The Simple Way Martha Stewart Disposes Of Used Cooking Oils

Those of us who do a lot of cooking at home have probably all come across the same common problem: Being left with a ton of leftover oil in the pan and not knowing the best way to dispose of it. Luckily for us, Martha Stewart has the perfect easy solution.

In a TikTok video, Stewart revealed that she uses a bunch of paper towels to soak up all of the excess oil quickly and easily. Just make sure you have enough paper towels so that there's enough to sop up all of the liquid. Stewart said, "The pan will cool off and, in a matter of seconds, you have a pan that can be safely washed in the sink."

After you've moved the paper towels around the pan and effectively cleaned up all of that oil, you can simply throw the bunched paper towels away. It doesn't get much easier than that.

If you don't have a ton of experience in the kitchen, you may be wondering why you can't dispose of leftover oil in the most obvious way: By pouring it down the drain when you go to wash it. Despite this making the most sense on the surface, it's actually something you need to avoid when you're cleaning up after cooking.

The reason you want to avoid this at all costs is that the oil will solidify once it's cooled down, which means that it will block up the drain. If a small amount accidentally goes down the drain, it's nothing to worry about, but you want to get in the habit of disposing of oil using other methods so that blockage doesn't build up over time. Plus, if you pour a large amount down at once, it's almost guaranteed to cause a problem.

You can use Stewart's method of using paper towels to soak up the oil. Or, you can reuse your frying oil, which is another great option.