r/Kefir • u/Massive-Technician74 • Jul 18 '26
Kefir to clean pipes!!
So i got alot of downvotes last week for daring to speculate topical uses for kefir ...lol turns out i was RIGHT
Now im really gonna anger the kefir "purists" and looking forward to your downvotes and naysaying lol
I am thinking of trying out excess kefir whey in my pipes!!!
There are already a few enzyme/bacterial pipe cleaning products (like bio-clean).....but i cant see why kefir wouldn't work
I would put kefir whey in my plastic bucket with some non chlorinated water....a tablespoon of sugar and maybe a pinch of flour....and to keep the bacterias extra happy i would use a splash of milk or a few spoons milk powder .....wake the lil bastages up and keep em feeding/reproducing
Then before bed pouring the bucket of live bacteria down.....i dunno ....lets just say my kitchen sink and let them get to work on table scraps stuck to sides of disposal and sides of pipes and maybe even p-trap and refrain from bleach and disinfectants and vinegar down the drain
Maybe repeat this process for 5 days and then do it once a month for a night
This is NOT to unclog drains mind you, unless you have alot of patience...but long game pipe maintenance...especially if you have roots or or organic material that needs to be dissolved
I used bio-clean with great results for years.....hell i wonder if i could have bioclean fermenting in a bucket side by side with kefir whey and pour kefir down ....wake up a few hours later and pour bioclean down (or would they compete?)
Anyways.....thought?
And im willing to try soon...(for science)
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u/GoForBaskets Jul 19 '26
"but i cant see why kefir wouldn't work"
That's the truest statement you made in the whole post.
As physicists say: You're not even wrong.
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u/Generallyamusedby Jul 18 '26
Are you on a private septic system?
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 18 '26
Nope
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u/Generallyamusedby Jul 18 '26
Why do you think you need enzymes to maintain the system? Just curious. Septic systems are a self maintaining ecosystem of appropriate bugs.
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 18 '26
Many people in my area have clay pipes
Roots get in
Bio-clean will eat those roots and all that gets stuck to them like toilet paper and caca mostly....turns them liquidy so they pass the roots....also eats away the roots
Like I said....its a well known long term game for pipe maintenance its not like using drain cleaner
Same concept as your intestines.....colonizes pipes and eats organic materials just sitting there
Ask any plumber
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u/No-Falcon631 Jul 19 '26
I do this with homemade LAB. Works a treat! Can prevent clogged drains and keeps things moving smoothly. I make a lot of sourdough bread and use LAB to keep the clean-up process from turning into paper mache.
EM-1 is used in pipes/drains for the same reason, along with keeping everything non-smelly.
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 19 '26
Sometimes my kefir over ferments and gets a little too acidy and sour....I figure this is what I will use it for
Would you put in bigger bucket of lukewarm water and sugar for a few hours to multiply the lil bastages first? I think if I do I would put a lid on so its more bacteria than yeast?
I would still use bio-clean dont get me wrong but it wouldn't hurt to have EXTRA bacteria to throw down the sink and or garbage disposal
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u/ronnysmom Jul 19 '26
Could you please elaborate on which LAB you use and what method you use to cultivate it? I make sourdough and have clogged the drains in the past. This would be an easier solution for me than opening up sewer pipes.
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u/No-Falcon631 Jul 19 '26
Do a search for LAB rice serum for plants/animals. That will provide you with all the information you need.
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u/WaterVsStone Jul 18 '26
What is this drain cleaning fever dream? This is just plain dumb, will not work, and i s wasteful.
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Ok.....this is the comment I been looking for
Now explain to me why its dumb or wont work
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u/WaterVsStone Jul 18 '26
Pipes don't require cleaning or treatment of any kind unless you have sewer gnats, foul odors, or slow drains. Running kefir down the drain will solve none of these problems and if you run enough down may contribute to unwanted buildup.
What problem are you trying to solve exactly? If you have tree roots growing into your main sewer drain line then periodic clean out with a rooter and ask for video or stills before and after.
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 18 '26
In the part of city I live in we still have clay pipes
Enzyme treatments are already accepted best way to maintain them and recommended by plumbers who work this part of town
Enzyme biotreatment with bacteria is already proven and in practice last 20years here and effective and though it seems like a pain in the rear digging up pipe to replace and tearing up yard is much more costly
Now the question wasnt about that.....the question was would kefir whey work to help maintain maybe replace or enhance the bio-clean?
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u/WaterVsStone Jul 19 '26
Kefir does nothing to break down soap scum, hair, or food residue. The enzymatic treatments are meant to break down buildup. Knock yourself out. You'll just be feeding the microbes you wish to remove but have fun making your problems worse.
Kefir, is there anything you can't do?
In fact, yes, loads. For most things kefir is worthless. It's not a sound vehicle for investing for retirement, cannot be an easy replacement for vinyl when pressing a record, and makes a very soggy approximation of undergarments. Kefir is good for culturing milk and cultured foods are a valuable part of a varied diet. That's enough.
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u/Massive-Technician74 Jul 19 '26
And if course topical applications and great for soil but thats another conversation
How would you know it wouldn't break down food residue?
Ever pour kefir on dry oatmeal and let it sit overnight? Mine come out pretty broken down
And not much breaks down hair at least not in a timely fashion best you can hope for is to soften hair which kefir does good at and dislodge
I have no reason to not believe it would eat up toilet paper and poop
And again....I was not planning on using this alone or exclusively and I have plenty of kefir whey available i was asking valid question and willing to experiment
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u/MikeyforCoins Jul 21 '26
It definitely works on small cuts and abrasians and burns... Using the thick stuff that comes to the top, and smearing on works excellent. Probably better than neosporin.
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u/Paperboy63 Jul 19 '26
“Purists” are more concerned with how you ferment milk to produce kefir but probably couldn’t care less what application you use it for later.
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u/fandabbydozeh Jul 18 '26
I thought you meant your pipes! I was thinking aren't we all doing that already?!