Brown Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, sees plumbers in Northwest Arkansas overwhelmed due to increased plumbing emergencies from holiday gatherings.

From Feast to Flood: How to Protect Your Kitchen Sink on Brown Friday

Did you know the day after Thanksgiving isn’t just Black Friday—it’s also widely known in the trade as “Brown Friday”? While residents across Northwest Arkansas are heading to the Pinnacle Hills Promenade or recovering from their turkey comas, local plumbing companies are bracing for their single busiest day of the year.

Each November, service calls across Benton and Washington counties double—and sometimes triple—as households wake up to the messy aftermath of their holiday feasts. Welcome to the side of Thanksgiving you won’t see in a holiday movie: where marathon kitchen cleanups, extra house guests, and that extra serving of stuffing bring household plumbing to a slippery, chaotic standstill.

Brown Friday the biggest day of the year for plumbers.

What is Brown Friday?

"Brown Friday" is the industry term for the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving. It is infamous among plumbing professionals because it brings a massive surge in emergency calls. While retailers celebrate sales, plumbers are dispatched to handle a "perfect storm" of clogged kitchen sinks, jammed garbage disposals, and backed-up toilets.

But what makes this day such a phenomenon? It is not just the volume of food consumed; it is how that food—and the waste associated with it—is handled during the cleanup.

The Northwest Arkansas "Plumbing Perfect Storm"

In NWA, the holiday weekend often means a full house. We host guests, cook massive meals, and put incredible strain on plumbing systems that may already be aging or fragile.

Local experts agree that the chaos usually stems from the combined stress of excess grease, potato peels, and massive use of disposal units and toilets, all hitting the system simultaneously. It results in the worst sewer and kitchen drain clogs of the season.

The Culprits: Turkey Grease, Potato Peels, and House Guests

To avoid becoming a statistic next year, it helps to understand precisely what causes these post-holiday disasters. The surge in Brown Friday calls typically stems from three central kitchen and bathroom sins.

Turkey skin and fat, gravy and starches all contribute to clogged drains

1. The Grease Trap

The number one enemy of drains on Thanksgiving is turkey drippings. When cleaning the roasting pan, it is tempting to pour the warm, greasy liquid down the kitchen sink. However, once that grease enters the pipes, it cools and solidifies into a thick, sticky sludge. This acts like glue, trapping other food debris and creating stubborn blockages that a plunger cannot fix.

2. Garbage Disposal Abuse

Many homeowners treat their garbage disposals like trash cans, especially when rushing to clean up after a big meal. However, disposals are not designed to handle the "Thanksgiving Trifecta" of fibrous foods:

Potato Peels: These slip through the blades and create a starchy paste in the P-trap.
Celery and Pumpkin Pulp: The long fibers can tangle around the disposal blades, causing the motor to burn out.
Bones: Turkey bones are too complex for most residential disposals and can jam or shatter the unit.

The Bathroom Overload

It isn't just the kitchen that suffers. When you have a house full of guests, your bathroom plumbing sees a marathon of activity. Between extra showers, constant flushing, and guests who may use excessive amounts of toilet paper, the main sewer line can easily become overwhelmed. Additionally, guests who are unfamiliar with your home’s plumbing rules may unknowingly flush "non-flushable" items like cotton balls or wet wipes, leading to immediate backups.

Prevention: How to Survive the Holiday Weekend

You want to spend your holiday weekend relaxing or exploring the Ozarks, not waiting for an emergency plumber. Here is how Northwest Arkansas homeowners can protect their pipes:

Respect the pipes and your garbage disposal

Respect the Grease: Never pour cooking oils or fats down the drain. Pour them into a can or jar, let them harden, and throw them in the trash.
Trash the Scraps: Scrape plates into the trash or compost bin before rinsing them in the sink.
Protect the Disposal: Run cold water before, during, and after using the disposal to help flush waste through the line. Avoid putting large batches of vegetable peels down the sink.
Stagger Water Usage: If you have a full house, try to space out showers and laundry loads. Wait until the guests leave to wash the linens, so your main line can get a break.

When to Call the Professionals

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the "Brown Friday" chaos is unavoidable. If you hear gurgling in your drains, notice water draining slowly, or experience a complete backup, it is vital to act fast before the problem worsens.

This holiday season, keep your focus on the family and the food—not the pipes. But if trouble strikes, know that your local Northwest Arkansas plumbing experts are ready to help.

Brown Friday: Why the Day After Thanksgiving is the Busiest Day for Plumbers in Northwest Arkansas