Cleaning Cobs

Cobs are a bit different, I found the first time I tried to clean the shank with alcohol it shrank the diameter and the stem wouldnt fit the same. As well, cleaning the shank dry with pipe cleaners litters the shank with fuzzy cotton bits....i suggest a shank brush.

I can't speak for cleaning a MM, but here's how I'd recommend cleaning one of our Old Dominion cob pipes. The outside of the bamboo stem can be cleaned with unscented isopropyl alcohol (70%). The alcohol won't hurt the stem and dries quickly and leaves no residual odor. Like the original bamboo stem cob pipes, we do not glue the stems into the cob. The stems are carefully tapered so that they can be inserted into the stem hole and twisted to make a tight fit. Therefore, they can be removed for occasional cleaning if necessary. I just would not recommend removing the stem on a routine basis as overtime you could cause the stem hole to widen, thus creating a loose fit. A piece of wire, standard pipe cleaner, or a long 1/8" drill bit can be used to insert inside of the stem and be twisted around to remove any obstructions or build-up. Care should be taken in cleaning the inside of the bowl. My recommended method would be to take a clean, dry twisted paper towel and twist around inside the bowl to remove any loose cake if desired.

I just use a pipe nail to clean out the tobacco. Blow through the stem. Reload.
All clean and ready to go.
Skapunk that's a good tip about the alcohol. My wife steals my stem brushes all the time. I find them in the dish drainer. Hope she isn't cleaning the toilet with them.

You can use a little alcohol inside the bowl and stem of a cob with no side-effects. I wouldn't drown it in alcohol though, as that would most likely cause problems, like turning the outside of the bowl black.

I used Bacardi 151 in a MM cob and it basically melted out the bottom, Lol! So be careful. Now, I just clean the stem, and blow any loose tobacco out of the shank and bowl.

I guess I'm on the other side of the fence on this one. I use Everclear on my cobs regularly, and haven't experienced any of the problems mentioned above. However, the Everclear DID do something to the plastic stems. I wouldn't say it melted them, but the effect was nearly the same.

Weird, I use Everclear on the stems too, the 95% kind and it did nothing that destructive.

I soak the stems in warm water with tsp or so of white vinegar fir an hour or two. I also was recommended to apply a bit of aloe Vera or cocoa butter lotions to the outside of the cob; this makes them last longer by nourishing the cob. And very little or no cake in my cobs.

Weird never new this lol guess i need to stop using alcohol then.

I probably used too much. It was a reject cob, and I think i got a little too much in the bowl. The bottom turned into goop!