Soap from filtered frying oil?

[kittywings]

I know people use used oil from restaurant fryers for biodiesel, but has anyone heard of using it for soap? I'm about to start working at a new restaurant and I was wondering if I should ask them for the used oil and work out a filtering system.

Thoughts?

 

[soapbuddy]

Would you know exactly which oils are in there? What about someone that has certain allergies? Also high temps make oils deteriorate. I would think that might cause DOS.

 

[donniej]

Cooking oil is usually soy but may also be Canola. It may be "creamy"which is partially hydrogenated or "shortening" which is fully hydrogenated. Both are better than liquid oil for making bar soap but filtering them is much more difficult.

I use it and it works well but there are many factors that need to be thought out. Oil that is over-used will be very high in free fatty acids, filtering can be challenging and of course you have the DOS issue with soy.

 

[kittywings]

Yeah, I'd be able to know what oils it would be... they might even let me suggest some. I'd definitely have to research the filtering, etc. but if it would be free, then I wouldn't mind risking wasting my time if it happened not to work.

 

[madpiano]

I use the drippings from my George Foreman to make soap experiments, but no amount of washing gets rid of the smell of the cooked grease. (I wash the oil 4 times)

It is a cheap way to try out swirls and check if a FO is accelerating, but other than that, I wouldn't want to sell those soaps. They really smell of burger and bacon.

 

[Rauland04]

I was thinking of trying bacon grease, just to see how the soap would smell...

 

[carebear]

Used cooking oils are well on their way to rancidity, so you'd be risking early DOS. If it's just for yourself and you are certain that no cleaning fluids went in there, then try it. But I'd personally not sell it or even give it away.

 

[xraygrl]

I wouldn't because of what Carebear said. It just sounds kinda gross to me....too, I'd rather use clean, fresh oils.

 

[kittywings]

I thought of that too... but I was doing some research on it and there's some info about how it's good for the environment because it's getting recycled. I don't know if I would want to use it on my body, but maybe a laundry/dish soap... I guess we shall see.

 

[tincanac]

following on the cooking fat thread - Our supermarkets sell big ol' vats of Ghee (Butter fat) - has anyone tried soaping with this?

 

[Dixie]

I'm curious... how would you label this? Would you inform your customers that it was used/cooked oil?

 

[Guest]

Interesting concept , I am curious about labeling too.

Kitn

 

[soapbuddy]

My mother and grandmother made soap from grease drippings. They used an old coffee can under the sink. This soap was used to wash dishes and clothes. It would have been too stinky to wash with or to sell.

 

[SimplyE]

Coming from someone who grew up in the restaurant biz, there is no way in he!! I would use it. There are little bits of crap that have been there over fried. The stench won't even come out of my clothes NOT bathed in fry oil. The oil is seriously burned and gross by the time it is filtered and changed.

Can you tell I have bad memories about fry oil???

 

[donniej]

Used cooking oils are well on their way to rancidity, so you'd be risking early DOS. If it's just for yourself and you are certain that no cleaning fluids went in there, then try it. But I'd personally not sell it or even give it away.

Used cooking oil is recycled into many things including pet food and candles.
It is not "well on their way to rancidity" unless they sit in the pressence of water. Dry oils rarely go rancid, even when sitting for a very long time. Also, even rancid oils can be cleaned. Cooking oil usually only goes rancid if it sits outside for a long time in a drum or dumpster that's not properly covered.

As for it developing DOS early, all pure soy bar will eventually do this. I'm not sure that virgin Vs. used makes any difference but I'll admit I haven't timed it. There are many ways to prevent it from doing so... but I'm not tellin' how 8)
I've also made many observations on DOS and I'm still not sure what it is but I'm skeptical that it's rancidity. It doesn't smell and doesn't develop colonies (as is evident by a lack of speckles). It does however have the same properties as the glycerin that can precipitate out of pure biodiesel glycerin soap. I'm hoping I can get a university to send a sample to get checked on a gas chromatograph so I can know for sure... either that or run a culture on it.

You are right about the cleaners but most restaurants don't mix oil with cleaners, they clean the fryer when it's empty. And if you ask them not to, they probably won't.

I've been working with used cooking oil for years and have gone through thousands of gallons of it. And though I only took Chem1 in college, I've also been asked to speak at several universities including Chemical Engineering departments about used cooking oil and its benificial uses.

 

[soapbuddy]

Coming from someone who grew up in the restaurant biz, there is no way in he!! I would use it. There are little bits of crap that have been there over fried. The stench won't even come out of my clothes NOT bathed in fry oil. The oil is seriously burned and gross by the time it is filtered and changed.

Can you tell I have bad memories about fry oil???

My mother had a restaurant and our waiters threw their cigarrette butts in there. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[kittywings]

EEW! I have worked at a million restaurants and I have never EVER seen or heard of someone doing that! Maybe if it was in the trash people would but not if you were taking it home.

 

[carebear]

heating oils causes oxidation. contamination with food particles increase the risk of rancidity.

I'm no chemical engineer, but my degree is in food chemistry.

 

[donniej]

I'll agree with that, CareBear. The part that I wanted to clarify is that used cooking oils will only tend to go rancid if it's wet. Food particulate can easily be filtered out and odors removed. The purified oil can then be used to make a quality, inexpensive soap.

If anyone wants to see the proof, simply PM me your address and I'll mail you a small bar. I don't have time to ship them but if you're in the 48 states then I can put a 2 or 3 ounce bar in an envelope and mail it to you.

 

[chainapa]

Used cooking oil soaps

I had the pleasure to be having lunch at my friend’s restaurant when a woman came in to purchase their spent frying oil. She was paying $.10 per gallon ok is not much but every penny counts in their business. After she received the spent cooking oil the woman handed my friend a couple bars of soap she makes. I don't want to mention the name to protect the soap maker but they were located somewhere in Florida selling for $3.00 a bar.
My friend purchases soap from me and said here try one of your competitor’s bars.
They were tightly shrunk wrapped in plastic looking like it had been poured in a mold and labeled natural handmade soap Hmmmmmmmmm that was a tip off right then. That night I decided to take a shower using this bar and what a surprise, try taking a shower with a bar that is scented with almond to mask the frying oil smell that comes out when you start to lather up the soap. Also the grease film wouldn’t was off I guess it was super-fatted with who knows what. I felt like I was washing with a bar of lard. I'm a believer that we all are trying to make a living but what a scam.
Also used cooking oils are well on their way to rancidity, that’s why there replaced besides you have no idea of what was fried or what type of oil you would be using in your soap making process as well as having no idea of the INS of your soap.
Chainapa
Oh Soaps