This time of year can be hectic. Cooking cleaning, guests, shopping, etc. There’s a lot going on in, and around, your home. Some days it seems like cook, eat, clean, repeat. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and forget a few important things that could save you (and your home) from a messy holiday disaster. Don’t let something small cause you big plumbing problems.
5 Tips to Save Yourself from a Messy Holiday Disaster
- Oil and Grease – Clean spills/drips up with paper towels and then throw them away. Drain your cooled grease and oil into a container (old butter containers are great for this) and let them congeal. Put the lid on and throw it away. Do not pour oil or grease down the sink drain. Do not flush them down the toilet. This can result in major clogs and more damage than you want to deal with!
- Pumpkin and Other Fibrous Waste – It might seem like the best idea to run these down the disposal. Some may even try to flush them. This is a clog waiting to happen. The stringy and fibrous insides of a pumpkin can bind your disposal up beyond use. They will also clog drains and toilets. These are best to go into the trash or compost. If the pumpkin is free of spices, you can even feed it to Fido for a healthy treat.
- Disposal Care – Do not wait to run your disposal. Run it at every use. Turn on the water and leave it running for as long as the disposal does. Allow the disposal to run until clear. There is always a certain sound to let you know it’s empty.
- Don’t flush baby wipes, paper towels, cotton swabs, cotton balls or food down the toilet. This seems like something we should all know but it’s well worth a simple reminder.
- Wait to shower. If you have house guests, wait 10-15 minutes between showers. This will give your drains time to empty and your water heater time to recover.
We hope that these tips will help keep your holidays merry and bright. Don’t forget we are here for you any time. Contact us if you need holiday plumbing help!
