How to avoid kitchen sink and disposal clogs after Thanksgiving
Quick answer: Keep fats, oils and grease out of the sink and the disposal. Let turkey fat cool, pour it into a sealed container and put it in the trash. Run cold water while the disposal grinds and feed scraps in slowly. If the sink backs up, turn the disposal off, clear any jam, and try a plunger. Skip chemical drain cleaners, and call a licensed plumber if the clog won’t clear or water comes up somewhere else.
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Why do kitchen sinks clog after Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year. That day, one sink handles turkey drippings, gravy, butter, peelings and a pile of plates. Fat is liquid while it’s hot, so it pours easily. Then it cools and sticks to the inside of the pipe, and food scraps catch on it.
The City of Grand Rapids warns that cooking oil, kitchen grease and fat from poultry and meat collect in pipes. That can cause sewer backups and basement flooding, and cleanup costs can raise the sewer rate on your bill. Running hot water after it doesn’t solve the problem. Clemson Cooperative Extension notes that grease re-forms and hardens further down the line.
What should never go down the disposal?
A disposal grinds soft food scraps. It doesn’t make everything safe for the drain. InSinkErator’s care manual lists these to keep out:
- Fats, oils and grease, including hot grease and other hot liquids.
- Fibrous scraps such as whole corn husks and artichokes.
- Clam and oyster shells and large, whole bones.
- Glass, china, plastic and metal, like bottle caps and utensils.
- Caustic drain cleaners and other household chemicals.
Coffee grounds and eggshells are a gray area. InSinkErator says they don’t hurt the disposal, but large amounts can still clog the pipes. Check your own model’s manual too, since what each unit can handle varies.
How do I use the disposal on a busy cooking day?
The way you run the disposal matters as much as what goes in. InSinkErator’s manual gives a few simple rules:
- Start the cold water first. Turn on a moderate to strong flow of cold water, then switch the disposal on.
- Feed scraps in slowly. Don’t fill the disposal with everything at once.
- Use cold water, not hot, while grinding. It’s fine to drain hot water between batches.
- Let it finish. Wait until you only hear the motor and water, then turn it off. Keep the cold water running a few seconds longer to flush the line.
Scrape plates into the trash before you rinse them, and save the disposal for small scraps. A busy day is not the time to grind a whole tray of peelings.
What do I do with the turkey fat?
The City of Grand Rapids gives a simple routine for cooking grease:
- Let it cool. Pour the fat from the roasting pan into a sturdy container you can seal, like a can or a jar with a lid.
- Help it set. Cat litter or used coffee grounds soak up oil that stays liquid.
- Trash it. When the container is full, seal it and put it in the garbage with your regular household waste.
- Wipe the pans. Use a paper towel to wipe greasy pots and pans before washing, and put the paper towel in the trash.
If your home is on a septic system, as many in the townships around Grand Rapids are, this matters even more. Our garbage disposal page has more on disposals and septic tanks.
What should I try first if the sink backs up?
Start with the safe, simple steps. Turn off the faucet and hold off on the dishwasher. Switch the disposal off and never reach inside it.
If the motor hummed or stopped mid-grind, it may be jammed. InSinkErator’s manual says to put the hex wrench that came with the unit into the center hole on the bottom. Work it back and forth until it turns one full revolution. Lift out any objects with tongs, let the motor cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then press the red reset button.
If the sink is still full, try a plunger. InSinkErator’s clog guide says to plug the other drain on a double sink and fill the sink with about four inches of water. Then press the plunger down slowly and pull up quickly, a few times. Skip chemical drain cleaners: the manual says they don’t belong in a disposal.
When should I call a plumber?
Stop and call a licensed plumber when the problem goes past the sink:
| What you see | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Plunging doesn’t clear it | The clog is further down the drain line |
| Water comes up in a floor drain or another fixture | A blockage in a shared or main line |
| The disposal still hums after a reset | A failing motor |
| Water under the sink, or a leak from the disposal body | A loose connection or a cracked unit |
| The same sink clogs again and again | Buildup further along the drain that a plunger can’t reach |
If the disposal itself is worn out, our disposal installation guide covers sizes and what a replacement involves. The 2026 cost guide has local planning ranges. If you’d like a licensed plumber to look at it, use the form below. We pass your request to one licensed local plumber, and the referral is free.
What to do first when the kitchen sink backs up
- Stop adding water
Turn off the faucet and don’t start the dishwasher. If the dishwasher drains through the disposal or the sink drain, its water has nowhere to go until the clog clears.
- Turn the disposal off
Switch the disposal off before you do anything else. Never put your hand inside it. Use tongs or pliers to lift out anything you can see.
- Free a jam
If the motor hummed or stopped, put the hex wrench that came with the unit into the center hole on the bottom. Work it back and forth until it turns one full revolution, let the motor cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then press the red reset button.
- Try a plunger
On a double sink, plug the other drain. Fill the sink with about four inches of water, set a plunger over the disposal opening, press down slowly, then pull up quickly. Repeat a few times.
- Flush it through
When the water drains, run cold water and the disposal for a minute or two to carry the loosened food away.
Sources and further reading
- City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services: environmental tips (grease disposal)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: kitchen fats, oils and grease
- InSinkErator: Evergrind installation, care and use manual (PDF)
- InSinkErator: fixing a clogged garbage disposal
- InSinkErator: what not to put in a garbage disposal
Common questions
Can I pour grease down the drain if I run hot water after it?
No. Hot water and soap only move the grease a little further down the pipe. Clemson Cooperative Extension notes that fats, oils and grease re-form and solidify in the pipes anyway. The City of Grand Rapids asks residents to cool grease, seal it in a container and put it in the trash, because grease in the drain can cause sewer backups and basement flooding.
Can I use a chemical drain cleaner on a sink with a disposal?
It’s best not to. InSinkErator’s care manual lists caustic drain cleaners among the things that should never go into its disposers. If the cleaner doesn’t clear the clog, you’re left with a sink of caustic water that a plumber has to deal with, and plunging it can splash it onto your skin and eyes. Try the plunger first, and call a plumber if that fails.
Are coffee grounds and eggshells safe for the disposal?
InSinkErator says neither one harms the disposal itself. Both can still clog the drain pipes in large amounts, or if the pipes are already partly blocked. If you put them in, feed them in a little at a time with a strong flow of cold water. On a big cooking day, the trash or a compost bin is the safer place for them.