Don’t Let Turkey Coma Get Your Garbage Disposal
How to Avoid Problems With Your Garbage Disposal and a Clogged Drain During the Holiday Season
Entertaining for the holidays — what could go wrong? The doorbell rings – the guests have arrived! You’ve planned the perfect menu, been cooking for a week, prepared the table, and chosen the right centerpiece — but did you think twice about what your guests might do to your plumbing when they fall into a turkey coma!
You did it! Everyone had a great time – bellies are full — and now it’s time for the clean-up. A host’s job is never done — even after the guests leave until all those dishes are done! If you’re lucky, everyone is eager to take their own dishes to the sink and help you clean up. But wait— the phenomenon of turkey coma may have set in….we’ve all had it or seen it!
Turkey Coma— some say simply eating too much turkey — some say it’s a combination of eating a big meal containing tryptophan and lots of carbohydrates — mixed with a few drinks and your guests start experiencing heavy eyelids and difficulty getting out of that comfortable sofa seat! But don’t let them get sleepy at the sink…
Here are some Thanksgiving don’ts and do’s for clog-free drains and your garbage disposal:
- Don’t pour grease down the drain– wipe grease from the pan with paper towels and toss it in the trash
- Do use a sink strainer — it will prevent food from getting into the pipes
- Don’t place turkey bones, onions, celery, potato skins, pasta, rice, and eggshells into the disposal. Stuffing belongs in the turkey not in the drain!
- Do run the water about 20 seconds after you run the disposal — this will clear the area of food waste.
If you have an old garbage disposal that has been giving you trouble — consider replacing it with a new one before the holidays. Also, consider having an extra trash can in the area and ask your guests to scrape their plates there. Be sure to read our previous article on how an M.E. Flow plumber can save your holidays!