The oil is an ingredient that is widely used in our kitchens, especially the vegetable or olive oil, so it is common that we find a lot of used oil and do not know what to do with it.
One of the best options to give cooking oil a new use is to turn it into homemade soap or detergent, made with simple products that we can buy without problems in any store in our area.
Used oil harms the environment.
Never throw away the oil, if you don’t feel like making soap, we advise you to recycle it by taking it to a collection point, otherwise you will be damaging the life of your pipes. Used oil that is not recycled poses a serious danger to nature, since treatment plants are unable to completely dispose of their waste, which ends up polluting the environment for years.
Reusing cooking oil:
Soap in bars.
To make this soap we will need 4 liters of water, 2 liters of oil to recycle, half a kilo of caustic soda and another medium of ashes or if we prefer powder detergent. We have to mix all the ingredients and stir them quite frequently for at least a couple of hours.
When we notice that it begins to set, we pour it into a bucket whose surface we have previously covered with newspaper. We leave it for a couple of days until it gets hard and we can cut it, giving the pills the shape, we want. We let them dry for another day and we can use them or store them in a container or wrapper.
Paste detergent to reuse cooking oil.
We will need 7 liters of water, 1 liter of used oil, 200 grams of caustic soda and a liter of liquid detergent. The preparation is very simple, we mix everything carefully since the soda is harmful to our skin and we should not breathe it in, so the use of gloves and a mask is recommended. Let it rest for a week, after this time we have made our own paste detergent.
It is perfect for treating stubborn stains, such as those on shirt collars or sleeves. We can put it in the washing machine and the clothes will be perfect, or use it as a stain remover applying directly and rubbing before washing.
Converting used oil into liquid soap.
To make liquid soap, you need one liter of oil to recycle, 13 liters of water, 200 grams of caustic soda and one liter of fabric softener or powdered detergent. We mix the oil, 2 liters of water and the soda, the rest of the ingredients will be added later.
We have to constantly stir for at least 45 minutes and it is advisable that the water is warm. We repeat this operation for 3 or 4 times a day until there is practically no liquid left, then we add the rest of the water and the detergent, the powder or fabric softener, as you prefer. You can also add essences to give it a scent.
Making candles at home with used oil.
Did you know that you can use used cooking oil to create your own candles?
- The benefits of creating candles with recycled cooking oil are several, for example if the oil is olive it will not produce any odor once you light it.
- It is friendly to the environment since it produces a less toxic smoke than paraffin candles or mineral oil candles.
You will need to:
- 1 glass jar or cup that serves as a container to hold the candle.
- Salt.
- Used cooking oil.
- 1 candle that we will use to provide us with the waxed wick.
- 1 stir stick.
Instructions:
- Salt will be added until the jar is half full.
- And what is missing will be filled with the oil (The oil must be very well filtered before using it).
- It must be stirred well with a stick. Put the thin candle in the middle of the jar.
And that would be all you need to take advantage of and reuse the used cooking oil and give it a new utility.
