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Best ways to keep your pipes and drains clear during the holidays

There are some things you just shouldn't be putting down the drain.

HOUSTON — Thanksgiving dinner is filling and it can also be stressful on your drain and sinks.

Houston Public Works said sewage overflow from cooking greases and other items going down the drain is a problem they see each holiday season.

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The week after Thanksgiving is usually a busy time if you're in the plumbing business.

"You do have an influx of calls, I mean, people have families over a lot of people in the house and you only have one kitchen sink, right," Timothy Knight said. "People will put too much stuff down a disposal to where it can't handle it."

Knight works with John Moore Services and said most clogged drains are an easy fix unless people commit one fatal error.

"People will pour grease down their lines which is a no, no,” Knight said.

City of Houston officials said that what you put down your sink can lead to a bigger issue.

"If a whole community ... everybody is allowing fats, oils and grease to go down their drain, it builds up in our city's main lines,” Lacie Ulrich said.

Ulrich is with Houston Public Works and said sewage overflows double during the holiday season.

"It can cause people to get sick. It can have E. coli and things like that," she said.

So, what should you do with the leftover turkey grease?

"Any leftover fats, greases and oils into a heat-resistant container like a jar or old can. Let that cool completely full to toss it into the trash," Ulrich said.

A few quick steps can help you avoid a costly problem.

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