Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means your kitchen is about to work overtime. From chopping and cooking to rinsing and cleaning, your drains will see more action during this one weekend than they do all month. It’s the busiest time of year for home plumbing issues — and the Friday after Thanksgiving consistently brings a spike in emergency calls.
To help you skip the stress and enjoy the feast, we publish a Thanksgiving Drain Guide every year. It’s our way of giving you a simple, clear list of what should — and should not — go down your drain, so you can avoid clogs, backups, and holiday headaches.
This year’s guide is fresh, updated, and easy to follow. And if you’ve already noticed a slow drain or minor backup, now is the perfect time to get ahead of it. A small issue today can become a big, messy problem right in the middle of your celebrations.
Let’s keep your holiday running smoothly.
What Not to Put Down the Drain This Thanksgiving
Your garbage disposal is not a magic blender. Your pipes are not invincible. And your drains definitely can’t handle this holiday’s usual troublemakers. To avoid a mid-meal meltdown, keep the following out of your sink, disposal, and drain:
- Fats, Oils, & Grease. Turkey drippings, bacon fat, butter, gravy, and cooking oils all cool, solidify, and stick to your pipes like glue.
- Potato, Carrot & Onion Peels. These stringy, sticky peels wrap around disposal blades and form heavy sludgy clogs.
- Pumpkin Pulp & Seeds. Making a pie? Scoop the goo into the trash. Pumpkin fibers are a drain’s worst nightmare.
- Eggshells & Seafood Shells. They turn into sandy grit inside your pipes and create blockages over time.
- Artichokes, Celery & Asparagus. Fibrous veggies can tangle inside your disposal and jam the motor.
- Raw Dough & Batter. Pie dough, cookie dough, and bread dough expand in water. Enough said.
- Rice, Pasta & Oats. These absorb water, swell, and clog pipes from the inside out.
- Nuts, Fruit Pits & Seeds. Hard items can damage blades or get stuck in bends in your pipes.
- Corn Husks, Cobs & Stems. Shredded husks wrap around disposal blades and clog traps instantly.
- Coffee Grounds & Wine Cork Bits. Coffee binds into dense sludge. Cork fragments lodge and block drains.
- Non-Food Items. Keep foil, string, paper towels, and plastic wrap all far away from the sink.
Simple Habits to Keep Your Drains Happy This Holiday
A few smart steps can help prevent a major mess:
- Use sink strainers during prep and cleanup.
- Run lots of cold water before, during, and after using the disposal.
- Feed food scraps slowly into the disposal — never dump a whole bowl in.
- Save grease in a can and toss it once it solidifies.
- Wipe oily pans first with a paper towel before washing.
- Keep trash bags handy and don’t overstuff the disposal.
Small changes make a big difference.
Already Have a Slow Drain? Handle It Now — Before Guests Arrive
If you’re hearing gurgling, seeing water pool in the sink, or noticing foul odors from your drain, that’s your system warning you.
Slow drains never fix themselves.
In fact, the extra food volume of Thanksgiving weekend often pushes them over the edge into a full clog.
Call our drain experts at Maffei Services now and we’ll clear it before the holiday rush. The best Thanksgiving is one spent relaxing, not plunging a sink before serving dessert.
Keep Your Thanksgiving Joyful — and Your Drains Clear
With a little smart prep and the tips above, your kitchen plumbing will be ready for every slice, stir, roast, and rinse that comes its way. But if trouble pops up before, during, or after the holiday, we’re here to help. Call our plumbers at Maffei Services to handle any drain issue before your guests arrive.
