Cleaning my pipe and cake.

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Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,614
2,677
41
United States Of America
Salt and alcohol is unnecessary if you regularly clean your pipes. If you must though, cotton balls are an easier cleanup than salt and less likely to crack your pipe's bowl.
Not a must for me, I thought I had to. I normally run a pipe cleaner through the stem and shank, lightly rub the bowl inside after every smoke. Is that enough? I was confused on how often to deep clean. Are you saying I don't need to deep clean at all if I do that after every smoke?
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,254
108,359
Is that enough?
Yes


Are you saying I don't need to deep clean at all if I do that after every smoke
Excluding estate pipes I've not deep cleaned a newly purchased pipe for thirty years. I do however disassemble the pipe after each smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the airway and draft, clean the mortise with Q-tips, and wipe out the chamber with a paper towel.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,614
2,677
41
United States Of America
Yes



Excluding estate pipes I've not deep cleaned a newly purchased pipe for thirty years. I do however disassemble the pipe after each smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the airway and draft, clean the mortise with Q-tips, and wipe out the chamber with a paper towel.
Okay great 👍 thanks for the information.
 

Zeno Marx

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2022
238
1,264
+1 on the cotton balls over salt. I personally find the cotton balls to work as well, and as has been said, it's an easier clean up. Now, if anyone has a scientific reason, with chemical reasoning, maybe I'm wrong about this? There's also a retort process and scrubbing with soap and water for certain situations, but if you're fearful of water, or don't have a retort, cotton balls and alcohol certainly have a place.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,614
2,677
41
United States Of America
+1 on the cotton balls over salt. I personally find the cotton balls to work as well, and as has been said, it's an easier clean up. Now, if anyone has a scientific reason, with chemical reasoning, maybe I'm wrong about this? There's also a retort process and scrubbing with soap and water for certain situations, but if you're fearful of water, or don't have a retort, cotton balls and alcohol certainly have a place.
I used to smoke cigars. Water will mold cigar boxes and cigar tobacco if it's not distilled, so I been avoiding all water with my pipes. I wasn't sure about it.
 

JJ_JJ_JJ_JJ

Can't Leave
Sep 13, 2022
370
1,354
+1 on the cotton balls over salt. I personally find the cotton balls to work as well, and as has been said, it's an easier clean up. Now, if anyone has a scientific reason, with chemical reasoning, maybe I'm wrong about this? There's also a retort process and scrubbing with soap and water for certain situations, but if you're fearful of water, or don't have a retort, cotton balls and alcohol certainly have a place.
I thought the idea behind the salt was its crystalline structure draws out and traps the funk . Cotton balls have no such structure?
 

Zeno Marx

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2022
238
1,264
I thought the idea behind the salt was its crystalline structure draws out and traps the funk . Cotton balls have no such structure?
Could be. I do know the cotton balls "pull in" something. Depending how well you cut the cake, and sand down the walls if necessary, the cotton balls come out yellow, from light to dark. Kind of the same visual results from my experience. I came to like the cotton balls because of how much easier they're to deal with at all stages and because I feel they leave no residual flavor. There's no pipe or two of smoking away that brine note. I always hated cleaning up the salt. To be honest, for me, it was also a lot to do with "sanitizing" estate bowls, and the cotton balls give me that peace. Now that I used running water and soap, the salt wouldn't be much of a hassle either. I follow up the alcohol soak with a scrubbing anyway. I feel like I'm repeating myself. Apologies.

I really smash a handful or so of cotton balls into the bowl, shove a q-tip into the airway, rest the pipe leaning with the shank in a slightly upward angle, and then use an eyedropper to carefully add the alcohol to the bowl until I can see it puddle at the top of the cotton balls.
 
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