With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the holiday season is officially kicking off! If you welcome your family and friends into your home for holiday meals and gatherings this time of year, this is the article for you! Whether you’re having a Home Alone-size family gathering or slightly smaller, with more people in your home during the holidays, it can wreak havoc on your plumbing system. Thankfully, you can find 6 plumbing tips to prepare your home for holiday gatherings below!
Plumbing Tip #1: Just Say No to Colored Tablets for Your Toilet
Raise your hand if you clean your bathroom vigorously before welcoming visitors into your home! Cleaning your bathroom, and more specifically, the toilet is usually one of the first things people do before you have guests over. You may want your toilet to sparkle and shine, but you should avoid any colored tablets that claim to clean and deodorize. They’re harmful to the seals inside your toilet, breaking them down and resulting in a leaky mess on your bathroom floor.
Plumbing Tip #2: Strainers are Your Friend
When you have kids over (and adults even), be prepared for strange things to potentially go down your drains. Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any potential clogs from occurring. This includes your kitchen drain to keep food particles from plugging your drains. If family members are staying in your home and using your shower, also use your bathtub drains. Another tip: Clean your strainer in your kitchen anytime you have anything in it. Nobody wants a major clog in their kitchen sink drain when there are a lot of plates to clean after Thanksgiving dinner! You should also clean your bathtub strainer any time it is slow to drain.
Plumbing Tip #3: Clean Your Drains Out Before You Have Company
Before everyone arrives for the holidays, clear your drains ahead of time. You definitely don’t want them to plug up while family and friends are over. All you have to do is put a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Insert the plug and wait a few minutes to allow the chemical reaction to occur. Then, flush with boiling water to clear hair soap scum, and other debris out of your pipes.
Plumbing Tip #4: Check Overflow Holes
It’s always a good idea to check overflow holes regularly to prevent blockage. Sinks use overflow holes if they start to overfill. This isn’t usually a problem, but it can be. Inspect and clean the overflow holes as part of your regular household maintenance. That way, if Aunt Betty accidentally forgets to turn the water off, you won’t end up with a mess!
Plumbing Tip #5: Run Cold Water When Running Your Garbage Disposal
It is important to run your faucet with cold water whenever you run your garbage disposal. The cold water will help keep the blades nice and sharp and will allow for a much smoother disposal. If you use hot water, any grease in the disposal will turn into liquid, and this results in pipes getting clogged. Again, this is not a problem you want to have when preparing a lot of food in your kitchen!
Plumbing Tip #6: Toilets are for Toilet Paper Only!
The only things your family and guests should be putting down the toilet is toilet paper. Make sure you have a wastebasket in your bathroom if they should need to throw anything else away. It’s also never a bad idea to simply remind them to only put toilet paper down the toilet, especially if they’re staying for an extended period of time. This will help prevent your toilet drain from clogging up.
Are You Prepared for Holiday Gatherings?
We understand you have enough on your plate during the holidays, and taking care of your plumbing is yet another thing to add to the to-do list. However, an ounce of prevention is always worth….not having a clogged toilet or sink during a major holiday gathering! By following these easy plumbing tips to prepare your home for holiday gatherings, you can focus on spending time with your family and not worry about any potential plumbing messes.
If something should happen over the holidays, BOSS Services has 24/7 emergency plumbing services, even on holidays. We serve all of Southwest Michigan including St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Stevensville, Coloma, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. If you need us any time of year, we have real people answering the phones 24/7 at 269-468-6682.
Have a happy holiday season from all of us at BOSS!
