My first experience with pipe cleaning

jsharp · Dec 14, 2010

Well I cleaned my three pipes for the first time last night. I have run pipe cleaners through them, but never really took alcohol and cleaned them. One pipe I have had for about 10 years and it has been smoked about 20 times over those years. One pipe is a year old and has been smoked about 30 times this past year. The other I just ordered and received right after Thanksgiving. It has been smoked about 10 times.
Until I joined this forum I didn’t know I was supposed to clean them. I just assumed that running a pipe cleaner through ever couple smokes was good enough. Over the past couple days I have been reading about pipe cleaning and watching youtube videos. There are a million different opinions on the best way to clean your pipe, but this is what I did.
I used 91% isopropyl alcohol, pipe cleaners and q-tips to clean out the shank and steam. Man, I could not believe the black stuff that came out. After cleaning them real good I took extra virgin olive oil on my finger and rubbed it all over the pipes. After letting them sit a few minutes I took a soft cloth and polished them real good.
I let them dry real good and this morning they look great. I can’t wait to light one up tonight.

admin · Dec 14, 2010

I just put mine in the dishwasher. Cortezattic taught me that.
Seriously though, I have been getting into a better habit of cleaning my pipes after each smoke and I am having better smoking experiences.
I have also stopped wiping out the bowls with a paper towel and I am finally getting some cake to build up, but that another topic, kind of.

hilojohnny · Dec 14, 2010

When it comes to pipes,(and perhaps a few other things) cleanliness IS next to godliness!..... :lol:

cortezattic · Dec 14, 2010

Joshua, I think your methods are completely acceptable. Personally, I would have used Everclear or other potable spirits, if available, and carnuaba wax instead of EVOO. (But EVOO is good for wood, and has antioxidants to prevent the oil from becoming rancid.)
As I have mentioned elsewhere, the single best thing you can do is swab out the pipe with a pipe cleaner or two immediately after using it. This will greatly extend the time required between alcohol scrubs, and allow you to smoke your pipes with a little less rest --

:laughat: rest for the pipes, of course, not you.

patiobum · Dec 14, 2010

I use 151 rum to schwab out the stem and bowl. Try not to get alcy-hall on the outside of the stem and bowl, it will remove the carnuba wax and possibly remove the stain from the bowl.
I keep a cob in my truck and try to clean it after 10-20 bowls. I cleaned it today and thought that I may start cleaning it every 5-10 bowls or so.
Remember that this pipe hobby is not rocket science and is all personal preference. What works for me may not do the same for you. Enjoy it.

collin · Dec 14, 2010

8O EVOO???????????? Ohhh Cortez.....
But he's right JSharp,.....I'd eventually ditch the isopropyl and opt for EverClear. It smells better and dries faster. Not to mention it makes better "Cowboy Punch"!

bubbadreier · Dec 14, 2010

Cortez, I love the new avatar!
I have used both everclear and isopropyl alcohol and I find that everclear does work noticeably better! I tend to use a pipe cleaner or two right afte each smoke and then when I get home or later that night I will use a few Q-tips dipped in everclear to scrub the shank, a few cleaners dipped in everclear for the stem, and then I will coat the bowl with some everclear just to keep it sweet. Also once a month I use the salt (cotton balls for me) and alcohol treatment on all of my pipes!

nativeson · Dec 14, 2010

For bubbadreier and others who use everclear/151, I tried it. It worked great, but I got some on one of the stems. The look of it sent me running to the forum to learn real quick about stem polishing! Was this just the particular stem I was working on, or will it do that to most stems?

flipflopsandshades · Dec 14, 2010

What is wrong with swiping your bowl with a paper towel after each smoke? I do this and find it removes a good portion of the moisture. But if this is incorrect could someone please explain why this would be a bad thing to do?

bubbadreier · Dec 14, 2010

Nativeson, what do you mean? what did the black stem look like?

hauntedmyst · Dec 15, 2010

What is wrong with swiping your bowl with a paper towel after each smoke? I do this and find it removes a good portion of the moisture. But if this is incorrect could someone please explain why this would be a bad thing to do?

Hi Flip, The answer to your question is nothing is wrong with it but most of the moisture that collects is in the airway which can sour a pipe. Also, by wiping out the bowl, you wipe away a lot of the cake that might build up. A little bit of cake is a good thing for a bowl and you'll find your pipes smoke a little cooler when you let that build up. That being said, I personally like just a little cake to build up and frequently clean my bowls down to bare wood. Others will build up a thick cake which by most accounts should never get thicker than a nickel.
Bubba, I'm surprised you do the S/A treatment that frequently as I have never experienced that its needed nearly that often. With 30+ pipes, I do it once a year which is more than adequate. It sounds like you are either over doing it or need more pipes!
I'm also guessing that the alcohol discolored natives stem with oxidation, which can certainly happen if left in contact for too long, especially with lesser grade stem stock which often isn't as dense as the hard german rod stock used on higher grade pipes.

juni · Dec 15, 2010

I was going to ask about the paper towel wiping too. I always do that and my pipes have nice cakes.

duncan · Dec 15, 2010

I have found once I build a nice starting cake the papertowel keeps me from reaming alot. I will run the paper towel through at the end of the smoking day for that pipe which gets out all the extra moisture and fills in any cracks or chips in the cake from tamping.

cortezattic · Dec 15, 2010

Put me down as a paper towel advocate too! Especially during the break-in of an uncoated bowl.

The constant wiping keeps removing the initial char, but very slowly, the cake that eventually

takes hold develops a rock-hard consistency. Of course, being retired, I've got lots of time to

futz around with the break-in. :nana:

jsharp · Dec 15, 2010

I loaded up a pipe last night that had started to taste a little bitter before the cleaning, and it was great. Like a new pipe.
I have read that Everclear does a good job, just don't have any package stores near my home, so I opted for what was close at hand. I will see about picking some up.
As far as the paper towel, I have done that. Mainly I just bend over a pipe cleaner and run it around the bowel.

nativeson · Dec 15, 2010

With everclear/151 rum, the black stem, hard plastic or vulcanite, of the older pipe I was cleaning turmed a rusty brown on the spot where the alcahol touched it. I don't think it was there a long time. It did a great cleaning job otherwise, just as you and others have said bubbadreier. So is this a general problem, or isolated to my old e-bay kaywoodie? A stem polishing compound cleaned the spot off the stem, and shinned it up a good bit too!

unclearthur · Dec 15, 2010

It's common Nativeson. The alcohol will pull up the sulfur in the stem I think. At any rate I try to keep it on the inside of the stems.

nativeson · Dec 16, 2010

Thanks unclearthur, cool explanation!

bubbadreier · Dec 16, 2010

He knew more than I did about the problem

But I am glad you got it figured out. I have never had a stem do that to me, turn brown after touching alcohol!

nativeson · Dec 16, 2010

Ah bubbadreier! Apparently you hang out with a better class of pipes than I do.

My first experience with pipe cleaning

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Might Stick Around

Smoking a Pipe Right Now

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Might Stick Around

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Might Stick Around

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Might Stick Around