Cleaning question

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Drucquers Banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

wagnon85

Might Stick Around
Apr 25, 2010
72
0
I've been poking around, both on here and elsewhere, looking for information about cleaning...mainly the BIG clean, not just after smoking cleaning...just wanting to make sure that I am not doing the wrong thing and hurting my pipes in the long run.
My main question concerns the Salt and Alcohol method (also charcoal, or cotton balls)...now is this mainly done for recovering and cleaning estate or used pipes? Or for cleaning pipes that have not had regular maintenance done? Or is this a usual cleaning practice of people?
Let me tell you how I do things...after smoking a pipe, I let it cool down, usually, at some point covering the bowl and shaking the ash around to coat the inside. When it's fully cool, I knock out the ash and whatever's left, using a tool as necessary. Then I removed the stem from the pipe (but only if there is no resistance so I don't mess up the tenon or the stem, I am careful to make sure everything is cool). I never seem to be able to get a pipe cleaner to run all the way from mouth hole into the bowl, which is why I just gave up and do the "removing stem" method every time.
Then I run a pipe cleaner through the stem, usually only a little blackness appears at the very tip with the rest being clean. Then I flip the pipe cleaner over to the clean side and run it through the air hole into the bottom of the bowl, that too usually comes up a little dirty, but not bad.
Then I pinch up the cleaner and clean out the tenon. And then I take the other clean part of the cleaner, form it into a U-shape and run it around the inside of the bowl, knocking out whatever's stirred up. Then I leave pipe and stem apart just to make sure everything dries out, assembling later.
I can usually get away with using just the one pipe cleaner because I guess the pipe is pretty clean to start with? Which I guess answers part of my question? hehe
Now periodically (though not regularly, but I probably should have some sort of schedule to it) I have done the "remove stem and run a pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol through stem...then put another cleaner in air hole and fill bowl with alcohol, let sit an hour, then clean with pipe cleaners until clean" method. In my case substitute Pipe Sweetener for alcohol, but I am going to get a bottle of Everclear for future cleans.
So all of this leads me back to the salt question, is that just something for really dirty pipes, or ones you aren't sure how they were maintained, or am I short changing my cleaning by not using it? Or is my method of cleaning and drying after each smoke make it where only using alcohol is sufficient?
FYI: I have 7 pipes (3 designated non-aromatic/English and 4 aromatic), but at most smoke one bowl a day, and probably only a few bowls a week, so my pipes aren't in heavy use to begin with.
Sorry to be long-winded on this, but for everyone that has stuck it out through one of my posts, that's how I roll, and write! hehe

 

kennyjo

Might Stick Around
Feb 20, 2012
76
0
I am sorry that I cannot help....
But for the S&A treatment, I know there is a great alternative.

Retort

Cost a little but seems to be a better way for a deep cleaning.

Plus you can help the poor cats and dogs.
And for the detail about S&A treatment, you can ask Marty.

He is a very nice professional estate pipe seller with very good reputation.

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
I have smoked for 2 years and never had to do more than the ocassional cleaner covered with alcohol. The point is not to make the pipe smell completely neutral, as a few bowels of anything will alter the smell. If your pipe smells nasty, that would be when I do the salt and alcohol treatment. The salt probabley works a little better because it pulls the tar into itself and when you remove the salt, it is all brown from the tar pulled from the pipe. I don't like using alcohol near my pipe often because I have been told it can remove some of the stain of the pipe itself.
What I do is if the smell builds up and becomes nasty, run a pipe cleaner through everclear and wipe it around the inside of the bowel, that usually does the trick for me.

 

wagnon85

Might Stick Around
Apr 25, 2010
72
0
as a few bowels of anything will alter the smell
That's for sure! hehehe Not calling you out on misspellings or grammar, as I am not the language police, but that was TOO awesome, and true, not address!

 

kabong30

Can't Leave
Jun 2, 2012
329
2
It's probably around here on the board someplace, but for myself (who is no authority) the salt treatment is typically reserved for an estate pipe. You want to basically strip the pipe back to "new" condition and the salt and alcohol treatment basically helps that. It pulls a lot of the old crap that may have been in the pipe out and can help to get rid of any ghosting the pipe may have had from whatever the previous owner smoked in it. I have seen the results and they are pretty interesting (I think a time lapse video would be very cool!) and it does work. Some worry that the solution may wind up impregnating the wood but I haven't done it enough to notice.
As far as what you've got going now, I think you're fine, it's about the same as what I do except for the ash shaking which I only do occasionally.

 

wagnon85

Might Stick Around
Apr 25, 2010
72
0
Hey kabong30, cool thanks for the confirmation...my feeling was the salt treatment was for estate pipes, but I couldn't find posts that came out and said it! hehe

 

weezell

Lifer
Oct 12, 2011
13,653
49,163
...then put another cleaner in air hole and fill bowl with alcohol, let sit an hour, then clean with pipe cleaners until clean" method...

Tell me you don't do that...

 

chopz

Can't Leave
Oct 14, 2011
352
0
ok by my math if you have 7 pipes and smoke one bowl a day you'll be smoking each pipe 50 times a year right? i'd say after a couple years, all pipes should be well broken in and on their way to having a nice solid cake. at that point you can start scraping the inside of the bowl with bristly pipe cleaner when cleaning. when you reach the 10 year mark you might want to do that salt treatment. in the meantime, maybe after every 100 smokes of a pipe just run a pipe cleaner dipped in some booze through it.
i don't leave the stems off any pipe for any length of time. that's supposed to be bad i think - could affect how the stem fits.
i should mention most tobaccos i smoke aren't very wet or gurgle-inducing, so if you smoke gunkier tobaccos you might need frequenter deep cleaning. i don't use alcohol on a pipe unless it starts to taste sour. if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
ya'll can call me a slob but i don't even use a pipe cleaner after every smoke. i can certainly take a pipe with me in the morning and smoke 2 bowls without needing to clean it. again it depends on what kind of tobacco you're smoking but with some only need cleaning after 2 or 3 smokes.

 

baronsamedi

Lifer
May 4, 2011
5,688
5
Dallas
I wil rotate them all for a couple of months and then do the alcohol and cotton ball (instead of salt) method with all of them except the cobs, clays and meers. I can tell when it's time because the smell of the pipes will get really strong. After calcohol leaning, I let them sit 5-7 days, though. Most days, I just run a cleaner through, swab out the bowl and move on after smoking.

 

photoman13

Lifer
Mar 30, 2012
2,825
2
I really think frequency of alcohol treatment comes down to personal preference. You definitely want to do it with an estate. But the goal of the salt and alcohol treatment is get bad tars and mold (if present). I do it about every 3 or 4 months.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.