Thanksgiving is barreling down on us and whether you’re hosting this year or just planning on doing a lot of cooking, you will be asking a great deal from your home. In the spirit of helping you sail through Thanksgiving this year, here are some helpful last-minute tips to avoid a holiday disaster.
Avoid These Thanksgiving Disasters:
You may not be able to stop that one relative from making a scene (you know which one we’re talking about) or if the turkey doesn’t thaw out enough before going into the oven, but there are a few common Thanksgiving disasters you can stop.
1. A Clogged Garbage Disposal.
This is by far the most common disaster plumbers get called for on Thanksgiving. The good news is that this is one headache you can completely avoid. If you don’t use your disposal as a trash can and don’t overload it, you should be fine. And whatever you do, don’t put the following foods down your disposal:
- Turkey or Other Bones
- Grease
- Corn Husks
- Eggshells
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Pasta
- Potato skins
- Lettuce
- Celery or other stringy foods
Also, keep in mind that you should never put any non-food items down your kitchen drain.
2. Kitchen Fires!
If you think a burnt turkey is rough, imagine the headache a fried kitchen would cause. The kitchen is where most of the action will take place this Thanksgiving and it can be easy to become distracted or overwhelmed. Your safety is more important than any dinner, so make sure that your smoke detectors are loaded with working batteries and never leave your kitchen unattended if something is cooking. Keep oven mitts, towels and other flammable materials away from the burners on your stove.
3. Clogged or Overflowing Toilet.
This disaster can be harder to prevent, especially since your toilet may see more visitors this weekend than normal. However, there are a few things you can do to help minimize your risk of a turkey day bathroom nightmare.
Firstly, “flushable” wipes are actually horrible for your plumbing system, so don’t leave any out for guests. Secondly, nothing but toilet paper should be flushed. So, if you’re having small children (or immature adults) over for dinner, keep an eye out to make sure they aren’t trying to bring food, keys or other objects to the bathroom. Finally, if you know your toilet has issues, you can gently remind guests to take it easy on the toilet paper.
