The kitchen: the place where you’ll spend countless hours preparing meals, washing dishes from those meals and enjoying frequent holiday treats that your relatives insisted on bringing.

You might spend much of your time in the kitchen this season, so don’t let holiday plumbing disasters keep you from preparing your famous pot roast.

Check out how to avoid a catastrophe in the kitchen:

1. Toss the grease

Don’t even think about pouring grease from your turkey dinner through the garbage disposal. When you pour grease into your drain, it will often solidify and begin to clog your entire drain. The smell won’t be pleasant, either. Instead, let the grease harden before dumping it into the trash.

2. Watch the disposal

The holiday season means an abundance of food (and a copious amount of leftovers). Instead of throwing that small piece of celery or banana peel into the disposal, choose the trash bin. There are a number of items that your garbage disposal can’t handle and could cause damage. And when you dump those leftovers into the trash, be sure to take it out right away to avoid stinking up your home.

3. Let the water run

While hot water typically works better for loosening food particles stuck on dishes, cold water is actually better to use when you’re taking advantage of the garbage disposal. The cold water will harden food and make it easier for the garbage disposal to grind it up.

4. Coordinate water usage

The in-laws are patiently sitting in your living room, the kids are running every which way throughout the house and you’re in the kitchen attempting to wash the dishes with cold water and frustratingly low pressure. Instead of settling with less-than-ideal situations, strategically plan showers, dishwashing and laundry times. Press “start” on your dishwasher right before you go to bed to avoid any water usage problems throughout your home.

5. Check your water heater

Another way to capitalize on water temperature is investing in a quality water heater. If you frequently welcome several guests into your home, consider installing a tankless water heater to ensure you’re able to use hot water for the dishes even right after two people have showered.

When a holiday plumbing disasters strike, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is here to help. Our punctual plumbers are available 24 hours a day to provide emergency plumbing services, drain cleaning and more to save you from a headache this holiday season. Give us a call today.