The start of the holiday season is now underway, with Thanksgiving out of the door. That said, this post is for you if you host dinners and gatherings for family and friends throughout the holidays in your house. Having a reunion during the holidays, whether it’s a Home Alone-sized family gathering or something a little smaller, may cause havoc on your plumbing system. Fortunately, the following plumbing suggestions will help you prepare your house for Christmas festivities.

1. Avoid Using Colored Tablets When Cleaning

One of the first things people do before having company over is to typically clean the toilet in the bathroom. Even though you might want your toilet to gleam and shine, you should stay away from any colored tablets that make exaggerated cleaning and deodorizing claims. They may damage the seals inside your toilet, causing them to break down and leave a messy mess on the bathroom floor.

2. Install a Couple of Strainers before Your Guests Arrive

Be ready for odd things to maybe go down your drains when you have kids over (or even adults). To avoid any potential clogs, install strainers at the bottom of your drains. This also applies to your kitchen drain to prevent food particles from clogging your drain. Use your bathtub drains as well if family members are staying at your house and utilizing the shower.

Another piece of advice is to always clean your kitchen strainer after using it. Nobody wants a significant clog in their kitchen sink drain after Thanksgiving dinner when there are many plates to clean! Additionally, if your bathtub drains slowly, you should clean the strainer.

3. Clean Your Drains before Your Guests Arrive

Clear your drains in advance or before the holiday crowd’s arrival. They must not clog while your guests are staying over. All you have to do is pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar down the drain. Place the plug in, then wait for the chemical reaction to happen. After that, flush your pipes with boiling water to remove any remaining debris, including hair soap scum.

4. Check for Overflow Holes

Checking overflow holes frequently is usually a good idea to avoid obstruction. If your sinks begin to overflow, they have overflow holes. Usually, this isn’t a problem, but it occasionally is. They should be inspected and cleaned as part of your routine home maintenance. So you won’t have a mess if a guest forgets to turn the water off by mistake.

5. Run Cold Water When Running Your Garbage Disposal

When using the garbage disposal, running the cold water faucet is crucial. The disposal will go much more smoothly because of the cold water’s ability to keep the blades nice and sharp. If you use hot water, any grease in the garbage disposal will convert into liquid, clogging the pipes. Again, if you’re cooking a lot of food in your kitchen, this is not an issue you want to have!

6. Ensure That Nothing Else Gets Thrown Down the Toilet

Only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. Make sure your bathroom has a wastebasket in case someone has to dispose of anything else. Additionally, it’s never a bad idea to just remind them to flush only toilet paper, especially if they plan to stay for a while. This will lessen the likelihood of a clogged toilet drain.

Conclusion

We know that taking care of your plumbing is another task to add to your already lengthy list of holiday-related responsibilities. A little bit of preparation is always worthwhile, so avoid having a clogged sink or toilet during a sizable holiday gathering! You can concentrate on spending time with your guests and not worry about any foreseeable plumbing disasters by using our simple plumbing advice to get your house ready for holiday festivities.

If you are looking for a company that specializes in plumbing repairs, look no further than our services here at L.J. Kruse Co. We are a family owned and -operated plumbing, heating, and cooling company located in Berkeley, California, serving residential and commercial clients. Call us today, and let us tend to your problematic plumbing system in no t