Mum shows how to quickly get rid of cooking oil without pouring it down the drain

We all know we shouldn't pour hot fat down the sink - not only can it smell pretty unpleasant, but it can wreak havoc on your drains, too.

Pouring leftover oil down the sink can cause you problems in the long run, mainly because the liquid can cool and solidify further down in the pipes and drains.

Over time, this solidified fat can build up and lead to a pretty tough blockage.

But one woman on TikTok has revealed a genius hack - and it certainly looks worth a try. You can watch it below:

In the clip, TikToker @crystalmckern can be seen taking a sheet of foil and placing it in her sink, before pressing the foil down into the plug to make a hollow.

She then takes a pan and pours the oil from the pan, collecting it in the foil. Wrapping each section of foil inwards, she removes it from the sink without spilling a drop.

"This is how to remove your grease from your pan and do not put it down the drain," Crystal explains.

And people were loving the idea, with one calling it 'genius'.

TikTok/@crystalmckern

Earlier this year, we told you how one woman had come up with a similar hack, but people were unsure over whether it was 'wasteful'.

The idea was the same, and saw the TikToker using foil to collect the fat, but instead of keeping the cooled down oil to use again, she threw it away.

Some loved the idea, with one person writing: "I swear TikTok was all I needed growing up bc this is way too clever."

While another said: "Nah this is brilliant."

But others were less than impressed, with many calling it wasteful and suggested the fat be stored in a jar and reused instead.

One wrote: "You can reuse that oil why did you waste it?"

While another commented: "Omg this is painfully wasteful why are you using so much aluminum? Also throw the oil in the garbage and recycle that aluminum foil."

And a third said: "Did she just throw out perfectly good bacon grease?"

TikTok/@crystalmckern

Many people reuse bacon fat, opting to sieve the liquid to remove any pieces of meat, before storing the cooled and solidified oil to reuse in other dishes.

Responding to the comments, the TikToker added: "We don't always have a jar on hand but when we do, we use that and cook with it later! Aluminium is always nearby so this is just a quick fix!"

Topics: Food and Drink, TikTok, Home

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot.

@lucedevine