#1: The Wishbone
One fun Thanksgiving tradition is breaking the wishbone. It’s a fun little competition and the winner gets granted their wish. But what do you do afterward when you have bones in your hand? Put them in the trash, not the garbage disposal! You should avoid putting bones of any kind down the garbage disposal as the blades are not nearly sharp enough to break them enough for them to go down your pipes smoothly.
#2: Stuffing
It seems that every family has their own Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. However, whether you stuff the bird itself or leave the stuffing on the side, you should throw any stuffing you don’t need in the trash. Bread and other starches expand in water and gum up your blades. Additionally, fibrous vegetables that are common in stuffing recipes like celery can get easily tangled up in the blades.
3: Grease and oil
There is much debate over how to cook the Thanksgiving turkey. One method that has grown popular over the years is frying the bird. Enjoy the crispy fried skin of the turkey at your Thanksgiving dinner, but ensure your oil is disposed of properly. Oil should never go down your drain, or in a compost pile. Instead, your best bet is to put the oil in a sealed container and reuse it another time, or just toss it in the trash. Just throwing it away as a liquid will make a mess and attract bugs and rodents.
4: Nuts
If you love holiday nutcrackers and actually use a few of them this holiday season, don’t put the nut byproducts down your garbage disposal. Whether it’s walnuts or almonds, pecans or peanuts, the blades in your disposal will simply turn them into nut butter that will clog up the blades and your pipes/
5: Pasta
Mac & Cheese is a controversial Thanksgiving side. Data has shown that it’s very popular in the South, but not so much in the rest of the country. Californians like us apparently love salad as our main side. Wherever you stand on the issue, we can all be united and say that it doesn’t belong in your garbage disposal. Pasta will expand in water and lead to clogs.
6: Coffee grounds
From pumpkin spice lattes to peppermint mochas, the holiday season is not complete without some coffee drinks. Throw the grounds in your trash when you’re done though. Coffee grounds will only turn into a thick sludge in your garbage disposal.
7: Potatoes
Perhaps your contribution to Thanksgiving is peeling the 30+ potatoes you need for the mashed potatoes for you far too large holiday gathering. If you peel them over the sink, make sure you fish out most of the peels. Starches don’t mix with the garbage disposal and this is no exception. A lot of potato peels down the drain will lead to a clog sooner than you might think.
If your drains need cleaning, give our helpful team at Rooter Guard a call at (818) 572-9743 or fill out an online contact form.
