Pipe disinfection and cleaning?

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twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
Still very new, this is my second post here only.
Let's get started though.
I have two pipes, a briar and a corn cob. Canada Day (July 1st) is approaching quickly, and it's the next time I will enjoy a smoke of one of my pipes, as I am trying to keep this an occasional thing for health reasons.
Anyways, I want to share a nice whiskey and a pipe with my dad then, and having more than one pipe makes that easy.
However, I do want to disinfect the one my dad will be smoking, and then disinfect it after before using it again.
I did see a post here yesterday about not using alcohol in a corncob pipe, because too much can damage the stem and other parts. Is there any truth to that?
I'd rather have my dad smoke the corn cob and myself the briar, but if it has to be the reverse, that's okay too.
I know how to regularly clean with pipe cleaner, but when it comes to disinfecting for someone else to use, I am clueless.
How should I go about doing that?

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Buy another cob for your old man to use for less than the cost of the alcohol it would take to clean one. MM has some that are like $4. Although I guess I don't know how availability works if you're in Canada.

 

twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
The MM corncob I have costed me $9.99. It's about a 45 minute drive to the store that has them.
I already have 99% IPA because of my other hobbies which require cleaning things, so I don't need to buy any.
Just ever since I saw that post I mentioned, I am unsure if just soaking a pipe cleaner in alcohol and doing things that way, is the right way to do things.
I don't know what the stem on the MM corncob is made from, but it does have a filter. The briar pipe's stem is made of vulcanite.

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Ah, I was thinking you could order one, from smokingpipes.com or something, but yeah with shipping it'd be 10 bucks. Yeah, I wouldn't use booze on the cob, just pipe cleaners. As far as sanitizing the mouthpiece, if that's what you're after, I have no idea. Booze may work fine as long as it doesn't touch the cob itself? Maybe just a scrub?
Maybe just clean the briar and have him use that I guess. Cob's smoke just fine.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,080
Carmel Valley, CA
Heck, it's like cleaning eating utensils. Warm water, detergent, dry with towel, more drying time in air. For the airway, pipe cleaner with or without alcohol will do it, with drying time.

 

twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
Well not only price, but there's only 4 days until July 1st, so it would probably not even arrive on time.
Couldn't I just remove the stem from the cob and clean it that way? I mean it's only the stem which needs disinfecting.

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,379
70,060
60
Vegas Baby!!!
Just use a little alcohol and move on. You kinda sound paranoid. You are bringing the products of incomplete combustion into your system after all.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,258
108,365
Alcohol will wreck those MM plastic stems. I wouldn't even worry about the stummel, but washing the stems with antibacterial soap and water should accomplish what you need.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,269
I'd go with Embers suggestion and just take the stem off and wash it with hot soapy water and then rinse well.

 

mau1

Lifer
Jan 5, 2018
1,124
837
Ontario, Canada
Just make sure your Dad sips on the pipe when he smokes, rather than puffs away. Don't want him getting tongue burn or burning the top of his mouth.
Where are you located in Canada?

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Dish detergent or the aforementioned disinfectant soap will do fine. Most people eat with detergent washed silverware in restaurants. Unless one of you has a specific bug or cold sores or something, that should do it.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,080
Carmel Valley, CA
Detergent, not soap! And you don't have to remove the stem. You can clean the whole pipe quickly with a sponge with a bit of detergent, wipe dry, and Bob's yer uncle.

 

twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
All right,
Never heard of dish detergent before, I only ever saw and used dish soap. Is it a powder like laundry detergent is but for dishes?

 

twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
Ah, okay, I should be able to do that tomorrow.
Got work tomorrow, and then helping my father transport a large wardrobe to a friend, which means loading it into his van, and then unloading it into their house.
After that I think it'd be relaxing to smoke my briar, and then clean out the cob for him so it's ready for Monday.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,080
Carmel Valley, CA
Never heard of dish detergent before, I only ever saw and used dish soap. Is it a powder like laundry detergent is but for dishes?
It's a liquid. Sunlight is a detergent, not a soap. But here we get into definitions, not real important for the cleaning task.

 
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