Can You Pour Used Olive Oil In Your Kitchen Disposal?

One of the many mistakes you can make with olive oil is not reusing it when cooking — but once it's past its use, you may be tempted to pour that excess oil down the drain. Before you do anything drastic, Food Republic decided to chat with an expert to find out if it's safe. We spoke to Blessing Jennifer Anyibama, M.Sc., food and nutritional scientist, to learn her thoughts on whether or not it's okay to pour olive oil down your kitchen disposal.

According to Anyibama, the kitchen sink is no place for olive oil. "Even a tablespoon of olive oil down the drain is a recipe for disaster," Anyibama said. "Over time, it coats your pipes like cholesterol in arteries, trapping food bits and causing clogs that cost hundreds in plumbing." While you may think to just follow the oil with some water down your sink, it will still stick and eventually clog your pipes. "Hot water and soap don't dissolve oil — they just delay the problem," Anyibama added. "Treat your pipes like arteries — keep them clean, grease-free, and flowing."

Once you've finished cooking, you may try to figure out what to do with all the oil (especially if you've been frying, and you have a ton of it). While pouring it down the sink may have been your initial thought, Blessing Jennifer Anyibama recommended saving it. "Let the oil cool completely, then strain it through cheesecloth to reuse once or twice if it's clean," Anyibama said.

When reusing cooking oil, just make sure you toss it out after about two months for optimal freshness. It's also a good idea to label the saved oil as to whether you used it for savory foods, like chicken cutlets, or to fry up sweeter foods, like donuts. Both kinds of food will give a slight taste to the oil, so you wouldn't want to reuse that chicken cutlet oil to make your next batch of zeppoles.

When it comes to getting rid of the oil, Anyibama suggested a couple of different methods that you can try. "For disposal, pour it into a sealed, non-recyclable container and toss it in the trash — never the sink," Anyibama suggested. "Or better yet, check for local recycling programs; some turn used oil into biodiesel. Either way, your pipes and the planet will thank you." If you can't find a non-recyclable container, you can also try Martha Stewart's paper towel trick to get rid of oil.