Avoid a Smelly Day: 3 Pre-Holidays Septic System Maintenance Tips

The last thing you want is a septic system backup stinking up your holiday parties. Follow these septic system maintenance tips ahead of time.

Keyword(s): septic system maintenance

More than 21 million homes in the U.S. utilize Septic systems. And come time for the holidays, those septic systems get put under a lot of stress.

From rinsing waste down the sink to running the dishwasher and showers nonstop, the holidays can quickly become a recipe for disaster.

If you want to avoid a stinky incident followed by emergency septic system maintenance, keep reading. We’re bringing you 3 simple ways to protect your septic system this holiday season.

1. Make Sure Guests Know What Can’t Go Down the Drain

Your family is likely already well versed in what can and can’t go down the drain in your home. But your extended family and friends may not be used to living with a septic tank.

They may flush foreign items without a second thought, which can lead to a disruptive and potentially stinky incident, followed by emergency septic tank maintenance like the need to replace your pump.

If you’re close to your family and feel comfortable doing so, simply remind everyone of what can and can’t be flushed or rinsed down the sink.

A few important ones to remember are diapers, feminine hygiene products, and wipes in the toilet. In the kitchen, they need to avoid rinsing fats, grease, oils, or coffee grounds.

If you’re worried about putting your guests on the spot, there are other ways to discourage improper flushing.

Consider removing items like wipes and paper towels from the bathroom and make sure there’s a garbage can nearby for diapers and other products. You could also add a cute sign with a funny reminder of what not to flush or rinse away.

2. Stagger Showers

When you have family and friends staying over, with one person showering after the next, you’ll put a high amount of stress on your water system.

To help combat this, consider staggering showers. Have half of your guests shower in the night and half in the morning. Make sure that other water systems, like sinks or the dishwasher, aren’t running while someone’s in the shower.

If you have a lot of people staying with you, you might consider asking everyone to take shorter showers. Opt for baths for kids, and bathe young children together to conserve water.

3. Get Smart About Laundry and Dishwashing

Showers aren’t the only drag on your septic system that see heavy use during the holidays.

When you’re cooking a big meal, you might be tempted to continuously run your dishwasher to keep up. Laundry may pile up, causing you to run several loads all at once right in the middle of a busy holiday.

Both of these situations can put extreme stress on your septic system.

To lessen the effect, let dishes sit in the dishwasher, and wait to run it after you’re no longer using sinks and showers.

Catch up on laundry before the holidays, and then try to wait until after they’re over to start laundry again. Or, run the washer at night when no one is showering or using sinks.

Schedule Septic System Maintenance Before the Holidays

Another great way to reduce stress on your septic system and avoid a stinky incident is to schedule septic system maintenance before the holidays start.

Contact us today to get your pump alarm services, your septic tank pumped, septic tank cleaner flushed, and more, to make sure that your home is ready for a clean, happy holiday!

The post Avoiding a Smelly Party: 3 Ways to Maintain Your Septic System Before the Holidays appeared first on Lentz Wastewater.