What Should Be Going Down the Sink this Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is one of our favourite holidays. As the days get cooler and the leaves begin to fall, there’s just something extra special about inviting all our family and friends over to feast and talk. Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that is still about being present with our community and instead of receiving tons of presents. And we understand that when you have a full house, you don’t want to take the time to scrape every single plate and dish. You just want to wash the dishes quickly and be done. However, that momentary weakness can really clog up your plumbing.

Grease & Fats.

If your Thanksgiving Dinner includes rich meats, creamy sauces, and buttery potatoes, you’re not alone. The typical Canadian Thanksgiving includes lots of delicious fatty foods. Unfortunately, you really shouldn’t be washing the leftovers down the drain. While these lipids may seem liquidy enough when they’re on your plate, as soon as they touch cold water or metal in the plumbing system they solidify onto the pipes. Send enough grease down, and you’ll have a full clog.

Food Scraps.

Many food scraps, like leftover meat and cheese, have oils in them. We’ve already explained why that’s a problem. But the food scraps themselves are actually an issue as well. If your pipes are already a little extra narrow because of grease, these larger food scraps can get stuck and cause a plug even faster. Instead of washing all the food waste from dirty plates down the drain, scrape the remains into your compost or garbage.

Sauces & Gravies.

Trying to get the last bit of sauce out of your pot and into a serving dish can be a real pain. But it’s well worth grabbing the spatula since that sauce and gravy shouldn’t be washed down the sink anyways. Only after you’ve scraped as much sauce as possible from the pot should you be tossing it in the sink to be washed. The same is true for any butter or creamy residue.

If the mountain of dishes has you wanting to skip the important step of scraping off leftover food scraps and sauces, we recommend asking each guest to scrape their own dish. Alternatively, put the young people to work! The adults put in all the effort of making the food, it’s only fair the teens pitch in to help clean up. If you end up with a clogged sink that won’t drain properly despite our warning, give the Plumbing Paramedics a call. We’re here to help get everything running smoothly once more.