Halloween can be a fun holiday: Jack-O-Lanterns, goblin-themed cookies, cute costumes, spooky decorations and candy. However, there is a risk of terrifying events. No, not the ghouls that visit your door for treats, but the pipes in your home that can be a victim of unintended tricks.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins can be found everywhere during the fall. They are not only delicious for pies and the roasted seeds, but they make great jack-o-lanterns at Halloween. Just be careful of how you dispose of the leftovers from your pumpkin carving if you don’t want an unwanted surprise.
- Stringy pulp can get caught in drains and cause a blockage.
- Tough skin can damage disposal blades and cause drains to be slow or clogged.
- Carving tools can get hidden under the pulp and leftovers and end up in the drain or garbage disposal, causing damage.
Grease Paint
Something you may not think of is how greasy some of the costume makeup can be and how hard it can be to remove. Clown paint is particularly heavy and, if not removed carefully, it could attach to pipes and cause a blockage. The tissue or cotton used to remove it should not be flushed down the toilet, either. Take off with remover made explicitly for theatrical makeup, and throw the cotton pads or removal wipes in the trash.
Costume Accessories
Sometimes it is the small accessories that come with costumes that take them to the next level. False eyelashes, fake mustaches or even the paper backing from faux tattoos can end up washed down the drain. When small items get caught in the drain pipes or, even worse, flushed down the toilet, you have a recipe for disaster.
Candy and Candy Wrappers
Children are notorious for flushing items down the toilet. Take care to monitor your young children when they are eating their Halloween candy. Candy and wrappers are not meant to be in pipes and, if they are, it can be very scary indeed!
If your plumbing is haunting you this Halloween, call D&D Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning to make your home safe again.