A plumber came by this morning and fixed everything. As he walked out, he turned and said, “Always cover your sink drain when you leave the house.” No explanation. Very serious. Now I’m curious… does anyone know why?

If you’re traveling and want to protect your home from potential problems caused by drying out of your P-traps, all you need to do is refill your traps with water and properly seal the drain openings. You won’t need to perform any complicated hacks or glass-balancing acts.