(NEXSTAR) — You’ve heard of Black Friday but did you know there’s something called “Brown Friday” each year that the plumbing industry dreads? While the name might sound gross, the day actually gets its name from the high amount of clogged kitchen sinks and garbage disposals plumbers get calls for the day after Thanksgiving.
The time around Brown Friday is one of the plumbing industry’s busiest times, with Yelp noting that “emergency plumbing” internet searches during last year’s Brown Friday season surged 65%.
And some cities are more clog-prone than others. In fact, one Texas city is among Yelp’s 2024 Most Clogged Cities in the U.S. To find this, Yelp tracked searches and trends of Yelp users two weeks before Thanksgiving, the day of Thanksgiving, and then two weeks after Thanksgiving in 2023.
While Los Angeles ranks as Yelp’s most clogged U.S. city, based on internet searches during the time period, Houston places at no. 18 in the top 20. According to Yelp, searches related to plumbing services rose by 12% during the specified time period. Trailing Houston and rounding out the top 20 most clogged cities are Philadelphia (12%) and St. Louis, Missouri (11%).
Surprisingly, New York City didn’t make Yelp’s most clogged list, though the company notes that searches for “24 hour plumber” specifically increased by 64% during the Brown Friday time period.
Preventing clogs
Yelp recommends throwing leftovers in the trash can, not the sink. Even with a garbage disposal, most food should be scrapped off into the trash can to prevent clogs. Additionally, dishes should be wiped clean of all leftover food before putting them into a dishwasher.
You should also never put grease or oil down the drain, Yelp says. Since lots of cooking typically happens around Thanksgiving, producing more oil or grease, you may be tempted to just get rid of it down the drain. Instead, Yelp says to safely dispose of it by collecting it in a container and throwing it away once the grease has cooled and turned solid.
Plumbing company Roto-Rooter recommends regular drain cleaning, explaining that a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar (a frequently mentioned DIY clog fix) works well to disinfect and break down build up in sinks and down drains. The company says to pour one half cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by one cup of vinegar. Wait about 10 minutes before pouring/running hot water down the drain to rinse.
