‘Brown Friday’ is the worst plumbing day of the year — how to prep your toilet for it

Stuffed turkey — more like stuffed toilets.

As families across the country prepare for their annual Thanksgiving feasts, plumbers are bracing for their busiest day of the year, “Brown Friday,” when the holiday can swiftly turn into a “s–tshow” for hosts and guests.

According to Yelp, the day after Thanksgiving often sees an influx of people searching for emergency plumbing services, with many calling local handiworkers to unclog toilets and fix drains in the aftermath of people overeating on Turkey Day.

Using search query data, Yelp found a 99% increase in “request a quote” service bookings for plumbers the day after Thanksgiving overall and revealed a list of America’s top 30 most clogged-up plumbing cities on “Brown Friday.”

Ranking number one for most clogged was Portland, Ore., which had a 23% uptick in searches for plumbing issues during this time.

Not too far behind was Virginia Beach, Va., which saw a 22% increase in plumbing needs. Following close behind was Raleigh, N.C., with a 21% uptick, Indianapolis, Ind. at a 21% surge and Jacksonville, Fla. with 18% more requests.

And it was good news for New Yorkers, as the Empire State was listed dead last in spot number 30, with a small 4% uptick in plumbing nightmares.

The data was compiled using 2022’s highest Yelp searches on plumbing services, such as clogged toilets, bathroom repairs, backed-up pipes and overflowing dishwashers.

“‘Searches’ were based on users’ typed search queries and suggested terms or phrases they clicked on,” Yelp’s blog site read.

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For those hoping to avoid a plumbing emergency, Yelp’s trend expert Tara Lewis gave tips on how to avoid a clogged drain on “Brown Friday.”

Before Thanksgiving, homeowners should consider getting their pipes checked as a preventative measure, which should happen at least twice a year, according to Roto-Rooter.

Also, once guests enter your home, remind them about bathroom etiquette. For example, clarifying that just because they came ready to gobble down whatever is in front of them doesn’t mean the toilet can do the same.

“Leave a note in the restroom reminding guests to only flush items that are safe for the drains,” Lewis stated in the Yelp blog.

She also suggested opening up all the bathrooms for use in your home to “cut down on potentially overloading a single toilet.”

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As Yelp noted, for emergencies, should you need a handyman to solve the plumbing issues, the website’s Request a Quote feature can help you quickly book a trusted service provider for any plumbing-related issue.”

Although plumbers must combat the unknown in clogged toilets, they also face burdens in the kitchen.

“So much time is spent in the kitchen prepping for parties, many issues can occur due to excessive water use in the kitchen [such as leaks and overflows],” Lewis added.

To prevent a mess, Lewis recommended carefully cleaning off plates and refraining from tossing or letting food scraps fall down the drain.

“Be sure to wipe dishes clean before loading the dishwasher and use a sink strainer to catch food scraps to prevent clogged drains.”

Top 10 cities with an uptick in plumbing searches on “Brown Friday”

1. Portland, OR
2.  Virginia Beach, VA
3.  Raleigh, NC
4.  Indianapolis, IN
5.  Jacksonville, FL
6.  Sacramento, CA
7.  Boston, MA
8.  New Orleans, LA
9.  Milwaukee, WI
10.  Phoenix, AZ