Alcohol Cleaning: Salt Vs. Cotton Ball

[fnord]

This is a scary read, Lonesomepiper.
Several of these guys were writing with their tongues firmly in cheek - and maybe even tattooed there.
Here's a relatively safe clean up process.
Lightly scrape away any tobacco build-up and give the airways hell with bourbon/brandy/rum soaked bristled pipe cleaners.
If the pipe has been lightly used start with the soaked cotton ball procedure. If that doesn't kill the ghosting then try the salt treatment.
Step three would be a retort - easy and safe to do when you follow the instructions and finally - when everything else has failed, send it away for an ionization treatment.
Fnord

 

[newfie]

Shoe Lady

:laughat: :clap: :rofl:

 

[okiescout]

" Lightly scrape away any tobacco build-up and give the airways hell with bourbon/brandy/rum soaked bristled pipe cleaners.
If the pipe has been lightly used start with the soaked cotton ball procedure. If that doesn't kill the ghosting then try the salt treatment.
Step three would be a retort - easy and safe to do when you follow the instructions and finally - when everything else has failed, send it away for an ionization treatment."
+1 Fnord.
The Old Cajun says, if memory serves, he does a salt, followed by a retort, followed by another salt treatment. This is the method I have been using on estates since he posted. It has worked very well.
I also use Q-tips when cleaning out the mortise and tenon on pipes that use filters or have certain converters in them. Even after several salt treatments and a retort, if a pipe has been smoked for years without being broken down, as these areas need extra attention.
If you have never done so take a Q-tip with a soaked head and slowly turn it at the front of the mortise (closest to the bole). You are attempting to reach the outside 90 degree of the bore in the mortise. If the pipe is dry it may take a minute of saturation before you see results. This area gets extremely dirty over time if not swabbed occasionally.