Most people look forward to this time of year as a time to entertain friends and loved ones for brunch, dinner, and overnight visits.

Not only is this a good time of year to make memories, it is also a good time of year to do some preventative maintenance for your plumbing system. In anticipation of the extra work that your kitchen will experience in preparing and cleaning meals, it is the perfect time to check under the sink for leaks, make sure the garbage disposal is in top working order, and clean out the dishwasher filter.

Here are some specific steps that you can take to make sure that your kitchen can handle the task of the extra wear and tear

• Your garbage disposal is a vital appliance in food preparation and clean up. Having a properly working garbage disposal can make the difference between sitting at the table and enjoying an extra glass a wine and conversation with your guests – or, running to start the clean up because it will take extra time. Make sure that your garbage disposal is working properly by following these steps; heat a stockpot full of water on the stove until it boils, plug your garbage disposal drain (preferably with a sink plug that has a chain), fill the sink with the boiling water, carefully remove the drain plug (making sure not to burn yourself on the boiling water). The heat of the water will soften the build-up and the weight of a sink full of water down the drain will push the softened corrosion away.
• The filter in your dishwasher can be easily overwhelmed by food particles if the dishes you put in it are not thoroughly rinsed. No one wants to wash the dishes before they put them in the dishwasher to be washed –this is completely counterproductive. But, the filter in your dishwasher is sensitive and not meant to manage large amounts of food particles. It is important to rinse your dirty dishes thoroughly before putting them into the dishwasher.
• Be careful of the materials that you rinse into your kitchen drain. When you are cleaning up from large meals make sure to drain meat grease into an old jar or tin can. Never put noodles, rice, or vegetable peels down the sink, and throw bones, seeds, and pits into the garbage can.

With family on their way and expecting a fun visit with good food, it is important now more than any other time of the year that your plumbing system be in top working order. Follow these preventative maintenance tips to ensure that your kitchen is ready for the extra work.