12 Things You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest cooking days of the year, and one of the busiest days for your plumbing, too. With all the peeling, rinsing, roasting, and cleanup happening at once, your kitchen sink and garbage disposal are working overtime. In Knoxville, where many homes have older drain lines, it doesn’t take much for grease, starches, or food scraps to turn into a slow drain or a full backup.

The good news? Most Thanksgiving drain problems are completely preventable when you know what not to send down the disposal. Our expert Knoxville drain cleaning team here at The Plumbing Authority put together this guide to help you protect your drains, avoid clogs, and keep your kitchen running smoothly while you host.

And if you’ve already noticed your sink draining slowly or gurgling before the holiday rush, now’s a smart time to take advantage of The Plumbing Authority’s $93 or It’s FREE Drain Clearing Special. It’s an easy, affordable way to clear simple clogs ahead of guests, and if we can’t clear it, you don’t pay for the visit.

Why Thanksgiving Foods Are a Problem for Your Drains

Cooking a large holiday meal produces more fats, starches, scraps, and oils than nearly any other day of the year. When these materials hit your drains:

• Grease cools and hardens inside pipes
• Starches swell and form paste
• Fibrous scraps tangle the disposal
• Overloaded disposals push food waste into the line too quickly

The result? Slow drains, foul smells, backups, and sometimes full-on blockages.

Fortunately, preventing these problems is simple; you just need to know what not to put down the drain.

What You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal or Drains

1. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)

This is the #1 culprit behind holiday clogs. Turkey drippings, bacon grease, butter, cream sauces—they all solidify rapidly in Knoxville’s chilly late-November temperatures. Once in your pipes, they form sticky buildup that traps everything else.

Do this instead: Pour grease into a can or container and throw it away once solid.

2. Turkey Drippings, Gravy, and Butter

Even small amounts of fat-rich holiday staples can coat pipes. Gravy in particular thickens fast and behaves like glue once cooled.

3. Potato Peels and Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are pure starch, which turns into a thick paste inside your disposal and pipes. Mashed potatoes also expand when they absorb water, making clogs even more likely.

4. Eggshells

There’s a common myth that eggshells sharpen disposal blades, but that’s not how disposals work. The inner membrane wraps around moving parts, and the ground-up shell fragments create gritty buildup in traps.

5. Coffee Grounds

When combined with oils or other food waste, coffee grounds create a dense, sludgy paste that settles at the bottom of pipes.

6. Pasta, Rice, and Stuffing

These foods absorb water, swell, and become sticky. Even small amounts can expand in the drain and cause blockages.

7. Pumpkin Guts and Stringy Vegetables

If you’re making pumpkin pies, avoid washing pumpkin pulp down the disposal. It’s thick, fibrous, and extremely difficult for disposals to grind. The same goes for celery, onion skins, and corn husks.

8. Bones, Seeds, and Pits

Garbage disposals cannot grind bones or hard debris. These items can break blades, jam the motor, or crack the disposal chamber.

9. Fibrous Veggie Scraps

Celery, asparagus, artichoke leaves—anything stringy can wrap around the disposal mechanism and cause mechanical failure.

10. Large Amounts of Food at Once

This might be the most common Thanksgiving mistake. Overloading the disposal overwhelms the system, forcing food down the drain before it’s been fully broken down.

Tip: Feed food scraps in very small batches with cold water running.

11. Fruit Peels and Rinds

While thin citrus peels are fine in moderation for odor control, thick peels (like from apples, squash, or avocados) are tough on blades and can clog the drain.

12. Shells from Seafood or Nuts

Shells are hard, sharp, and nearly impossible for disposals to grind properly. They also settle in the trap and act as a clog magnet.

Extra Caution for Older Knoxville Homes

Many Knoxville neighborhoods, especially historic areas, have aging plumbing systems. These older drain lines are often narrower, more brittle, and already lined with decades of buildup.

If you live in an older home, protecting your drains during the holidays is even more important. Look out for early warning signs like:

• Slow-draining sinks
• Gurgling noises
• Water backing up in nearby fixtures
• Unpleasant odors from the disposal

Any of these may indicate restricted flow, and holiday cooking can push them over the edge.

How to Use Your Garbage Disposal Safely During Thanksgiving

A few smart habits make a big difference:

• Run cold water before, during, and after grinding
• Feed food in small, manageable amounts
• Avoid grinding for long, continuous periods
• Keep silverware out of the sink
• Clean the disposal with ice + a few citrus peels (not fibrous rinds)

Drain-Friendly Ways to Handle Thanksgiving Cleanup

Protect your plumbing by using these simple tips:

• Scrape plates into the trash before rinsing
• Let grease solidify and toss it
• Use sink strainers to catch food particles
• Compost safe scraps (like veggie ends)
• Never rely on chemical drain cleaners—they damage pipes

Signs Your Drain Needs Attention After Thanksgiving

If you notice any of the following after the holiday meal, your drain may be partially or fully clogged:

• Standing water in the sink
• Slow draining
• Bubbling or gurgling noises
• Odors coming from the disposal
• Water backing up in other fixtures

These symptoms rarely get better on their own, especially after Thanksgiving.

Why Preventive Drain Maintenance Matters

Hosting a big holiday dinner is stressful enough without worrying about your plumbing. A professional drain cleaning can:

• Remove grease, sludge, and buildup
• Restore water flow
• Prevent future clogs
• Protect older plumbing systems
• Keep your disposal running efficiently

If you’re hosting this year, consider scheduling a cleaning in advance or after the holiday weekend to keep your system in top shape.

Trust Knoxville’s Drain Cleaning Specialists

If you’re cooking for a crowd this Thanksgiving, a little care goes a long way. Keeping grease, starches, and fibrous scraps out of your disposal protects your drains, prevents backups, and saves you from a messy post-dinner surprise. But if your kitchen sink is already showing signs of trouble — or if it slows down after the holiday — don’t wait for a small clog to become a bigger issue.

The Plumbing Authority is Knoxville’s trusted drain-cleaning team, and our $93 or It’s FREE Drain Clearing Special makes it simple to get your drains flowing again without guesswork. We clear simple blockages for $93, and if we’re unable to clear the clog, you won’t be charged! Instead, you’ll get a full evaluation and clear options for next steps.

Call (865) 245-5251