Why does bacon grease and other fatty substances wash off easier with warm water when compared to cold water

Question

I like bacon

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Fats will solidify at room temperature.

You can think of the fat “freezing” almost. Under a certain threshold temperature it groups together and solidifies.

Hot water would almost “melt” the fat.

This is why you can just pour it down the drain by the way; it might solidify LATER, down in the pipes.

It isn’t really like ice, because water is made of tiny H2O molecules and fat is made of long chains that all side over each other. But they both slow down and solidify as they cool.

Also, hot water cleans most things better because it has more energy. Temperature is just how much the atoms are moving inside a material. Leaving something to soak in hot water means the water molecules are bouncing and dancing and bumping into whatever they’re soaking with, knocking off dirt. Cold water doesn’t move as much.