Here’s What Louisiana Needs to Know about ‘Brown Friday’

Thanksgiving is a holiday set aside to take time to reflect on all of the things we are thankful for in our lives.

Most of the traditions of Thanksgiving have evolved over the years where food is concerned, now our tables are full of bountiful offerings.

It has also become one of those holidays where most of us who are counting calories, and even those who are not, decide to indulge in all the food we want throughout the Thanksgiving holiday.

The preparation of the food, the many guests in your home that might stay overnight, the kinds of foods you plan to service and the overindulgence can lead to really putting on beating on your plumbing. And this isn't just some urban legend, this is legitimate.

Roto-rooter says the Friday after Thanksgiving is not only Black Friday for all of the shopping that we do but it's referred to in plumbing circles as "Brown Friday" for that fact that plumbers get a 50% increase in the number of calls for service they receive on that day!

The day after Thanksgiving is always the busiest day of the year!

What Can You Do to Prevent a Plumbing Emergency?

Roto-rooter has many tips to help you so that your plumbing is not overloaded on Thanksgiving or the Friday after.

Wet-Wipes

Whether is the actual "Wet-Whipes" brand or a child's whipe, clothing wipes like these don't belong in the toilet. Roto-rooter says don't flush these. And, let me just throw in my two cents here, I would not recommend flushing "flushable wipes" because that can come back to haunt you.

Whether it's MawMaw's old pink toilet that she's had since the 70s or something brand new in your home or wherever you are visiting, you are asking for trouble by flushing any kind of wipe down the toilet.

Spread Out Showers

One of the pieces of advice from Roto-rooter to help things keep moving is to spread out the time between everyone showering in your home.

They say this gives time for the plumbing pipes to clear out before the next person jumps in the shower. If everyone is running everything simultaneously that doesn't give the system a break.

Spread Out Loads of Laundry

If you are going to spread out when people are taking showers, Roto-rooter suggests it is also a good idea to do the same thing with your loads of laundry and your other chores.

If you are going to run the dishwasher, it might be a good idea to wait to turn on the washer and dryer until another time. Some people choose to wait to turn the dishwasher on until they go to bed.

What's Going in Your Garbage Disposal?

The mighty and powerful garbage disposal is a very handy tool, but it's also an appliance you should think about more.

Roto-rooter says don't put things like potato peels, rice, pasta, or even your chicken skin in the disposal. I found this out the hard way. A local plumber, who came out to replace my disposal, told me it's best to only put a small amount of things in the disposal. He recommends just putting things into the trash. You can also put them in a compost.

It kind of shatters the image of the all-powerful garbage disposal. They are useful, but you need to be gentle.

Look, Unpleasant Things Happen with Toilets

Obviously, I am not going to go into a lot of detail here, but with a bunch of people in your house for a party or family gathering everyone is going to need to use the bathroom.

If people have been eating for hours at a party at your house or all day on a holiday, your toilets may get used more than what they typically would. Things are going to happen, so it's nice if you leave a plunger in every bathroom so your friends and family can save themselves some embarrassment if the toilet backs up!

What Kind of Toilet Paper Do You Use?

Basing this off of a conversation that I had with a plumber in the not-too-distant past, he says everyone wants toilet paper that is super soft and squishy.

Bottomline, he says, he doesn't recommend that kind of toilet people especially if a lot of people live in your home. It clogs and it doesn't break down as quickly.

But, we all do what we gotta do!

Grease and Sticky Things Shouldn't Be Put in the Drain

You probably think, I just put this bacon grease in the disposal, and it'll be fine. You might think I take the turkey drippings and the oil from the other stuff we cooked, and do the same.

Roto-rooter says these kinds of sticky items should never be put down the drain. It's going to lead to clogging in your pipes, and you'll have to pay for a plumber to fix things.

Pour the items into a canister or container, set them aside, and then throw them away once they have cooled down.