When you think about Thanksgiving, your mind immediately wanders to delicious food, parades, football, and time well-spent with friends and family.
With all of that food and good company, the day after Thanksgiving ends up being the busiest day of the year for plumbers. Instead of enjoying Black Friday deals, many homeowners find themselves worrying over clogged drains and other plumbing issues.
Before planning for the worst and searching for “plumbing companies in my area,” consider ways to prevent clogs before they occur.
Fortunately, we have Thanksgiving plumbing tips to keep your holiday in high spirits. As a result, you can worry less about plumbing problems and focus instead on that tasty Thanksgiving dinner.
Prevent drain clogs on Thanksgiving by following these proven tips:
- Don’t Pour Fat, Oil, or Grease Down the Drain
When cooking your Thanksgiving dinner, it’s easy to pour your turkey drippings down the kitchen sink and continue with your preparations. Regrettably, these turkey drippings are essentially grease—a substance that is a common culprit of clogged drains. Grease easily solidifies in your pipes, eventually causing clogs. When poured down the drain, all other fats, oils, and grease will also create blockages.
- Wipe Grease From Your Pans
Rather than risking a clogged drain, there are other ways to dispose of your fats and grease. Instead, wipe these substances from your pans with a paper towel and throw them in the garbage can.
If there’s more grease than you can tackle with a paper towel, collect it in a jar before throwing it in the trash. Opting to dispose of these items properly instead of hurriedly pouring them down the drain could be the Thanksgiving plumbing tip that makes all the difference.
- Avoid Using the Garbage Disposal
No matter what, remember this Thanksgiving plumbing tip: use your garbage disposal sparingly. There are countless foods you should never throw into your garbage disposal, many of which are considered holiday favorites. These items include:
- Stuffing
- Turkey skin
- Apple/potato peels
- Eggshells
- Celery
- Rice
- Turkey bones
- Coffee grounds
Starchy foods (such as potato peels) and fibrous waste (like coffee grounds) can potentially slow down or destroy your garbage disposal. Essentially, don’t put food down the kitchen drain if you can manage it to prevent drain clogs on Thanksgiving.
Ideally, only use your sink’s garbage disposal to dispose of whatever remains on your pots and pans.
- Dispose of Waste Properly
There are bound to be countless family members stopping by your home this holiday, and sewer backups are a potential threat. To prevent drain clogs on Thanksgiving, set up extra garbage containers and inform your guests to dispose of their waste properly.
Your home’s drains need to be clear to work, and overloading them with improper waste—paper towels, sanitary products, cotton balls, baby wipes, etc.—can create a significant mess if not handled properly.
Additionally, scheduling out showers can help ensure hot water for your guests since your water heater needs time to reheat its water.
- Call Your Local Plumber
The final Thanksgiving plumbing tip is to call your local plumber for a drain cleaning before a more significant plumbing problem can occur. Scheduling a drain cleaning before the holiday rush can help you prevent drain clogs on Thanksgiving day.
For plumbing in Washington, D.C., get in touch with Magnolia right away. Our expert plumbers can help make your Thanksgiving day go smoothly with drain cleanings, garbage disposal services, and more.
