If you don’t have the possibility of pouring your used cooking oil into a recycling container, there are other ways that you can intelligently use this liquid. For example you can make a good detergent out of used oil or even a candle. Yes, you might not believe it but it is possible. Read on and you’ll see!
Before we being it is important to understand that pouring cooking oil down the sink is not the best option and is in fact forbidden. Used cooking oil can obstruct drainage systems. When it is mixed with other substances it can transform into a gelatinous layer which blocks residue and bacteria. Bad smells will start to appear and in their wake, you’ll have cockroaches and rodents. If you decide to just throw your used cooking oil into the garden, you’ll find that the soil becomes infertile in the long run. The best option is still to preserve it and then recycle it. Here are some good ideas.
1 – Make a detergent for cleaning your clothes
What you need:
– 1 litre of used cooking oil
– 200 grams of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)
– 10 litres of water
– 100 grams of lavender essential oil
How to make your detergent:
1) First you should protect yourself with plastic gloves and googles. Keep children and animals away from the preparation area. (i.e you should shut yourself into the kitchen and keep the room ventilated with open windows)
2) Next take a plastic bin and fill it with 5 litres of cold water.
3) Gradually add the caustic soda making sure that you don’t burn yourself.
4) Then pour the cooking oil into the bin while continuing to stir your mixture.
5) Next add the lavender essential oil and then continue to stir for a further 30 minutes.
6) Once you have obtained a thick substance then you can leave the mixture during the day.
7) The following day add the remaining five litres of water and start to stir the mixture again and then leave the mixture to rest once more.
8) Repeat this process again for 3 to 5 days mixing but without adding water.
9) In the end you will have a sort of soap like mixture. Pour the mixture into a container and cut up the mixture into block if you like. That’s your homemade detergent ready!
2/ Homemade candles
What you need:
– A glass container for your candle
– A metal wire that will serve as the base of the wick
– A string of cotton (it should be about 4 cm longer than the height of your chosen container)
– Enough used cooking oil for the container
– 2 drops of santal essential oil (Or any other perfume of essential oil, after all it is your candle)
How to make it:
1) Start by filtering your cooking oil. You can do this by using a piece of cloth like an old t-shirt for example
2) Next you need to make the wick. Use the piece of wire to make the base of your wick. The string of thread needs to be able to stay in the middle so that you can always have a flame. So that you can do this make the base by rolling up the piece of wire and then attach the string of cotton.
3) Stick the base to the bottom of your container and hold the piece of thread in place while pouring in the used cooking oil. (so that it is about 3/4 full)
4) Now add the drops of essential oil to finish!
