It’s not what you’re thinking! But the festive season does mean blocked sinks and garbage disposals as homes try to deal with abnormally large volumes of waste. With families making enormous meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, leftovers and grease can contribute to plumbing woes.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing reports a whopping 50% increase in the number of calls they get. One of the reasons is that people pour grease down the drain. In the cold winter weather, it solidifies quickly and blogs the drain.
If you have excess grease, the best way to deal with it is to put it in an old jar and drop it in the trash. If you recycle all your old jars, sop it up with a paper towel and send it packing. Do not pour it down the drain or down the toilet.
The most common reason garbage disposals are clogged are potato peels. These are one of the things that shouldn’t go down your garbage disposal. Vegetable peels and potato peels are best disposed of in a compost bin. If you don’t have one, the garbage can is the place for these.
Also avoid throwing bones or fibrous foods like cornhusks in the garbage disposal. Invest in a compost bin to take care of all your biodegradable trash. You’ll benefit in the spring from all the compost you have!
Wipe out greasy pans with paper towel before washing them in the sink or putting them in the dishwasher.
If you have a house full of guests, a mesh strainer on the shower drain will help to keep hair out.