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#1: Grease and Oil
Frying your bird has become more popular over the past few years. The crispy skin tastes great, but it won’t be worth it if you screw up your pipes in the process. Pouring that oil down the sink can cause a big headache later when it solidifies in your pipes and cause clogs. Disposing of oil can be difficult since you can’t put it in a compost pile either. Seal it in a jar and save it for reuse later, or seal it and throw it away, so it won’t make a big mess.
#2: Stuffing
Stuffing might be the most controversial food at Thanksgiving. It seems like everyone has their own unique recipe. Still, we should all agree that the most common ingredients in stuffings like celery, carrots, and bread do not belong in the garbage disposal. Fibrous vegetables like celery can tangle and get caught in the blades. Bread, along with other starches like pasta and rice expand in water and become a thick paste that can gum up your blades.
#3: Turkey Wishbone
Breaking the wishbone is a fun holiday tradition, but toss the discarded pieces of bone in the trash, not the garbage disposal. The blades in your garbage disposal will only leave chunks of bones that can catch things going down your drains and easily start clogs.
#4: Potatoes
If you’re not the main chef this Thanksgiving, a great way to help out is to peel all the potatoes for the mashed potatoes. It’s tedious and the cook probably has more important things to worry about. However, don’t mess up your contribution by throwing a bunch of potatoes peels down the sink! Just like other starches, a lot of potatoes in your disposal at once can blend into a gummy paste that can cause clogs and damage the blades.
If you ever accidentally make one of these mistakes, please be careful. Your garbage disposal can be extremely dangerous and you should never put your hand down your sink to fish anything out. Exercise caution and use tongs to remove any visible potential clogs to your disposal. If it’s too late and your drains have already become clogged, then you need to call a professional!
If your drains need cleaning, give our helpful team at Rooter Works a call at (614) 412-3324 or fill out an online contact form.