When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, diets are put on hold, and the feast takes center stage. However, the abundance of food, grease, and cooking oils leaves us feeling stuffed and can wreak havoc on our drains.
Here are some tips to keep your drains clear while reusing and recycling your Thanksgiving meal.
Keep Fats, Oils and Grease and Oils (FOG) Out of Your Kitchen Drain
Referred to as FOG, these cooking byproducts can be found in sauces, lard, oil, grease, and many of your Thanksgiving foods. While essential to your Thanksgiving dishes, they can be a nightmare for your plumbing. When poured down the drain, oils can solidify, leading to serious clogs.
Never pour grease down the drain. Instead, let it cool and solidify in a container before tossing it in the trash.
Watch What You Put Down the Garbage Disposal
You might feel bloated after overindulging at Thanksgiving, but it’s important not to stuff your garbage disposal with foods it can’t break down.
Those include:
- Pasta
- Rice
- Nuts
- Fibrous vegetables like celery and carrots
- Potato Peels
- Grease
- Oil
- Fat
- Coffee Grounds
Try Your Hand at Composting
Thanksgiving is a great time to compost your waste rather than relying on your garbage disposal to break it down. Instead of tossing scraps down the garbage disposal, add them to your compost bin. Items like vegetable peels, cranberry remnants, coffee grounds, and even used paper plates can enrich your compost. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has helpful resources to get you started with composting at home.
Get Creative with Leftovers
It’s ideal to prevent leftover foods from going to waste and down the drain. Get creative with your Thanksgiving meal by transforming it into new dishes. Use leftover turkey for soups, mix mashed potatoes into casseroles, or turn stale bread into croutons. Repurposing your food not only minimizes waste but also gives you delicious meals to enjoy in the days following the holiday.
Practice Portion Control
One of the best ways to reduce waste is to plan ahead. Estimating the right amount of food to prepare can help avoid excess. Consider offering guests reusable containers for leftovers.
Request Plumbing Services From Canady’s
Stuffing your guests is expected at Thanksgiving. Clogging your drains is not. When your Thanksgiving gathering gets interrupted by a clogged drain, the professionals at Canady’s Heating, Air & Plumbing have the know-how to get your system back up and running. For more than 35 years, Canady’s has provided the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry with prompt, reliable service. Trust us to solve your plumbing problems.
Call now to book a plumbing appointment in the Coastal Empire or the Lowcountry.