Things From Thanksgiving You Should NEVER Put Down Your Sink Garbage Disposal to Avoid a Clogged Drain

Posted by Air & Plumbing Today | November 21, 2025

Thanksgiving is all about delicious food, family, and gratitude—but it can quickly turn into a plumbing nightmare if you’re not careful with cleanup. In San Antonio and Austin, TX, the day after Thanksgiving (often called “Brown Friday” by plumbers) is one of the busiest for emergency drain calls. The culprit? Homeowners rinsing holiday leftovers down the kitchen sink garbage disposal, thinking it can handle anything.

Your garbage disposal is tough, but it’s not invincible. Certain Thanksgiving staples can jam the blades, clog your pipes, or even damage your entire plumbing system. At Air & Plumbing Today, we’ve cleared thousands of these holiday clogs, and we’re here to help you avoid them.

Thanksgiving Foods You Should NEVER Put Down the Garbage Disposal

Here are the most common offenders we see every year:

• Turkey grease, pan drippings, bacon fat, or cooking oil — Liquid when hot, but solidifies as it cools.
• Melted butter, margarine, shortening, or gravy — All fats that behave just like grease.
• Turkey bones, chicken bones, or any meat bones — Too hard for the blades to grind fully.
• Potato peels, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams — Starchy and turn into a thick, glue-like paste.
• Stuffing or dressing — Bread, celery, onions, and herbs create a soggy, expandable messes.
• Fibrous or stringy vegetables — Celery, corn husks, onion skins, asparagus, kale, carrot peels, green beans, artichokes, or rhubarb (the strings wrap around the blades like rope).
• Rice, pasta, or bread — These expand with water and form stubborn blockages.
• Pumpkin, squash, or other tough skins — Too fibrous and thick.
• Pie fillings, cake scraps, or cranberry sauce — Sugary and starchy mixtures that stick to everything.
• Nuts, fruit pits, or popcorn kernels — Hard items that can dull or break blades.
• Egg shells (in large amounts) — The membrane can wrap around parts, and ground shells build up like sand.

Instead of the disposal, scrape plates into the trash or compost bin. Use a sink strainer to catch scraps!

What Happens When You Put These Items Down the Disposal

These foods don’t just disappear—they cause real damage:

• Grease, butter, and fats coat the blades and pipes, then harden into a waxy buildup that traps other debris.
• Bones and hard items jam the impellers, causing the motor to overheat or burn out.
• Starchy foods (potatoes, rice, stuffing) absorb water and swell into a thick paste.
• Fibrous veggies tangle around the grinding mechanism like string around a propeller.

The result? Your disposal can lock up completely (it hums but won’t spin), the kitchen sink backs up, or—worse—the clog travels deeper and blocks your home’s main drain line or sewer line. That leads to slow drains throughout the house, foul odors, or raw sewage backing up into showers and tubs. Repairs for a main line clog can cost thousands, and it’s never fun on a holiday weekend.

What To Do If You Suspect a Drain Clog

If your sink is draining slowly or not at all:

1. Stop using the sink immediately to avoid overflow.
2. Try plunging the drain gently (cover the overflow hole if it’s a double sink).
3. Use a drain snake or zip-it tool for hair/fiber clogs (available at any hardware store).
4. Pour boiling water (not if you have PVC pipes) followed by baking soda and vinegar—let it fizz for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water.
5. Never use chemical drain cleaners—they can damage pipes and make professional repairs harder.

How to Fix a Locked-Up (Jammed) Garbage Disposal

If the disposal just hums or won’t turn on at all, it’s likely jammed. Here’s the safe DIY fix using a hex key (Allen wrench):

1. Turn off power — Unplug the disposal under the sink or flip the circuit breaker.
2. Look under the unit for a small red reset button—press it in if it’s popped out.
3. Locate the hex-shaped hole in the center bottom of the disposal.
4. Insert a ¼-inch hex key (Allen wrench—most disposals come with one) into the hole.
5. Turn the wrench back and forth firmly (not too hard) to manually rotate the impellers and free the jam. It may take several full turns.
6. Once it spins freely, remove any visible debris from the top with tongs (never your hand!).
7. Plug it back in, run cold water, and test the disposal.
8. Press the reset button again if needed.

If the wrench won’t budge or the disposal still won’t work, stop—further forcing can damage the motor.

When DIY Isn’t Enough—Call the Pros at Air & Plumbing Today

If you can’t clear the clog or get your disposal running again, don’t wait for a bigger problems. Our friendly, knowledgeable plumbers are here 7 days a week with:

• No trip fees
• No diagnostic fees
• Free estimates
• Over 3,500+ Google reviews from happy San Antonio and Austin families

We’ll have your drains flowing smoothly again fast, often the same day in most cases.

Call us today before the turkey hits the table:

• San Antonio area: 210-519-5959
• Austin area: 512-859-5959

Have a happy (and clog-free) Thanksgiving from your friends at Air & Plumbing Today! ¡No Problema!

— The Air & Plumbing Today Team Proudly serving San Antonio, Austin, and all surrounding areas.