease. This will keep it from escaping to the garbage disposal.
This pantry staple has become the duct tape of your kitchen supplies, and it can be used for everything from lining drawers and cabinets to keep them tidier and more accessible to giving your dishes a good scrub using a ball of aluminum foil. However, one of the most creative ways people have been using it is to catch grease after a food prep session, to protect your sink, trash can, and the rest of your space from mess. Here's how to implement this trick into your cooking regime and make clean-up a breeze.
How to make an aluminum foil grease trap
Start with a decent-sized square of tinfoil. You might even want to pull out a rectangle just slightly smaller than your forearm, which you can then fold in half to double the hold. Fit the piece of aluminum foil into your drain, so it sits like a cup and lines the entire divot. Grab your pan with leftover grease, and pour the remnants into the tinfoil cup, taking care not to spill in the sink. You can also use this hack earlier on in your cooking process, by placing a colander on top of the foil-covered drain, then tip your food items into the bowl and let the grease fall through the holes into the "cup" below.
Once you've trapped it, let the fat cool until it is hardened. This part is important, both for your safety and to make removing it easier. Pull out the aluminum foil from the actual drain, and wrap the dried grease into a ball before throwing it into the trash. The process is so simple and will save you time, as well as money since this substance can actually be harmful to your pipes.
Why you should try this hack
Grease may pour down your drain easily while it is still hot, but just like it hardens in your aluminum trap, it does the same once it falls down into your pipes. Depending on how long it takes to cool, this can clog them or create a barrier that will grow as other food items are washed down the drain. Over time, this build-up will completely block your sink, and the cost to fix it could be between $200 and $400. Unless you're a Michelin Star chef and you plan to charge your friends or family for the meals you're preparing, that's a high price to pay for one (albeit delicious) meal.
Make sure to completely wrap and cover the solidified grease to keep pests out of your trash once you take it out. This will also prevent any drips should the aluminum trap be sitting in the sun or a hot area on trash day. And there you have it: the hack to removing grease without risking your sink, pipes, or your cooking ingredients.