Brown Friday Is Coming, Illinois — Here’s How to Avoid a Costly Mess

Brown Friday is not what you think it is.

I didn't even know this was a thing.  When I first heard "Brown Friday," I fully thought it meant we'd all just be pooping a lot because of Thanksgiving and stuffing our bellies with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pie, and whatever unholy plate combo we convince ourselves is "balanced."  But no.  Shockingly, it has nothing to do with the bathroom.

Honestly, kinda disappointing.

Brown Friday is actually the day after Thanksgiving when plumbers in Illinois (and everywhere else) are basically on high alert because everyone is out here casually pouring grease down their sinks like that isn't a literal crime against their own plumbing.  All that delicious leftover turkey grease, butter, oil, and fat from cooking?  It doesn't just disappear into the pipes like magic.  When it cools, it turns into this thick, nasty sludge in your pipes that plumbers lovingly refer to as a "fatberg,"  Cute name.  Horrifying reality.

Brown Friday Is Coming, Illinois — Here’s How to Avoid a Costly Mess

According to plumbing pros, it can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars to fix a clog caused by grease.  Several.  Thousand.  Dollars.  Let that sink in, actually no, don't let anything else drain into your sink.  That's the whole point here.

When you pour grease down the drain, it may look harmless because it's still warm and liquid.  But the second it hits colder pipes and water, it starts to harden and cling to the sides.  The more grease sticks to it!  Then food particles stick to that.  And before you know it, you've built a Thanksgiving-themed dam inside your plumbing system.  Eventually things backup.  Pipes crack.  Water can flood.  And suddenly, that turkey you got for free is now costing you thousands in repairs.  Happy Holidays!

Pro tip: Let the grease cool and solidify in a bowl, and old container, or just on top of some paper towels.  Once it's solid, throw it in the trash.  Not your sink!