Is Your Kitchen Ready for Thanksgiving? Turkey Day Prep from the Kitchen Experts

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and families will be gathering throughout the greater Polk County area for feasts and festivities with the ones they hold dear. While it's a day to give thanks for our many blessings, it has also come to be known as a day when we EAT, and the majority of the holiday revolves around the delicious smells and tastes coming from the kitchen. As the hostess (or host) you likely will be prepping for the big day by meal planning, making lists, labeling dishes, counting up guests, and doing a cleanup of your entire home. While you probably will clean your kitchen, does that mean it's truly prepped for Turkey Day?

There are a few key elements in your kitchen that, if they go on the fritz right before or during the holiday, could prove disastrous. Issues we most commonly see are...

Dishwasher Troubles. Dishwashers can have all kinds of issues, from failing to properly clean dishes, to not even turning on at all. Here's the thing: anything less than perfect function from your dishwasher won't be good enough when you are throwing a full 12-piece place setting in there, followed by a wave of pots, pans, and utensils. You need the absolute best performance from your dishwasher on holidays, so if you notice even the slightest problem, call in your repairman or plumber to take a look and see what's going on before you're left hand-washing dishes until Christmas.

Ice, Ice...Maybe? If your fridge and freezer are working fine, but the ice maker is hit or miss, you could have a water line issue. Nothing is worse than realizing you have no suitable ice before 25 people show up at your house for dinner and drinks, and trying to store that many bags of ice from the store in your regular freezer just isn't preferable. If you notice any issues with your ice maker and/or water lines in your fridge and freezer, have someone come in and take a look ASAP.

Back It Up. Sinks and disposals are perhaps one of the most common, and most difficult, issues we see each year on and around Thanksgiving. With all the dirty dishes and their lunch remnants left on the plates being throw into your sink, it's no wonder that you might end up with a clog, or worse, a backed up disposal. Disposal jams are common too, since bone fragments from turkey, a rogue fork or spoon, or even hard pieces of uncooked veggies can prevent the blade from turning and cause the system to freeze up. If your sink is a little slow to drain, or your disposal is sounding a little "grumpier" than usual, calling a plumber in before the big holiday hits is the best way to make sure you're not left trying to clean dishes in the bathroom sink.

We hope that your holiday plans go smoothly and are enjoyed by all. As you prepare, if you need a helping hand with the issues mentioned above, or even if you need assistance with something more extensive (like a quick vanity replacement in the guest bath, or a toilet repair in the downstairs powder room), Dickens Plumbing is your one stop shop. We are proud to serve the greater Winter Haven area with top quality contracting and plumbing services. No job is too big or too small!