The holidays are upon us once again, bringing warm memories, savory smells, and hearty laughs all shared around the bountiful feasts of ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles, and other favorite Christmas dishes. Once the bellies are full, the dishes and leftovers remain, ready to be cleaned and put away until the next time they are needed. Before you begin to dive in, follow these 4 tips to ensure that your pipes don’t suffer from the holiday clog.
1. Don’t Pour Grease Down the Sink
Many of our favorite Christmas dishes produce a lot of grease. While it is tempting to just dump the grease down the sink as your rinse out your dish, don’t do it! Grease hardens into a sticky substance as it cools, which can build up and choke your pipes. Instead, place the grease in a container to allow it to cool and then throw it away. Alternatively, you can do as many great cooks do and save that grease to use as a flavoring for another dish. Whatever you choose, just make sure it doesn’t end up down your sink.
2. Save or Throw Away Leftovers
Who doesn’t love leftovers? Have a Christmas ham sandwich the next day for lunch, save those yummy green beans for dinner the next night, or even eat that leftover Christmas cake for breakfast. Saving leftovers is a great way to reduce waste and protect your drains. If you are not planning on saving the food though, just throw it away in your trash. Whatever you do, do not place your leftovers in the sink to go down the garbage disposal.
Give Your Garbage Disposal Some Love This Holiday Season
While your garbage disposal is a powerhouse when it comes to getting rid of objects that have fallen down your sink, it is not built to take on too much. Bones, grease, noodles, and fruit pits can easily damage your blades and halt their movement. This makes your garbage disposal stall and can lead to a nasty backup in your pipes. You can protect your garbage disposal by investing in a mesh screen. It sits in your sink and catches items that are too big to be handled by your garbage disposal. As an added bonus, it can also help catch any valuables, such as a ring, that may fall in the sink as you are doing the dishes.
3. Make Sure Your Guests Know What Goes Into the Toilet and What Doesn’t
This probably goes without saying, but some items should never be put in the toilet. Kitty litter, hygienic products, and baby wipes have no business going down your drain. The day after a holiday is always known as a brown day, as this is when the most clogged toilet plumbing issues start to arise. In order to protect your toilet’s drain, make sure your guests, especially children, know that only toilet paper is allowed in the toilet. This will keep your pipes healthy during the holidays.
4. Check Your Pipes Before the Holidays Begin
Santa makes his list and checks it twice to ensure that everything is right before he travels around the world, giving gifts to all the good boys and girls. Do the same for your pipes by investing in an inspection right before the holiday season. Allow the plumbing experts at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain to give your pipes a thorough inspection and ensure that they are ready to handle the holidays. Give us a call today for more information about our services and to schedule your plumbing inspection today!