The Easy Trick For Quickly Cleaning Up Spilled Oil

Not all messes are created equal. Knock over a glass of milk? Get out the mop. Bump the bag of sugar? Grab the broom. Spill a pot of coffee on the rug? Better find the upholstery cleaner and scrub. Knock over a bottle of beer? Well, that's just a party foul, so just hope no one notices.

Spilled cooking oil, on the other hand, presents its own set of challenges. It's not as simple as getting a rag and wiping it up. Water and oil also do not mix, so don't even try. The reason is that oil molecules are more attracted to each other than water and vice versa, so they never behave well together, according to Science Sparks. 

There's something else you need to take into consideration before you get cleaning. Is the cooking oil hot? If it is, Crimson Renewable Energy says to let it cool before you get cleaning, even though your first impulse is likely to tackle the chore of cleaning.  Once the oil has cooled, make sure people stay out of the area since the floor is most likely slippery.

Don't worry about having fancy cleaners full of chemicals in your cupboard to clean up the spilled oil; instead, turn to your pantry for some baking staples to help. Taste of Home says to tackle the oil spill with flour. Simply put a thick layer of flour on the oil and wait a minute before getting the broom and dustpan and sweeping it all up. 

According to SeQuential, other pantry staples like corn starch, baking soda, and salt can all be used to clean up oil by spreading them liberally on top of the goopy mess. Not something that you have in your kitchen, but which can still be used, is sand. Once the oil is absorbed, scoop or sweep up the oil-soaked material and toss it in the trash. But before tossing any dry ingredient onto the oil, take an old dish towel to wipe up as much of the oil as you can "in a dabbing motion," per Crimson Renewable Energy. 

The final step is to use soap that is tough on grease mixed with warm water to clean up anything that remains on the surface. Then, it's time to get back to cooking and enjoying the day.