5-7 for me. I want my pipe to be as clean as possible between deep cleanings. Here is the method to my madness.
I take the pipe apart, grab the bowl and take one fluffy cleaner, double it and then run it around the bowl a few times, evening the cake. I then blow through the pipe getting any loose tobacco and ash. I then take a bristle cleaner, double it and run it back and forth through the shank. I will do that again with another fresh bristle and a third time if needed. I then take a bristle and double it and then double it again and stuff it into the shank to clean out the mortise. I than take a bristle and run it through the stem, and then take a fluffy and run that through the stem. The fluffy gets out more moisture where the bristle gets the tar and any tobacco. I have found that it keeps my pipes very clean and can make the time between deep cleanings longer. I will usually do a deep cleaning after 10 bowls or so. Pipe cleaners are cheap so I do not mind using a bunch to keep my pipes as clean as possible.
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