Preventing plumbing problems in the kitchen during the Thanksgiving holiday is easy as pie, if cooks know the do’s and don’ts of their drains and garbage disposals.

Year in and year out, the Thanksgiving holiday brings a spike in emergency calls to plumbers for malfunctioning garbage disposals and clogged drains. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers, seeing a nearly 50% spike in emergency visits.

“At Mr. Rooter Plumbing, we want to make this holiday enjoyable for our customers, so we’re available in case a plumbing disaster strikes,” said Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing. “Our Mr. Rooter plumbing service professionals take a great deal of pride in being a hero for our customers.”

With a house full of family and friends, more leftovers go down the drain. That means an increase in the chance of drains clogging and garbage disposals breaking. 

After the Thanksgiving feast is cleaned up, it is important for cooks to know what should - and should not - be put down the drain.

“Garbage disposals weren’t designed to replace the trash can,” Thompson said. “On top of that, they usually get overworked during the holidays.”

While counting your blessings this Thanksgiving, be thankful for these Top 5 Turkey Day Tips from Mr. Rooter Plumbing:

1. Don’t put turkey bones or skin, or potato and onion peels down the garbage disposal.
2. Throw leftovers in the trash or compost pile.
3. Feed waste gradually to prevent overloading the garbage disposal.
4. Avoid pouring grease down the drain – it will harden on your pipes; wipe off greasy pans before washing.
5. Don’t operate dishwasher if you suspect a problem. It discharges into the disposal.