Is it Safe?

[Old_Newby]

I know there are 50 blogs already but having a little trouble searching and finding my answer. My brain tells me the answer, but we know how women can confuse us. Women seem to know a lot more about germs than men and my wife is a germaphobe.

I acquired some old pipes off eBay and now my wife is telling me I can catch TB or other. I actually already smoked out of 1 without telling her.

Q. As long as I thoroughly clean them with dawn soap and cold water, ream them, sand paper inside if bowl, brush out shank and stem, salt and rum soak, swab with pipe cleaners dipped is Isopropyl, brush it all with toothpaste, etc (maybe not in that order) does this make the pipe safe to smoke?

Just seeking peace of mind and some concurrence that my wife is nuts and not me..

 

[The Benedictine]

I've never heard of anyone getting any disease from an estate pipe. Your cleaning will assuage any germs or bacteria from harming you.

 

[skydog]

Yeah I'd be dead already if smoking out of estates was that dangerous. Majority of my pipe collection is estates. I don't do a salt soak on basically any of them unless they're badly ghosted. Pipe cleaners dipped in iso alcohol run through the stem, cleaning the outside of the stem of any oxidation, and scraping any unnecessarily thick cake is the extent of my cleaning procedure for estates I get in.

 

[jpberg]

 

[BingBong]

Anyone whose household follows the 3 Second Rule should be resistant to estate TB and a whole lot more.

 

[The Benedictine]

Anyone whose household follows the 3 Second Rule should be resistant to estate TB and a whole lot more.

We have more of a "beat the dogs to it" rule.

 

[ssjones]

Seems unlikely. But, if someone would get a disease from an estate pipe, we'd likely never know that was the cause.

 

[Briarcutter]

We'd all be dead, just think of all the "used" silverware in restaurants. Not to mention all the bottles and other "things" we'd pass around at parties in our youth. Just nicely explain that all those "tobacco kills" warnings on tobacco tins are meant for germs

 

[Brad H]

I’d like to say you would be 99.999999% good to go with a cleaning.
Don’t think into have to worry about TB from a pipe.

 

[lraisch]

According to the American Lung Association website "TB does not live on surfaces and it cannot be spread by touching, eating or drinking after a person with TB".

I doubt that's strictly true, but I don't believe the germ will survive any length of time in a pipe stem. As for other sources of infection, I clean with alcohol-soaked pipe cleaners inside and toothpaste on the stem.

The "forks in a restaurant" argument isn't as convincing to me as it could be since all of those utensils should be sanitized in a commercial dishwasher. That being said yes, I have had my share of visibly dirty utensils.

 

[anotherbob]

You can get T.b. by being around people. Avoid people at all costs. Or anywhere they've been.
That said no you can't get T.B. from a pipe. The stuff doesn't live on surfaces it's literally airborne and transmitted by air not objects. Unless someone with T.B. just smoked the pipe before you.

 

[Old_Newby]

You can get T.b. by being around people. Avoid people at all costs.

At age 59 that my personal motto except for work. After I retire I want to live in a secluded cabin in the woods and only go to town once a month for supplies.

 

[Questionable Source]

She is right, they are extremely dangerous.

Please follow the CDC guidelines and send them to the proper disposal site.

If you search the CDC website for the appropriate disposal address, it can be confusing, just PM me and I will let you know where to send them.

They also take old expired tobacco tins as long as they're sealed.

For your health and the safety of others, please do the right thing.

 

[Alejo R.]

No. Impossible. Bacteria and viruses that can live in a person's mouth don't survive long on an inanimate object. It could happen if you use your pipe immediately after someone else. But, but, but, as Argentinian and any Paraguayan, Uruguayan, or southern Brazilian brother can attest, it's virtually impossible. The custom of drinking mate involves sharing a mouthpiece among several people one after the other, and it doesn't transmit any disease.

 

[Alejo R.]

 

[telescopes]

If you have any real doubts - do an ozone treatment. But everything written above should suffice for any legitimate worries.

 

[BingBong]

Alas, owing to a very sub-optimal experience with a mateista, I developed a lifelong aversion to the aroma of the stuff.

 

[Alejo R.]

Alas, owing to a very sub-optimal experience with a mateista, I developed a lifelong aversion to the aroma of the stuff.

Nobody is perfect

 

[Questionable Source]

If you have any real doubts - do an ozone treatment. But everything written above should suffice for any legitimate worries.

I almost agree with this 100%, Ozone generators do degrade organic material however, if you want to get all scientific, a hydroxyl generator would be the be the way.

 

[Waning Embers]

At B&Ms some will secretly test the airflow of pipes. I've seen pipes return to SPC unsmoked and be placed in the fresh section. You know someone tested the draw. Even some pipe makers do it. Assume you are NEVER getting a clean pipe.