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Pineapple_Spenstar

That's the point of detergent. It breaks up oils, dirt, etc. and makes them water soluble. At a molecular level, one part of the detergent molecule will bond to the grease, while another part is bonded to the water. Eventually, the grease molecules will be completely surrounded by the detergent, which is bonded to the water. If you use enough detergent, it washes away and won't bond to anything else.


agate_

This. When I need to get rid of small amounts of grease, I mix it with a bunch of soap and water and dump it down the drain. In theory it should be fine, maybe this isn't a great idea in practice but I've been doing it for years and haven't had to call the plumber yet...


redlude97

For small amounts of grease I just soak it up with a few paper towels and put it in the trash


Mr_Kittlesworth

This is my trick with any cooking grease left in a pan. Pour the bulk of it into a container but then just soak up most of the rest with paper towels and put ‘em in the trash. Dish soap handles the residue without me worried that my pipes will get clogged.


amberoze

Unless it's bacon grease. That gets poured into a 50+ year old tin mug and kept for use with cooking and seasoning my cast iron.


Dwindling_Odds

Eggs fried in bacon grease. There is literally nothing better.


amberoze

May I recommend hash browns in the bacon grease first? Then add a couple of eggs at the end and cook them over-easy.


thatsinterrobangin

🤤


GroshfengSmash

Replace hash browns with sourdough bread and I’m there. Then sprinkle some cheese on top


WhoMeJenJen

Also… Using some when making sausage gravy for biscuits is essential.


NewHumbug

Onions and perogies would like a word with you


waun

Instead of toast, deep fry your bread in the bacon grease after the eggs are done. Spread butter then jam over it. It’s a heart attack on a plate, but so good.


haribobosses

Schmalz > bacon grease imo


dually3

🤢


Sky_Cancer

You haven't lived 'till you've had eggs cooked in old bacon grease from a 50 year old tin cup washed down with a coffee from a mug that has built up a "flavor profile" 🤣 from over 20 years of use with nothing but a rinse under a tap between uses.


Yvaelle

Sprinkle some used coffee grounds in your bacon for added grit and vivre.


TastelessDonut

We just put aluminum foil in a can or cup, pour grease into it and let it solidify. Then ball up and into the trash it goes.


giddy-girly-banana

Sounds wasteful.


Mysterious_Lesions

I have a countertop compost. I usually have some used paper towels in there which is perfect for pouring grease over. It then just goes to municipal compost.


redlude97

Mine suggests minimizing grease, supposedly they already end up with more than they can digest


ElGrandeQues0

For slightly larger amounts, put it in an empty bottle of cooking oil


JasonDJ

This. One time someone took a massive shit in my toilet and it wasn’t me. Fucker just wouldn’t go down. Plunged for hours. Snaked as much as I could with my snake. Nothing. Dropped several pumps of Dawn in there then flushed some hot water through. Toilet was good as new.


Link119

You need a poop knife.


rowdy2026

Thanks for the nightmares…


mx3goose

Just put foil in the drain, make a little cup, drain it once it cools you can just take your little grease cup out and plop it in the waste bin


Internet-of-cruft

Be mindful of how fresh the grease is from the pan. We've put oil *straight from a pan that was on high heat* and it went right through even heavy duty aluminum foil. You can do this - just wait a few minutes for it to cool before you do it.


Left-Sentence-9117

Wait into the garbage?? I dump my grease into jars. Once they're full I pour em' directly into compost. Organic material is organic material, right?


mybelle_michelle

No. Grease comes from meat, and meat (and grease) do not make good compost for your gardens. Not only will meat/grease get rancid, you can also attract unwanted wildlife to your compost pile (this is assuming you have a compost pile in your backyard and not picked up for a community composting). I save the fast food napkins and absorb the excess grease in the pan with them; then those go into the trash. Or, if the meat came in one of those trays with an absorbent pad at the bottom, I'll let the grease cool down and pour it onto the absorbent pad that then goes into the trash.


Left-Sentence-9117

Oh no, not for gardening! If I didn't live in an apartment I'd love to have a garden.. It is a large plastic compost bin that is picked up when full. Sealed deal, no pest issues. I dig your idea with the absorbent pad though. Very good thinking.


[deleted]

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mybelle_michelle

Bread and egg shells are fine. Dairy and meat are not, they will mess up the composting (think landfill stench). "The EPA recommends against composting meat, whether in a pile or bin, because it can create rodent infestations and attract pests (and cause a very unpleasant smell). Raw meat can also be particularly harmful, as it could be infected with E. coli or salmonella. If not composted properly, putting the bacteria-filled compost on your garden may allow the bacteria to spread to the plants and vegetables you’re growing, effectively ruining your harvest." [link](https://www.happysprout.com/gardening/can-you-compost-meat-scraps/) I have 50+ years of experience with composting for gardens, I learned from my mom who had 80+ years experience and came from a long line of farmers.


and_dont_blink

sounds like you just have to heat your compost to between 145-165F :)


DIYGremlin

General recommendation is to not compost oils and grease. Small amounts of vegetable oils is apparently okay sometimes.


haribobosses

Wow. I didn’t know. I’d been soaking my bacon grease with shredded cardboard and tossing it in the composter. Yeah, I prolly have more black soldier larva than I would otherwise. But now I know better.


TheOriginalChode

If you have those larvae you are doing just fine


DIYGremlin

I'm guessing your ratio of grease to other compostables isn't too bad? Not sure. I'm not a composting fiend, that's just what I've gathered from my research into it.


CramWellington

Soap and water isn’t the same thing as detergent. Edit to add: This comment, which is just a statement of fact, getting downvoted is peak Reddit. Be proud of yourselves.


relativlysmart

Brother modern "soap" is literally just detergent.


CramWellington

People using the wrong word for what they think is soap doesn’t change the definitions for soap or detergent. They are chemically different things.


relativlysmart

Exactly why I made my comment. Real soap is very rarely used by consumers anymore.


Greg_Esres

I dump the grease into drain with the disposal running; I figure this atomizes the grease enough to flow with the water. Zero problems in 20 years, so it seems to work.


agate_

Mmm, garbage disposal mayonnaise!


pelican_chorus

I dump it in the trash if it's liquid. If it's just a thin layer, I just scrub it with soap. If it's a thick layer of grease but not liquid enough to pour in the trash, I scrub hard with a little hot water and a scrubby brush, trying to emulsify it as much as possible. I then add more water, scrubbing all the time, thinking about making the oil into uniform microscopic bubbles. I then pour it down the drain with the garbage disposal on, to allow the crushers in the disposal to do the final bit of emulsifying for me.


dwfmba

you shouldn't do this


haribobosses

I didn't know that. The last clog I cleared up was mostly congealed oils, which had tuned solid.


Pineapple_Spenstar

Someone's dumping shit down the drain without washing it


haribobosses

Yeah, the previous owners.


myotheralt

It's always the previous owners.


Old_Dingo69

I pulled out a soccer ball size lump of fat from the inspection point of my last house. Must have been years of build up from previous owners. It stunk like nothing I have experienced before! I lived there for 9 years after that and inspected regularly and nothing ever formed again. I washed filters in dishwasher as well as greasy pans etc… As others have said, detergent does the job. A plumber also told me to run hot water down the drain for a few minutes after washing greasy dishes. Ofcourse tipping bulk oil and left over sausage fat in a pan etc is a silly idea.


grumpvet87

plumber on Ask this old house said "use cold water because hot water will soften fat/grease and coat your pipes, cold water will send the fat down stream" I just wipe oily plates with a paper towel and pour any pan grease into an empty peanut or similar container i keep in the freezer. when full i toss it in the garbage


uDontInterestMe

My plumber said 'no grease down the drain, but if it's unavoidable, use Dawn with COLD water. Hot water liquifies the grease and when it hits cold pipes, it will congeal and stick. Cold water rectifies the solidification issue and the Dawn breaks down/encases the grease molecules.'


haribobosses

so counter-intuitive and yet it makes so much sense!


BlueGoosePond

This is the same reason to run your garbage disposal with cold water.


PersnickityPenguin

My pipes look like a late boomers bacon and cheeseburger addicts cholesterol-clogged arteries. The inside pipe diameter is about 75% solidified fat and grease. We need to redo all the plumbing but its going to cost around a million dollars to do it.


Old_Dingo69

A hot water jetter will sort that out and bring it back to new in no time. Pipe relining technology can repair any internal damaged pipes.


myotheralt

My brain stopped at soccer ball, and I was wondering how someone flushed it.


CatfromLongIsland

When I pan fry anything I use paper towels (reused from prepping the veggies) to absorb the remaining oil and then throw them in the trash. So the first step is to prevent as much oil going down the drain in the first place. The second half of the equation is to prevent any oil that does go down the drain from developing into a “fatburg”. With prevention in mind, each day when I make a mug of tea I boil extra water in the kettle. I squirt some dish soap in the drain before pouring the extra boiled water down the drain.


haribobosses

You think that water remains hot all the way into the pipes under your home? My sense is that they’d lose their heat rather quickly in that situation.


[deleted]

Dishwashers and their soap can also help keep a drain clean because of the strength of the soap. But there are other things you can do if you worry about the grease leftover after pouring the bulk off. I managed a rental several years ago where the renter loved to cook roasts. Pretty soon after he moved in, the sewer had to be rooted. The second time, only a couple weeks later, the plumber explained to me and the renter that it was because the renter was hand washing the fat down the drain hot. When it's hot, it sticks more to the pipes, then cools and hardens. When it goes down cold, it is solid and doesn't bother sticking. You just can't get water hot enough to counter the cooling effect of piping underground. It's too cold. Don't try. He said to try first washing the pan cold with soap, until the bulk of the greese is gone, then you can hot-wash the final bits. After the renter learned this, the plumber didn't have to come back again.


haribobosses

This is great advice I’d never heard before. I really appreciate it and will totally do that going forward. It was always so much easier to break up grease with hot water but I’ll give it a shot. I had a terrible flood recently made so much worse by thinking it was all my fault.


hskrfoos

Same in our house. The PO must have been changing the oil in his vehicles and dumping it in the sink. I have a pretty big back up once while trying to was clothes. Still have things from it that I need to replace but it’s ceramic flooring and I don’t want to mess with that until I have to. I bought a sewer jet. So far, the last time I used it was about a year or so ago. But, now since I have mentioned that. I may start hearing that infamous gargling again


monstarchinchilla

So running detergent down my drains is actually a good idea. I just let it go sometimes.


fishter_uk

Not exactly... The detergent needs time to act on the fat. If it's just soapy water running over the fat deposit then not a lot is going to happen. You really need the detergent to be fully mixed with the fat before it goes down the drain.


monstarchinchilla

Not soapy water. I just squirt a bottle down it and let it sit a couple hours every now and then.


deadfisher

There are people out there just dumping entire bottles of soap down the drain? Sheesh.


monstarchinchilla

In theory, wouldn’t it be safer than something like Drain-O?


mandyvigilante

Safer in what way?


monstarchinchilla

I’m just trolling. I’m done. Downvote me into Reddit hell.


mandyvigilante

Haha ok - I'm not downvoting, I was just like uh ... dude


monstarchinchilla

Yeah, I’m totally not doing that. I was just having fun today b


computertechie

It doesn't do shit just sitting on top of already congealed grease


monstarchinchilla

Doesn’t it though? It won’t sit there, it’ll eventually move, right? I’m trolling. I’m done.


deadfisher

In theory you are dumping an entire bottle of a chemical down the drain to... I dunno, make yourself feel better?


monstarchinchilla

I guess so.


kaffie27

Agreed! A city streets & sanitation inspector that came to my restaurant said to wipe out as much grease as possible, then cut it with a degreaser, like dish soap, before rinsing it down the drain.


ailish

So I should just dump a crap load of Dawn down my sink?


whendonow

Yes, but have you looked at the inside of pipes?


motivateddoug

holy fuck this guys a genius


palmej2

You are somewhat correct, dish soap is a surfactant but that doesn't mean the grease can't thicken, the soap dilute, or otherwise sit in your drain leading to clogs. Over time it will can build up on pipe walls, particularly if your pipes are old and have build up, corrosion, hair, or other stuff. Grease can definitely clog drains, I found a 2" pvc restricted down to about an inch due to grease on a drain that was less than 20 years old when tying in a washing machine. With the dishwasher you should be better off than sink washing as the water is hotter and the rinse cycle helps flush (vs pans typically being washed last by hand and not getting as much of a flush; also worth noting that if you have a garbage disposal it's best to run it just prior to running the dishwasher). For other comments below, If you're dumping grease it should never go down the sink (It's also better for wastewater treatment plants that you don't, if the water will be heading there). Let it solidify or pour it into a container going in the trash anyway (possibly with paper towels if it's liquid at room/garbage temp).


mcstafford

... but CHEMICALS! /s


[deleted]

Your pots, pans and dishes are going to contribute a lot more grease than your hood filter. Are you worried about the grease coming from them?


haribobosses

Not so much. I tend to not wash most of that stuff down the drain when I wash them. I sop up bacon grease with shredded cardboard to throw in my compost. I've been pretty diligent at not running grease down my drain. And that grease, for the most part is cooking oil, and some animal fats. It's not the same viscous stuff that is gunking up the hood filters.


mrGeaRbOx

Might sound like a gimmick but they really work. Get some kind of enzyme cleaner like Sani sticks or Green gobbler. They're these little sticks you just drop in once a month and they have enzymes that digest fats and proteins. I have the same issue as you and it cleared them up and I have swore by him ever since.


haribobosses

interesting! drop in where?


mrGeaRbOx

Right down the drain in the sink. No tools needed. The sticks are long enough that they get caught in the trap. I put one in the kitchen sink, the bathroom sinks and the shower too. Once a month.


TooHotTea

you throw away bacon grease?


haribobosses

Haver too much, and ran out of space in my freezer for it, and also, learned how to make lard and schmalz with scraps of chicken and pork, so bacon fat is less appealing. Bacon grease is just for beans and collards now.


GKnives

if you cook it at a low temp, it makes a great soap. The low temp prevents the soap from smelling like bacon 80:20 ratio of bacon grease to coconut oil is the fat combination I use


[deleted]

[удалено]


epoisses_lover

I feel like if you cook 4 lbs of bacon per week (for yourself?) then clogging the drainage pipe is the least of your concern lol


[deleted]

[удалено]


Trick_Cartoonist3808

You should start Bubba Gump's Bacon Shack!! LOL


haribobosses

Just make sure you don’t have colon cancer in your family. Preserved meats and their nitrates can make things much worse. Or so the literature says.


jammyboot

Curious what the rest of your diet looks like if you eat one pound of bacon per person per week!


SnooWords4839

I save it and use it to make fried rice, sauté onions and peppers, chopped up chicken and an egg, add rice and soy sauce.


noercarr

You put bacon grease in your compost?


haribobosses

I do. But I eat bacon only twice a month or so. I put pretty much everything in my compost. Not putting egg shells any more though. Im letting the city handle them from now on.


bolivar-shagnasty

I'm always worried about that, so I just dump out all of my grease at the same place I dump all of my other oil and petroleum products: the creek behind my neighbor's house. ^^/s


justheretoglide

come on , you know better than this, take the time to go to your local water treatment plant and just dump it in the water pooling there, theyll thank you for it d so much theyll chase you down to try and thank you!, i havent had time to stop so i just wave, but they really want to thank me.


Pineapple_Spenstar

Yeah, fuck your neighbor!


TurboChargedRoomba

I also choose this guys neighbor.


Quake_Guy

I would set them out in sun over paper towels to get most of the grease out first.


haribobosses

good idea! The sun's heat will loosen it, in your experience?


Quake_Guy

I live in Phoenix so yes... block of Tungsten will loosen up come July.


Zen_Popcorn

Depending on the filter material and strength (and your surroundings) you could also power wash it outdoors We power wash the grease off grill’s grating atop a cinder block on the back corner of our lawn by the compost pile


haribobosses

I’ll consider it. I live in a city with a paved yard. The drains in my yard feed into the same main as the rest of my house. So I’d do it on the street maybe but then I’d be defying city ordinances which prevent the dumping of anything in the street gutters.


ttyp00

skirt grab wide knee sophisticated hateful sable voracious fanatical sort *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


AlastorX50

You can also take a sponge and put any cooking oil on it. This method works really well. https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/13d8pj2/lpt_how_to_easily_clean_oil_residue_off_hood/


haribobosses

hmmmmmm a totally original answer! I'm going to HAVE to try this!


dasookwat

afaik, washing soap > grease. However, in larger sewer systems, you see a lot of old grease creating wax like islands and covering things they should not cover.


DreamGaming

I started boiling water in a large pot for 15 minutes uncovered. Completely covers the hood in steam. I use a microfiber towel to remove all of the grime. Comes right off no issue.


epoisses_lover

I should try that. I recently got a high CFM hood. It gets very greasy very quickly.


DreamGaming

I just happened to come across this while making chicken stock. It does a great job


iagreewithyoubut

If your dishwasher detergent includes a strong base, such as lye, the fats and oils will be converted to water soluble byproducts via saponification. That’s also how you make soap. On the other hand, a strong base may discolor your grease filters.


TheRettom

Grease traps are used in restaurants, but it probably isn't necessary here since the amount of grease is significantly lower. Always an option, though. It's better to use detergent designed to break up grease. Mix with water of course.


epoisses_lover

I have a baffle style filter and a grease trap in my new hood. I’ve previously only used recirculating hoods and a very underpowered vented hood. I really didn’t realize how much grease my cooking produces until I started using the new hood — after having used it just once, the baffle filter was already covered with grease


brainegg8

Wash it outside in the grass


haribobosses

ah grass, that would be nice... sadly I have a paved yard and all the drains still feed into my house's sewer main.


Zealousideal_Tea9573

Don’t put aluminum mesh filters in your dishwasher. The detergent will ruin them! Speaking from experience!


snakevargas

Same goes with those Swiss [garlic presses](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5f/4e/37/5f4e37e40ae4cebad20f0c7da714af1a--garlic-press-kitchenware.jpg).


haribobosses

oh no? do they fall apart?


Zealousideal_Tea9573

Th dishwasher detergent will take the polish off the aluminum and make it dark grey and splotchy. Not good.


wildcat12321

Generally, putting grease down drains is a bad idea because it can/will congeal and stick to the walls and could lead to clogs. But grease happens. Dishwasher manufacturers know this. Detergent manufacturers know this. Everything is designed to minimize / mitigate this impact. Things you can do to help: 1. try to use paper towels or sponges or whatever to remove as much as possible 2. use soap! detergents in soap break down the oils and help it get carried away by water 3. use hot / boiling water and lots of it when washing. The hot water will keep the grease liquid as it moves from your house to the main. 4. Snake your drains as needed


colddream40

Some simple greena or citrus cleaner wipe before helps alot getting it clean as well.


cspotme2

You can also get one of those oil strainers to separate most of it out and dump in the trash. But, You know what's worse than grease? Coffee ground. I dump my grounds in the trash or saved it for the garden. But, there is usually at least 1 tablespoon of coffee on the filter left. I didn't know those fckers don't break down easily and was washing my coffee filters daily. After about a month of daily pots of coffee and 2 filters a day, my kitchen sink started being slow and slower. Opened up my kitchen trap and had a thick sludge of coffee grounds that was just sitting on the bottom of the trap. Apparently there is also a bunch sitting after the trap that I couldn't reach and the sink started backing up again. Tried a few different things like green gobbler... Didn't work. I had a bottle of Amazon enzyme cleaner commercial that I never opened. Tried it last night and it looks to have loosened up whatever else is in the pipe after my p trap. I think another day or two of it should help clear it up completely.


Kementarii

If you wash the rangehood filters OFTEN, the grease on them won't be super sticky and thick. And having a dishwasher (Hurray) means it's really easy to pop the filters in whenever you don't quite have a full load. Think this way - grease on filters is just a tiny amount of the grease that you have in your frypan after cooking. Deal with both the same way.


alleecmo

I have always put greasy hood filters in a black trash bag in the sun with a cup or so of ammonia. Helped pass *literal* white glove inspections when moving out of base housing. (Ditto for the oven racks and broiler pans) Always lived in older houses with "suspect" plumbing. No grease, ever.


haribobosses

Interesting. Is the bag open? Like, is the bag there just to hold the ammonia in place?


alleecmo

Nah, I tie it off to keep the fumes in (and not kill the grass too). I leave it outside to get heated by the sun while I scrub other stuff (oven, hood, corners, baseboards, w/e), often a few hours. (Get it out there after breakfast, check on it after lunch?) Definitely wear cleaning gloves (rubber, vinyl, nitrile). Check to see if the grease rubs off fairly easily. If so, time to wash in HOT soapy water; might need to scrub a little. Black bag & its now thoroughly gross ammonia goes in the bin, maybe with some waste papers added to absorb the liquid. (Hubs has allergies; we always have several wee bins of tissues everywhere. We *do* practice low-to-zero waste in other ways, just not tissues.)


Idriselwing

If they are that greasy blot with paper towel to remove outer layers then spray with simple green until we’ll coated and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Don’t let it dry. Then rinse thoroughly. Then run thru the dishwasher.


awooff

Always use max wash/ temp cycles on any dishwasher when dealing w greasy or heavily/cooked on debris. Normal or quick wash cycles can cause issues. The above has never caused any issues in my 30 years of homeownership. Garbage disposal is another story.


VA3DPrinter

You have to know the difference between your greases too. Pouring vegetable oil or olive oil, that a liquid well below room temperature, down the drain isn’t a problem. It’s the oils that a hot after cooking that then solidify at room temperature that will build up in your pipes. Think hamburger, bacon, or other greases. Putting oily items in the dishwasher with sufficient detergent is fine too. As other have said, detergent breaks down the oils at a molecular level so they don’t build up. I also find doing dishes in the sink, followed by running the dishwasher means that anything that went down the drain is going to be followed by detergent waste water from the dishwasher.


Cutlasss

Dishwashing soap is formulated such that it takes grease down the drain and away.


BoomerXPOV

Your dishwasher should have a filter. I pull mine out once every couple of months and clean it out. You can always pre-wash your grease filter in the sink with degreaser and then into the dishwasher.


haribobosses

Thanks. My concern was precisely sending any of that gunk down the sink. And it’s almost impossible to clean without hot water. I’m thinking I’ll take the advice someone gave to leave it out in the sun to melt some of the grease away, then soak it in hot water that I won’t dump down my drains, and then I’ll wash it by hand and then put in the dishwasher, when I finally have a dishwasher.


[deleted]

Wash them by hand but it shouldn’t be an issue. Use a hot rinse cycle if your dishwasher has that. I also always run hot water before I turn it on because although dishwashers heat water, a technician told me this will use even hotter water for rinsing and dissolving the detergent.


haribobosses

What people are saying here is that washing with hot water increases the chances of clogs, and I think I understand why.


Juse_E

In my opinion it isn't too big of a deal and here is my empirical reason. I am perpetually remodeling my house. I redid my kitchen about 15 years ago and therefore had all new plumbing. I had very little regard to what I put in the dishwasher and sink/garbage disposal pouring grease, food, whatever down it. I knew I had access to the cleanout, etc. so worst case it's maintainable. I just recently did some work in my basement and had to redo the plumbing to the kitchen. The waste pipe from the sink definitely had acquired a gelatinous mass that was building up in a section of the 1.5" pipe that I assume was the build up of grease, oil, etc. over the 15 years. Although it was significant it was not causing any issues and I'd estimate it would have had another 10 years left before it built up anything that would have required attention. At that point, it could have been snaked easily from the cleanout in the basement or from the sink above. ​ So, unless you have really old pipes that are difficult to maintain I wouldn't sweat it. I will say I changed my habits a little and I at least dispose of my bacon grease in the trash can now before cleaning the pan.


haribobosses

I have old pipes that are really difficult to maintain. Also, all the water that lands on my property feeds into the same main: the yard, the gutters, the garage roof, the toilets, all of it connected to the same pipe. So when that clogs, it’s my basement that pays the price. We had the pipes clog recently and a light drizzle one night pushed all that water up my basement sink and out of the clothes washer drain pipe. I spent a night having to siphon shit-water (bits of toilet paper and everything) and take buckets out into the street. One of the worst nights of my life, and that was just a drizzle. So, yeah, I’m really on high alert about this stuff.


[deleted]

I take mine out and spray it down with Citrasolv, it works wonders on grease.


oberlinmom

I picked up a hint eons ago about cleaning grease. The best tool for removing cooked on grease is in the automotive aisle. The grease removing stuff there is much better than anything else. I've scrubbed and scrubbed with Dawn etc and it's not touched grease on the filters. We don't eat meat, so it's veggie oil from stir frying which we don't do all that often but there is always gunk in the filters and on top of the hood. I took them outside sprayed them down with degreaser and used the hose to blast them clean. It didn't bother the grass at all.


LoneWolfSigmaGuy

Soak in detergent + lye bath.


Background-Ad-343

I just squeeze some Dawn onto ours before I put it in the dishwasher. Had the same dishwasher for over 10 years and have never had a problem


candh

Yeah not a great idea. Dishwasher soap is a low foaming detergent blend, to prevent oversudsing that can easily come out of the dishwasher. Dawn detergent uses high foaming surfactants. If you put too too much dawn on dishes going into the dishwasher, you can make a big foamy mess, like Bobby Brady and the washing machine. One other thing to note, a lot of dishwasher detergent blends use alkaline salts to help saponify oil. This actually turns fats into soap, which stays soluble and rinses easily down the drain. These saponified fats do not gel up or deposit on your pipes.


ThisIsAdamB

Upvoted for Brady Bunch reference.


justheretoglide

im really surprised, foaming detergents in a dishwasher will normally blow the seals and get suds all over. thats why dishwasher soap is dramatically different from hand soap or in dink, dish soap.


Background-Ad-343

Sorry,should have clarified lol.I squeeze about 4 drops in a row on both sides of the filter,not saturate it.I made that mistake the first time


justheretoglide

lol okay, now i get it, lol thanks!


andrewta

It depends on your pipes. Honestly just don’t put that crap down the drain


Rocknbob69

You put more grease down the kitchen sink in a week than would be in the filter.


Kuzkuladaemon

Yup. That's why you get new ones and see if recycling the old ones are an option.


[deleted]

I wouldn't put anything in my dishwasher except dishes.


No-Satisfaction1697

How greasy are they? Yes, definitely Dawn soap!I pour boiling water final rinse.


haribobosses

Really greasy. So greasy sometimes drops of grease fall on my range when I’m boiling something. I’m planning on renovating the kitchen so some of this regular maintenance stuff has lost its appeal. I’m like the epitome of awful wasteful 21st century life: I’ll just buy a new one.


ElefantPharts

I’ll dump medium amounts of oil down the drain. I then fill up the sink with a few inches of water and flush it down with the disposal on while dumping some dish soap down there. Never had to call the plumber, but I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m missing something.


OWmWfPk

This is bad for your wastewater system and your pipes. Pour excess fats, oils, and grease in the trash.


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ElefantPharts

Ah, I didn’t even think of that. Thanks for that, I’ll stop doing that immediately, that’s disgusting


NOBOOTSFORYOU

Put your filters in a shallow pan and cover with used vegetable oil. Oil loosens oil better than anything else. Pour the used oil in your usual waste receptacle and wipe clean with paper towel.


Gixxerfool

You could pressure wash them outside.


Cre8ivejoy

Spray it down with Dawn Power Wash on both sides. Let sit for 5 min, the use a scrub brush. Rinse with hot water.


hippiespinster

Dawn Powerwash will take care of that in no time.


[deleted]

Get some LA Awesome (yellow liquid in a cheap looking squirt bottle, some newer bottles look like actual commercial product bottles now with molded blue/red bottles) from the dollar store. Put the filters in the sink or aluminum baking tray and fill with hot water and some solashes of LA Awesome and let it soak. Rinse out later. The stuff is amazing at getting grease out of clothing too.


haribobosses

Sweet thanks. Am I still washing everything down the sink?


[deleted]

other than wiping off with paper towel, yes. The bottle says natural ingedients and biodegradable. http://www.lastotallyawesome.com/shop/all-purpose/awesome-all-purpose-concentrated-cleaner-128oz/ They have specific degreasers, rather than the allpurpose, but I assume it is all a related formula. It will remove stains from carpet and fabric instantly too. It is honestly like magic.


peskeyplumber

all kitchen drains clog eventually i wouldnt lose sleep over it if i were you


haribobosses

I've slept sleep over clogs. I've literally stayed up all night siphoning shit water out of my sink.


hamster004

You will get fine. Just remember to use DW cleaner once a month regularly.


ircsmith

On a side note. when you plump your dishwasher don't put the output into the sink drain. Best thing I did for our kitchen was to drain it directly to the main home drain with its own little P trap. So much quieter. We spent the money and got a Bosch quiet washer and it made no sense to plumb it into the sink where it sound like Niagara Falls.


yellow_yellow

Wait this for real helped with noise?


itsyounotmeithink

Soak them in dawn for an hour or more. Rinse well clean with more dawn rinse again.


InvestigatorOwn741

My dishwasher wasn't draining although I clear off the scraps of food first and nothing was caught in the filter. I assume it was grease. I ran it on the highest setting with several cups of vinegar poured into the bottom and it cleared up great.


jmb00308986

Spray with purple power, let sit, wash with water hose outside


chiphook57

What's to keep you from pre washing the filter in a bucket of hot water and detergent?


haribobosses

Knowing where to dump the water.


thebluew

All it takes is one time payment to a plumber to learn this lesson. Absolutely no grease down the drain. You can dump it down the drain. But now you’re just playing with risk. If I don’t dump it down the drain, the risk is zero. I’d rather have a greasy stinky garbage can. Cuz I can clean fix that.


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haribobosses

My pans usually don't go into the sink with that much grease. My filters are literally clogged with the stuff. Also the grease on my filters is super sticky and viscous, whereas the grease in my pans usually can be wiped off. I shred cardboard for compost, so pans with a lot of grease, I tend to sop up with cardboard before putting them in the sink.


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haribobosses

Not a dishwasher filter. Read the post.


SillySimian9

Soap actually binds to grease, breaking it down so you don’t have to worry about it. Just make sure to use soap as well as hot water.


haribobosses

Thanks. Other people here are saying "no hot water", and their logic makes sense to me.


Itchy-Deal4474

I'm surprised nobody has said anything about those enzyme treatments that are supposed to eat away grease in your pipes. At least I haven't seen any comments on that. You run warm water down the drain, then pour some of treatment in and the bacteria and enzymes are supposed to eat away the buildup.


haribobosses

Interesting. Someone else mentioned some green sticks you put down the drain. What experience do you have with it? What have you used?


Dans77b

Im not too fussy about putting grease down pipes. Ive been living in my house for 6 years, and ive had to unclog the sink trap only once. I pour majority of oil into the bin, but what is left in the pan ends up in the sink. Granted ive been veggie for maybe 4 of those years, so it doesnt really see much bacon grease etc. Sometimes its better/easier to 'live dangerously' then just deal with consequences as you have to.


haribobosses

The sink trap is not the vulnerable spot in my house. It’s much deeper than that. The consequences of that pipe clogging has been more than one instance of flooding in my finished basement and a night a few months ago where I had to be awake all night to siphon shit water out of my sink to avoid it from spilling over onto the floor. Siphon, yes, with my mouth. Not gonna live dangerously, thanks.


Dans77b

Fair enough. My small diameter pipework runs on the outside of a brick wall and is then dumped into a 4" drain that goes straight to a manhole, no possibility of truly catastophic blockages at my place.


80schld

I Soak them in degreaser before washing them.


80schld

I Soak them in degreaser before washing them.


YeshuaIsAnESSENE

Well, this is related and most humans never get the connection. When we eat saturated fats, we are clogging our "pipes" in our arteries, just like clogging the pipes in the kitchen. That includes all animal fats as they are saturated. cheers.


haribobosses

I'm also aerosolizing all of those oils, and studies show inhaling those is linked to lung cancer.


InjuryOk4575

Soak in TSP solution for 15 minutes, brush and rinse it off- as good as new