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Watch Out! How to Avoid Clogged Drain Holiday Horrors

Watch Out! Our Thanksgiving Favorites May Cause Clogged Drains

Holiday celebrations often include delicious food and time with friends and family. While cooking in many homes is a labor of love, time for activities like playing with grandkids, continuing one's reign as sibling trivia champion, or simply catching up with loved ones is equally important. Consequently, food remnants like potato peels may be swept into the kitchen sink during a quick clean-up before joining the festivities. Unfortunately, such hasty choices may give in to the reality of a clogged sink and, ultimately, be a source of holiday dismay. While your local home service expert, like Snappy Services, may offer emergency plumbing services even over the holidays, learn more about proactive prevention and remedies that can help you reduce the chances of needing these unanticipated guests!

What a Clogged Drain or Sink Means for Your Home

Every home has its quirks. During the holidays, you may have individuals from many different households in your space but operating as they would usually do in their own homes. For example, your mother-in-law may be used to putting certain foods down the sink and plan for the disposal to take care of them, but she may forget that things don't work the same at your house! From kitchen disposals clogged with potato peels to bathroom sinks showing drainage issues, blockages that impede water flow are not unusual around the holidays.

Unfortunately, a clogged drain or basin may mean other problems to navigate as well. For example, slow draining may pose an issue for guests who want to shower or clean up before the annual family photo. Kitchen sink use may be limited, preventing dishware clean-up or could even start to smell! This can quickly become unpleasant for all and an issue for holiday cooking needs. In even more dire cases, water may not drain at all or waste water may actually back up into sinks or tubs. Clearly, none of these circumstances are ideal, especially when you are hosting. Having a trusted plumber to turn to may help resolve such clogged drain problems if they occur, but there are also a variety of strategies to help you avoid or quickly resolve such water-related holiday horror stories!

Tips for Preventing Clogged Drains and Other Drainage Issues

Instead of clogged sinks meaning the end of merriment, take preventative measures around the holidays and throughout the year. That way, you'll be able to schedule routine drain cleaning or other system maintenance when it is convenient for you, instead of when you are throwing this year's holiday gatherings. To help minimize the need for emergency plumbing services, here are meaningful clogged drainage strategies to employ!

Tip #1. How Your Household Can Help Prevent Clogged Drains, Sinks and Toilets!

With a little communication to help everyone err on the side of caution and use common sense, you will likely avoid issues over the holidays. Generally, if your drains and other water system components are in great working order, then they should be able to handle the increased frequency of kitchen and bathroom use during any holiday. Here are some additional recommendations to help reduce the potential for clogs:

  • If these items aren't already in place, use available drain strainers and screens in kitchens and bathrooms to prevent food waste, hair and other items from interfering with water flow. Make sure everyone knows that they should be in place, but task a member of your household to clean them out, so your guests don't have to!
  • To prevent a clogged shower drain while you have guests visiting, ask everyone to wait about 10 minutes between showers. This approach is especially helpful for slowly working drains because the drains need time to work.
  • To help avoid a clogged toilet, add a little sign on the toilets in each bathroom to remind people that only toilet paper should be flushed. Other items such as paper towels, face wipes, and feminine hygiene products can cause drainage issues, as they typically don't dissolve.
  • Similarly, you might use cute notices in the kitchen to highlight practices around composting, disposal use and more! Your guests don't want clogged sinks or drains to interfere with the holiday fun any more than you do, and this information helps them ensure that they understand your home operations!

Tip # 2. How to Prevent a Drain or Disposal from Being Clogged with Potato Peels and More

In general, the kitchen can be a dangerous place. In fact, the U.S. Fire Administration notes that cooking is the most frequent cause of home fires! Clogged drains and other sink issues may cause their own set of problems. Here are 4 tips to help reduce drainage concerns:

  • Do not pour cooking oil (or fat) down the drain because it solidifies in the pipes.
  • In addition to potato peels, there are many other items that shouldn't be put in your disposal, because these substances cannot be broken down adequately. From coffee grounds to celery, Better Homes and Gardens provides an extensive list of disposal no-nos to complement the guidance provided by your individual disposal manual.
  • With the water running, turn the disposal on before putting the appropriate waste down the drain.
  • After each cup of waste is poured down the drain, take a pause. Allowing the disposal to "catch up" helps reduce the chances of waste accumulation and clogging.

Tip #3. How to Check the Garbage Disposal if Drainage Problems Occur

Drainage issues are frequently caused by clogged garbage disposals. If you turn on the disposal and hear a low hum instead of the usual motor sound, then it may be time to take a closer look at your garbage disposal or call a professional plumber near you.

  • First, make absolutely sure to turn off the disposal and unplug it (or even turn the electricity off at the breaker box to be safe). You might also just want to check the fuse box, in general, to make sure that the breaker wasn't accidentally tripped.
  • Then, use a flashlight to see if any food pieces or other debris are interfering with disposal operations. Items like potato peel piles may be able to be removed with tongs.
  • If you find a more substantial build up of food waste, it may be necessary to do a more comprehensive garbage disposal cleaning, such as this process from This Old House, or clearing, as explained by The Spruce.
  • If you do not see any waste build up and the disposal will not cut on, some units have a reset button on the bottom of the disposal. If this continues to trip after being reset, you may need to contact a plumbing professional.

If the drainage issues persist even after the garbage disposal is clear and working, then additional repair or service may be needed. CAUTION: Dealing with drainage issues is stressful enough. If you feel uncomfortable or out of your element with any clogged drainage care or solutions, then connect with the plumbing experts near you to ensure your safety and avoid more substantial problems.

An Overview of Common Clogged Sink and Smelly Drain Remedies

In addition to preventative measures and garbage disposal care, other DIY methods may also aid in remedying drainage-related issues. Learn about some of the more common tools and techniques below.

Drain Cleaners and Odor Removers

In general, using chemicals can do more harm than good to the drain pipes. However, there are a wide variety of drain cleaners available in addition to DIY solutions. Many homemade cleaning solutions rely on baking soda, as illustrated in these cleaner recipes from HGTV. The extent to which either solution is effective often depends on the severity of the clogged sink or drain. These solutions may also be helpful in addressing the stink factor associated with poor drainage. Baking soda and vinegar solutions often result in an explosive reaction so take precautions accordingly. Here are two other ways to improve odors as needed or after clogs have been eliminated:

  • Lemon Peels: Throw some lemon (or orange) peels down the drain and run the garbage disposal. The citrus in the peels will help dissolve the smell.
  • Ice: Fill the sink with a couple of cups of ice and run the cold water with the garbage disposal. The blades grinding with the ice will help scour the buildup and help dissolve the smell.

Plunger and Plumbing Snake Use

Sometimes, the fix for a clogged drain is just removing the substance that is causing the backup, which is why many homeowners keep a plunger handy. Home improvement expert, Bob Vila, shares more about how to choose a plunger (if you don't already have one) and how to use it for various purposes. In some cases, the plunger will help clear or move some of the blockage, but the drainage issues may remain. Then, homeowners might try using a plumbing snake, which is able to go deeper into the pipes, or turn to their local plumbing experts.

CAUTION: Do NOT plunge the sink if you tried a commercial drain cleaner. The chemicals in these products are typically dangerous if they touch your skin, so just allow the drain cleaner to work through the sink.



Whether during the holidays or any time of year, clearing clogged drains and sinks often means messy and time-consuming work. While these tips, tools and techniques may help you prevent or address a clog, more serious problems often require the help of plumbing professionals. To ensure that your sinks, drains and disposals are clear and functioning properly, Snappy Services offers 24/7 assistance. Take advantage of our available plumbing coupons throughout the year and contact us anytime, if you need help making sure that your water flows smoothly!