Nothing spoils a family gathering faster than an emergency visit from a plumber. The Friday after Thanksgiving sees a 50% increase in service calls. Make sure your home is Holiday-Ready this year with our tips.
Your Garbage Disposal
Do not put the following into your garbage disposal:
1. Meat, poultry skin, or bones
2. Fibrous foods like celery, and potato peels
3. Fats and oils might solidify
4. Pasta and rice may expand in pipes
Your Dishwasher
1. Clean the Trap - remove the filter located under the bottom rack of your dishwasher. Hand wash in warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Make sure all pieces are securely "locked" in place.
2. Clean the seal - this is the rubber gasket around the door of your dishwasher. Use a soft, damp towel to wipe away the gunk around the edges. Wipe down the interior walls of the dishwasher, and clean around the soap door.
3. Deodorize - to help loosen and clean out old food particles, pour a cup of white vinegar into the bottom of your empty dishwasher and run it on a "normal" cycle.
4. Don't overload - let water and detergent move freely about your dishwasher.
Test Your Oven Temp
1. Use an oven-safe thermometer on the center rack of your oven and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat your oven for 20 minutes.
3. Take a temperature reading.
4. Continue to take readings every 20 minutes for the next two hours. Find the average temp by adding all readings together - divide the total number by the number of readings you took.
Your average should be around the original temperature you set - 3,500 (sum of numbers from readings) / 10 (number of readings taken) = 350°F. If your oven's average temperature is incorrect after you test it, adjust the oven dial to match the internal temperature.
Bathroom Plumbing Tips
1. Ask your guests not to flush cotton balls, cotton swabs, or any make-up or scrub pads down the toilet as they do not dissolve.
2. Give your drain time to do its job - space out shower time between your overnight guests.
Clean Your Oven
1. Remove the racks and soak them in dish washing liquid for two hours. Then scrub, rinse, and dry.
2. While you let your oven racks soak, you can easily make a cleaning paste by mixing a few spoonfuls of baking soda with water in a bowl.
3. Spread the paste inside the oven and let it sit overnight. The paste will turn brown overnight.
4. After the paste sits overnight, use a wet rag to wipe out a majority of the paste. Spray vinegar over the leftover paste residue. Vinegar will react with the baking soda by fizzing and loosening debris to make it easier to remove. This paste can also be used to remove stains from your oven window. Use a wet rag to wipe it all away.
5. Once the inside of the oven has been wiped down, turn your oven on to a low temp setting. Heat your oven for about 20 minutes and allow it to dry.
