Pumpkin Pulp Is No Treat for Your Plumbing

Carving jack-o'-lanterns is a fun Halloween tradition, but pumpkin pulp is no treat for your plumbing. The trick to keeping drains unclogged is to avoid putting the pulp down the garbage disposal.

Pumpkin carvers should be cautious when removing the sticky substance. If the pulp ends up in the drain, carvers could end up calling a plumber to unclog their kitchen sink drains or repair their garbage disposals.

"The pulp blocks drains because it doesn't break down like most food," said Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of Mr. Rooter Corporation. "Instead, the orange pumpkin pulp hardens inside the pipe, clogging the drain."

Mr. Rooter(R) recommends keeping the pumpkin pulp, cut pieces and seeds away from the kitchen sink and carving the pumpkin on a newspaper. This way all pumpkin-related material as well as the newspaper can be thrown away once the jack-o'-lantern is done. Doing so will lead to less of a mess and clearer drains.

But for those who enjoy new recipes, the pulp and seeds can be put to good use.