Tips to ensure a smooth Thanksgiving meal clean-up

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Taking care of the scraps is a dreaded part of the Thanksgiving feast but it’s important to take care of those properly so your feast doesn’t feel like a famine.

Plumbers say the day after Thanksgiving is their busiest day, “Brown Friday” they call it for all the plumbing emergencies they respond to.

“A lot of clogged drains is a common one. Nothing will ruin the smell of fresh pies like that. One of the ways to ruin your Thanksgiving dinner is to put a bunch of potato peels and egg shells, and you’re going to have a hard time cooking if you can’t use the sink,” plumber Noah Howland said.

After cooking the turkey, people make the mistake of pouring hot grease down the drain. While it may be hot when you pour it down the drain, it will turn into a solid when it cools and will clog your drain.

Turkey bones, bread, fibrous foods like celery, onions and potato peels are the most common problem foods, as well as that cooking grease. The problem is, those expand when you hit the water.

If you’re using your garbage disposal, be sure to use cold water to help the waste go down. Hot water can cause waste to cling to the blades and clog up your sink.