Household items help

[Hedgelj]

Asking the combined brain trust here
1.) We have a septic system. I know that pouring grease down into my drain isn't great for that system. Using a former soup can or similar will not fly with my wife. I had found a cool reusable flexible plastic thing at walmart that would filter the chunks from the grease and then you could dispose of it (and I give it to my chickens) but it isn't working well. Any suggestions?

2.) Humidifiers - we have gas heat. Humidity level in this recent cool weather has been running about 37-38%. I prefer it slightly higher. We have an older model that uses replaceable paper filters but I don't love it. I had looked into a humidfier attachment to our furnace but the cost our HVAC guy quoted along with trying to get enough RO water to run it in the winter (so I wouldn't have scaling issues) was cost prohibitive. What do ya'll do?

 

[giles]

How much grease are you talking? We don't worry about washing dishes and what not. But you can also smell my system in the evening if the air gets heavy.

When it gets bitterly cold and static starts in the house we boil water on the stove.

 

[Sgt Fury]

you can use a humidifier like this one as a cheap substitute. As for the grease, we use the old can method….just tuck it away on a back shelf in the freezer….she won’t even know it’s there.

 

[Hedgelj]

How much grease are you talking? We don't worry about washing dishes and what not. But you can also smell my system in the evening if the air gets heavy.

When it gets bitterly cold and static starts in the house we boil water on the stove.

The leftover when browning burger, cooking with lard/ butter. I know there's a difference between deep frying and what you'd use for eggs or pan frying meat, but not sure what's an acceptable amount.

 

[Fletch]

Grease definitely a NO/NO for the septic... As George said I keep a big metal coffee can in the freezer... Or I just go out back and dump it ( hell the bears gotta eat ).... I even wipe excess grease out of pan with a paper towel... Acceptable amount ??? There is no acceptable amount... Unless you have a large sum of money you can replace septic down the road...

Humidity... I have no advice as it doesn't bother me...

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

I always dump grease up in the woods, knowing the neighbor's stupid brittney will come visit .....& then go home & hopefully throw up in the house later.....

 

[bowhunter1023]

There were 3 humidifiers running in our house last night, but this has been our favorite:

Amazon.com

As for grease, I kept a jelly jar handy. Dump it in there, then sprinkle some bird seed on it. Let it cool, then release with a little warm water. Free suet cake for the birds.

My uncle used to keep a Folgers can next to the stove. He'd melt it on the wood stove every so often, then use it to soak cardboard egg cartons. Then he'd fill each spot with sawdust and dryer lint, then cover in candle wax. Each individual slot was a fire starter.

 

[Fletch]

Oh... While we are on septic systems... Powdered Laundry Detergent is also a BIG NO/NO....

 

[Big_Holla]

Coffee can under the kitchen sink is our go-to. Since it holds any kind of grease or oils we just strain into the can with the intention of tossing it into the garbage. Like the idea of adding bird seed and making suet. I'll have to mention that one to the boss.

 

[5Cent]

90% of time I just dump it in fence row behind coop, but if I don't feel like going out I'll push foil into a Dixie cup and let it set up then toss.

 

[Hedgelj]

Oh... While we are on septic systems... Powdered Laundry Detergent is also a BIG NO/NO....

how come?

 

[Fletch]

how come?

Powders are more likely to cause clogs and sludge from what I've been told... It does not always dissolve properly due to possible fillers added to detergent... I know someone that installs septics and repairs them... He said that years ago when powders very popular he repaired or replaced many septics due to sludge formed from powders...

 

[Hedgelj]

Thanks the info @Fletch it makes sense