This Minnesota City Now One Of America’s ‘Most Clogged-Up’ Ahead Of ‘Brown Friday’

It might be kind of gross, but the phrase "s--t happens" is true -- especially when the holidays roll around.

A recent study found that one Minnesota city is among the most "clogged-up" places around the country on what plumbers refer to as "Brown Friday".

What the heck is "Brown Friday"?

The phrase "Brown Friday" is a play on the term "Black Friday", though the two are very different things. While Black Friday is about retailers getting "in the black" (or showing a profit) on their sales records, "Brown Friday" is a term coined by plumbers to refer to the spike in demand for their services on the day after Thanksgiving.

This spike in service calls includes issues with clogged drains, garbage disposal issues, and other plumbing problems around the house after a busy holiday that often involves lots of people and lots of food.

What Minnesota city is among the worst on "Brown Friday"?

The team at Yelp put together some numbers that define the 20 most "clogged-up" cities around the country, and Minneapolis not only made the list but cracked the top 10.

Ope.

Out of the 20 most clogged-up cities, Minneapolis was 7th on the list, with a 21% increase in searches for and calls to plumbers reported by Twin Cities area plumbers on the day after Thanksgiving. No other Midwestern city made the top 20, so I'm not sure what that says about things in Minneapolis...

How can you avoid being a "Brown Friday" victim?

Yelp's team spoke with some plumbers to get tips on avoiding post-Thanksgiving plumbing issues, and these were some of their highlights:

Don't put leftovers in the sink, use the trash. Even small amounts of food you might scrape off the plate ahead of or while doing dishes can lead to clogs. They also recommend using a sink strainer to try to catch as much food debris as you can.

Get our free mobile app

Don't dump grease or oil down the drain. This sadly happens all too often, and it is bad news. Leftover grease from cooking meat (like your turkey's drippings) or other oils or fats should never be poured down the drain. As they cool, they'll congeal and they make for a real problem that can cause clogs. Use a container and dispose of it in the trash once it cools.

Know what not to flush! Remind your guests about not flushing anything but toilet paper. Yelp recommends a sign in the bathroom. Paper towels, sanitary items, or (yes, this even happens) food should not go in the toilet!

Spread out your water usage. If you can, allow time between tasks that use water, spacing out dishwashing, laundry, showering, etc. to avoid an overload of your plumbing.

Another tip I'd recommend is making sure you have a device in your shower drain to catch hair to avoid clogs there. Dealing with cleaning it out can be a little gross, but it's better than a big clog from all of the stuff that's washed down the drain from you and all of your guests.

The experts Yelp spoke with also mentioned tips related to knowing the basics about your plumbing system, weather-related tips, and more. You can check them out here.