Disposing of holiday food waste? Do it the right way

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Disposing of any holiday food following Thanksgiving? Plumbers urge you to do it the right way, so the decision doesn’t cost you big down the line.

While shoppers might refer to the day after Thanksgiving as "Black Friday," to plumbers it is know as "Brown Friday:" where they see a big increase on calls for blocked or clogged drains and garbage disposals.

"This is simply one of those days where people don't always think before they pour waste down the drain," says Rocky Glassbrook, VP of Aarow Plumbing in Tucson. "Just this morning we had to unclog a mans drain after he stuck way too much down the garbage disposal."

Grease, gravy, stuffing, and other foods are thrown away, do not take any chances; if you do not think it should go down the drain, simply throw it out.

Plumbers say the most important step you can take is to always use extra water to flush out pipes.

"You're going to want to run extra water once you put that batch of food through the garbage disposal," advises Glassbrook. "It is never too much. Even greasy plates can cause build up in your pipes, which can cost thousands of dollars to fix if they end up cracking or a leak occurs."

That damage can show up when you least expect it. Glassbrook tells us a local restaurant recently had to spent tens of thousands after their grease trap went unchecked for two years.

“When in doubt, throw it out. It will save you in the long run.”