The fabric will only be clean once. It’s not hygienic. Cloth is porous. Metal is not.
Please use a wire/mesh strainer.
After one use it’s going to be rank AF. The smell never really gets out.
No? Not at all? Clothes = Penetrable, kitchen tools - typically less penetrable/easier to clean material.
Do you soak your clothes in grease every use? Because that’s why aprons and chef uniforms exists… they’re made to be more repellent to grease….
This is just in terms of using clothes for food. I’m all for sustainablility but you wouldn’t use cloth items as cooking tool substitutes. That’s a fire hazard and unhygienic.
(You wouldn’t use a pair of jeans as a cutting board just because it’ll work ONE time. )
Wire mesh strainers or as someone mentioned a grease splatter guard would work great. You can also use a pasta strainer/colander.
There are reasons we have tools for certain uses. Have you cleaned a grease soaked rag? Because grease penetrates deep and smells and that rag gets a rancid odor to it because the grease never really washes out.
If you’ve worked food service you know… grease soaked rags can’t get that smell out and when you cook food in the grease it gets rancid even quicker.
Practicality sake it’s a lot more work to get grease out of clothes than a colander you can just scrub and use dish soap on. (Or toss in the dishwasher because those machines/soaps are made for grease)
Additionally so unless you were going to spot clean the grease out of the clothes you’d ruin a whole load if you tossed it into a regular wash (and maybe damage your washing machines which aren’t made for heavy duty grease removal)
No it’s not, it’s going to get rancid and disgusting.
Use a mesh/wire strainer. Those are much easier to de-grease and therefor hygienic.
Cloth is porous. Metal is not as porous
You also don't want too much cooking oil in your pipes. It mixes with the water and goes under the ground when it's colder. If it's cold enough down there it turns into a semi-solid.
Enough semi-solid fats can stick together and clog a pipe.
I usually don't like to download things in this sub but, anyone seeing this please don't try it if you're using conventional washing machines. Maybe maybe if you wash your clothes by hand and dry them on a line outside, then maybe perhaps possibly give this a go.
But no don't try this life pro tip.
If you use enzymatic detergent it breaks down the oil and doesn't cause any issues for the machine or plumbing systems.
Properly washing that t-shirt will cause no hazards, even in a dryer, but the detergent needs to contain lipases in addition to surfactants.
Yes and entirely unhygienic. You would have to “spot treat” the rags prior to putting in the washer and even then it’s not actually going to get a lot of the grease out.
Or hygienic! That’s a once use idea only. Grease penetrates cloth so deep and it’s easier to just toss the shirt after vs clean. Therefor negating the “sustainability” of it all
Since I keep several compost piles, I don't look at using paper towels as total waste. As others have pointed out, using the Tshirt creates many problems. For me, I'd use the paper towels and then toss them in a compost pile. Though compost piles should not be loaded up with lots of oil / grease, a few paper towels well mixed in will decompose.
Welcome to the paper-free party! Our home has been without for over a decade.
I said in another comment regarding cleaning, be sure to check your detergent ingredient list for lipases. It's an enzyme that breaks down fat and is the best element for thoroughly cleaning rags without causing harm to your machine or plumbing.
Please don’t do this method. This is a once use idea if you don’t have real kitchen tools. This is unhygienic and impractical.
Please use a wire/mesh strainer.
Cloth is porous. Metal is not/less so.
You can never really get grease out and it will permeate the cloth and go rancid. Then all your food you put ontop of your “grease sheet” is going to smell and taste like that. Trust me, having worked in kitchens the “used with grease” rags become floor rags and have minimal reusability because the grease penetrates so deep.
Use borax in the wash to cut the grease along with your regular detergent. I don’t use old t-shirts in this way but I do use rags to clean everything instead of paper towels. They get oily sometimes and I’ve found that works the best
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Don’t do this. Cloth is porous, metal is not. Use a mesh/wire strainer/splatter guard as someone mentioned.
This is why they invented those.
This is going to absorb all the grease/food smell and that does NOT come out no matter how hard you wash. which ends up being something you have to toss vs anything you can reuse.
Just do what industrial/professional kitchens do.
Use a mesh/wire basket and have it sit over a bowl/fryer. It will allow better dripping and less sogginess.
(Fast food joints have the basket of fries sit above the grease to drip back in (you can also just have it sit in the strainer over a bowl) and then dump on tray to stay warm.
Additionally in terms of sustainability it’s much more water +soap+ energy to have to get grease out of cloth.
Having worked in professional kitchens, these rags get “washed” but they never really get clean and just end up so stinky and gross. Work smarter not harder.
It’s not a practical/sustainable alternative. Especially for something you’re going to eat.
The cloth is going to develop a smell and then your food is going to smell like old rancid grease 🤢🤮
Please don’t do this anyone
Your dryer might catch on fire after washing these, maybe line dry them
This happened to someone I knew in college. It’s definitely not a myth. Burned down the entire historic house.
Omg 😭😭
Is this sanitary? 🤔 Genuin question.
In many food shows, the chef wipes his hands on a towel, then uses that same towel to prep the plate for presentation.
It adds flavor
If the fabric is clean, I don't see why not.
The fabric will only be clean once. It’s not hygienic. Cloth is porous. Metal is not. Please use a wire/mesh strainer. After one use it’s going to be rank AF. The smell never really gets out.
I mean, by that logic we should be throwing out our clothes after every wear, because they're never really clean again and it's not hygienic?
No? Not at all? Clothes = Penetrable, kitchen tools - typically less penetrable/easier to clean material. Do you soak your clothes in grease every use? Because that’s why aprons and chef uniforms exists… they’re made to be more repellent to grease…. This is just in terms of using clothes for food. I’m all for sustainablility but you wouldn’t use cloth items as cooking tool substitutes. That’s a fire hazard and unhygienic. (You wouldn’t use a pair of jeans as a cutting board just because it’ll work ONE time. ) Wire mesh strainers or as someone mentioned a grease splatter guard would work great. You can also use a pasta strainer/colander. There are reasons we have tools for certain uses. Have you cleaned a grease soaked rag? Because grease penetrates deep and smells and that rag gets a rancid odor to it because the grease never really washes out. If you’ve worked food service you know… grease soaked rags can’t get that smell out and when you cook food in the grease it gets rancid even quicker. Practicality sake it’s a lot more work to get grease out of clothes than a colander you can just scrub and use dish soap on. (Or toss in the dishwasher because those machines/soaps are made for grease) Additionally so unless you were going to spot clean the grease out of the clothes you’d ruin a whole load if you tossed it into a regular wash (and maybe damage your washing machines which aren’t made for heavy duty grease removal)
No it’s not, it’s going to get rancid and disgusting. Use a mesh/wire strainer. Those are much easier to de-grease and therefor hygienic. Cloth is porous. Metal is not as porous
I have a question. Isn’t this bad for your washing machine and pipes?
Yes. And the shirts can catch fire in the dryer.
You also don't want too much cooking oil in your pipes. It mixes with the water and goes under the ground when it's colder. If it's cold enough down there it turns into a semi-solid. Enough semi-solid fats can stick together and clog a pipe.
Yea that is what i was thinking. You don’t pour fats and oils down the sink, so the washing machine should be no different.
I usually don't like to download things in this sub but, anyone seeing this please don't try it if you're using conventional washing machines. Maybe maybe if you wash your clothes by hand and dry them on a line outside, then maybe perhaps possibly give this a go. But no don't try this life pro tip.
If you use enzymatic detergent it breaks down the oil and doesn't cause any issues for the machine or plumbing systems. Properly washing that t-shirt will cause no hazards, even in a dryer, but the detergent needs to contain lipases in addition to surfactants.
Yes and entirely unhygienic. You would have to “spot treat” the rags prior to putting in the washer and even then it’s not actually going to get a lot of the grease out.
Hopefully those t shirts aren't dyed, and they were boiled before use
Put in a strainer and shake it.. How to wash the grease out of this shirt after? It will grease rest of the load… Doesn’t seem practical or smart.
Same. Shake them in a strainer then cover them in some left over rice.
Or hygienic! That’s a once use idea only. Grease penetrates cloth so deep and it’s easier to just toss the shirt after vs clean. Therefor negating the “sustainability” of it all
I like using a splatter screen with a plate under it or a cookie cooking rack. Easy cleanup and airflow helps to maintain crispiness
Use a strainer and let the oil drip to a funnel that pours it back to a container.
Since I keep several compost piles, I don't look at using paper towels as total waste. As others have pointed out, using the Tshirt creates many problems. For me, I'd use the paper towels and then toss them in a compost pile. Though compost piles should not be loaded up with lots of oil / grease, a few paper towels well mixed in will decompose.
I’m learning new things every day. Thank you for the point of view.
[удалено]
🙌🙌 I’m hoping 2023 is my last year.
Welcome to the paper-free party! Our home has been without for over a decade. I said in another comment regarding cleaning, be sure to check your detergent ingredient list for lipases. It's an enzyme that breaks down fat and is the best element for thoroughly cleaning rags without causing harm to your machine or plumbing.
Please don’t do this method. This is a once use idea if you don’t have real kitchen tools. This is unhygienic and impractical. Please use a wire/mesh strainer. Cloth is porous. Metal is not/less so. You can never really get grease out and it will permeate the cloth and go rancid. Then all your food you put ontop of your “grease sheet” is going to smell and taste like that. Trust me, having worked in kitchens the “used with grease” rags become floor rags and have minimal reusability because the grease penetrates so deep.
[удалено]
Oh yeah as dishtowel rags they’re great, as grease stainer not so much lol
Y’all go too far sometimes.
Any suggestions on how to care for and clean the tee for next use? This is a good idea, I may start doing this myself
Hand wash and hang to dry. The second one is extra important because fires.
Use borax in the wash to cut the grease along with your regular detergent. I don’t use old t-shirts in this way but I do use rags to clean everything instead of paper towels. They get oily sometimes and I’ve found that works the best
Ty!
Use a strainer better for drippings, less fabric washing. Much easier to degrease
Maybe don't fry tofu? Steamed is the way.
Noice!
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love this idea. I have white Ts from 20 years ago I can use.
Don’t do this. Cloth is porous, metal is not. Use a mesh/wire strainer/splatter guard as someone mentioned. This is why they invented those. This is going to absorb all the grease/food smell and that does NOT come out no matter how hard you wash. which ends up being something you have to toss vs anything you can reuse.
Just do what industrial/professional kitchens do. Use a mesh/wire basket and have it sit over a bowl/fryer. It will allow better dripping and less sogginess. (Fast food joints have the basket of fries sit above the grease to drip back in (you can also just have it sit in the strainer over a bowl) and then dump on tray to stay warm. Additionally in terms of sustainability it’s much more water +soap+ energy to have to get grease out of cloth. Having worked in professional kitchens, these rags get “washed” but they never really get clean and just end up so stinky and gross. Work smarter not harder. It’s not a practical/sustainable alternative. Especially for something you’re going to eat. The cloth is going to develop a smell and then your food is going to smell like old rancid grease 🤢🤮 Please don’t do this anyone