Top Thanksgiving Foods that Cause Holiday Havoc in your Drains

Schedule Now

Thanksgiving is a time to pile your plate high with all the trimmings, but the same does not apply to piling things down your drain. Shoving the wrong stuff down your garbage disposal could mean you’ll have to be most thankful for a plumber to clean your drains this holiday.

Just because your garbage disposal can grind up what you fed it doesn’t mean it’s good for the appliance or the drains that lead from your sink.

Here are some foods you should not put down the disposal:

Fibrous vegetables

They might be good for you, but they are not good for your plumbing. Things like celery, edamame pods and asparagus have a stringy consistency and are hard to break down.

Fruit peels

Because they are thin and light, fruit peels can sometimes get tossed around by the disposal but not chopped up. The peels go straight down the drain where they can clog the pipes. If you do feed peels down the disposal, be sure to limit the amount going in at one time. Banana peels are fibrous and should be composted.

Eggshells

Though they are delicate, eggshells don’t decompose quickly and can accumulate in the drain. The shells can also dull the disposal grinders.

Starchy food

If you are watching your waistline you probably should go light on things like rice, pasta and potatoes. Same for your disposal. Leftovers of starchy foods can clump up in your drains and become a fairly sticky clog.

Grease and oils

Keeping grease and oils out of your drain will keep clogs at bay. These substances and quickly become a solid in your drain. That doesn’t just mean bacon grease. Things like creamy sauces and butter can do the same. If you do pour a small amount of grease down the drain, do so while running cold water to cause that small amount of grease to solidify giving your disposal a fighting chance to break it up.

Coffee grounds

More guests mean more coffee, but don’t let them toss the grounds down the disposal. They turn thick and gunky and muck up your drains.

 

Here are foods you can put down the disposal:

Small bones

Surprisingly you can make that wish on the wishbone and then toss it into the disposal. Disposals with 1 horsepower or greater can do the job of breaking up small bones.

Cooked meat

While raw meat should be composted, cooked meat can go right down the disposal.

Citrus rinds

Small rinds of citrus fruits are okay to go down your disposal and can help to make it smell fresh.

Leftovers

Most of your cooked leftovers in small quantities won’t give your disposal or your drains much of an issue.

If your drains are feeling less than thankful about your holiday meal, you can rely on the experts from Apollo Home to help clear things up. With experts in garbage disposals, drains, sewers and all your general plumbing needs, Apollo Home is your one call you need to make in a pinch.

Schedule
Call
"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
    Read Reviews
    Image

    Financing

    Learn More
    Image

    Apollo Care Plan

    Learn More