Did something dumb - oil down drain edition

September 23, 2014 8:35 PM

I had a jar of coconut oil that got contaminated with raw chicken (long story) and I mindlessly dumped it down my drain. I immediately realized this was the WRONG thing to do. How can I prevent a plumbing problemo?

I immediately flushed the sink with with hot water for about 30 seconds. I have water boiling on the stove at this very moment. Anything else I can do?? Help!

posted by lovableiago to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Response by poster: Also, FWIW the ambient temperature in my kitchen had the oil in liquid form. It is almost certainly even warmer outside.
posted by lovableiago at 8:39 PM on September 23, 2014

If you've been running hot water down the sink and it's not clogged I think you're okay. You could pour the boiling water down for safe measure, but you've probably already dodged the bullet. (Unlike my friend who poured a batch of failed fudge down her kitchen sink.)
posted by alms at 8:52 PM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Pour a degreasing agent like Dawn, Simple Green or whatever dish detergent you have on hand before your next batch of hot water.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:54 PM on September 23, 2014 [15 favorites]

Best answer: Coconut oil melts very easily (a quick Google says 24C/76F), so hot water should probably do a decent job of cleaning it out. The boiling water is a good idea. It probably also wouldn't hurt to run your tap as hot as possible for several minutes.
posted by Nightman at 9:17 PM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't really bother with the boiling water. Not going to hurt, but hot tap water ought to be fine unless your house is really big or has a really byzantine plumbing system. You just need to keep it liquid until it gets out to the street.

Bacon grease would be somewhat more of a problem, while liquid oils (e.g. canola oil, olive oil, etc.) aren't an issue at all.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:35 PM on September 23, 2014

Best answer: My ex did a similar thing once. We boiled two large lobster pots full of water filled the sink with the drain closed then released it all at once. The concept was to have a steady and sustained flow of boiling water. We waited about 30 seconds after the last of the water was out of the sink and turned on the hot water for about 4 minutes. Never had an issue (with the plumbing and drains).
posted by 724A at 9:58 PM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Whenever I dump oily/greasy liquids down our kitchen sink (whether it be the MSG soup from Top Ramen or whatever), I pour some soap/dish detergent down the drain and flush it down with hot tap water for 15 seconds. Worse comes to worse, if there is build-up over time, you can always use drain cleaners to clear up the pipes.
posted by vanizorc at 10:24 PM on September 23, 2014

IANAP (plumber) but I am very careful about using commercial drain cleaners. The extremely caustic ingredients can corrode pipes and cause more trouble that they cure.
Maybe someone will post a 'green' solution.
posted by Cranberry at 11:05 PM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Agree with sticking some detergent down there too. You need to emulsify the grease so that it'll float away.
posted by kjs4 at 12:22 AM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

Vinegar cuts grease, so pour a cup or so of plain white vinegar down the drain.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 4:01 AM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

Flow Biomaintainence Liquid.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 8:03 AM on September 24, 2014

You'll want to run dish soap + hot water (tap hot should be fine) for 10 minutes or so to make sure it totally gets past your pipes. 30 seconds isn't going to be long enough.

Other than that, I think you're in the clear.
posted by zug at 12:10 PM on September 24, 2014