Alternative to Alcohol?

[Sean cauliflower]

Title edited for caps and shortened.

Hi I'm in recovery 5 years 4 months and makes me nervous with using alcohol to clean pipe is there an alternative I could use

 

[AcesAndEights]

I really like Pipemaster’s Clean & Cure.

 

[spartacus]

I seldom use anything but a dry pipe cleaner to clean my pipes.

 

[Mr_houston]

That’s a great question. Following.

I don’t keep alcohol around for pipes. I have bought used pipes that needs salt/alcohol treatment. I buy a one-shot amount, tell my wife, and pitch it when I’m done.

I have the same issue with alcohol I use to make aftershaves. I always tell my wife I bought it and add menthol to it - no way I could drink that.

 

[Mr_houston]

FYI, some of the guys use isopropyl alcohol:

Homemade Clean and Cure? :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

As I was using my Pipemaster's Clean and Cure one day, it occurred to me that it looked and smelled just like menthol alcohol available at any drug store. Does anyone have advice on making a homemade clean and cure solution? My general thought is cutting menthol alcohol with a bit of distilled...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Sean cauliflower]

I try that pipe master. clean and cure , how often would you recommend cleaning pipe would I just use pipe cleaner ect daily and the clean and cure weekly

 

[Chasing Embers]

makes me nervous with using alcohol

Even isopropyl?

 

[Chasing Embers]

FYI, some of the guys use isopropyl alcohol:

Homemade Clean and Cure? :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

As I was using my Pipemaster's Clean and Cure one day, it occurred to me that it looked and smelled just like menthol alcohol available at any drug store. Does anyone have advice on making a homemade clean and cure solution? My general thought is cutting menthol alcohol with a bit of distilled...

pipesmagazine.com

SPC uses denatured.

 

[sablebrush52]

Hi I'm in recovery 5 years 4 months and makes me nervous with using alcohol to clean pipe is there an alternative I could use

Welcome! A little over 20 years here.
Yes, of course there is an alternative. Many of us clean using warm or hot water rinses, along with our usual cleaning tools, to clean our pipes and it works very well.
I start a trickle of warm water going at a rate such as it will just fill the chamber to the top, while pouring out through the airway. BTW, I usually remove the stem so that I can clean out the shank mortise. Also, warm water will discolor Vulcanite, alcohol doe not. For acrylic stems, warm water is the option to use, not alcohol.
Anyway, use bristle pipe cleaners to remove as much build up as I can before drizzling water through the pipe for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then I clean again with more bristle pipe cleaners, folding them into wads to clean out the mortise. I may give the pipe another rinse and cleaning if needed, It works well and leaves the pipe tasting fresher to me than alcohol does.
With some pipes you can reassemble immediately, but with most it takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before any swelling has gone away and the pipe can be reassembled. I've been using this method for years with no problems and no loss of fit, and I own some high grade stuff that I wouldn't put at risk..

 

[Sean cauliflower]

Welcome! A little over 20 years here.
Yes, of course there is an alternative. Many of us clean using warm or hot water rinses, along with our usual cleaning tools, to clean our pipes and it works very well.
I start a trickle of warm water going at a rate such as it will just fill the chamber to the top, while pouring out through the airway. BTW, I usually remove the stem so that I can clean out the shank mortise. Also, warm water will discolor Vulcanite, alcohol doe not. For acrylic stems, warm water is the option to use, not alcohol.
Anyway, use bristle pipe cleaners to remove as much build up as I can before drizzling water through the pipe for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then I clean again with more bristle pipe cleaners, folding them into wads to clean out the mortise. I may give the pipe another rinse and cleaning if needed, It works well and leaves the pipe tasting fresher to me than alcohol does.
With some pipes you can reassemble immediately, but with most it takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before any swelling has gone away and the pipe can be reassembled. I've been using this method for years with no problems and no loss of fit, and I own some high grade stuff that I wouldn't put at risk..

20 years cool , do you still have dreams well nightmares were you are getting drunk and when you wake you feel like crap and guilty that you had a drink

 

[craig61a]

Even isopropyl?

Back in the day, there was a mission downtown. During the day the derelicts would wander down by the railroad yards and swig bottles of iso or strain Sterno through a dirty sock and drink that…

 

[craig61a]

Alcohol does do a pretty good job of dissolving the tars, but I rarely use it. I’ve used it more for cleaning old petrified gunk out of old estates more than anything else. I haven’t bought any old lots of estate pipes for several years.

White vinegar will dissolve tars, but it’s not quite as fast or effective as alcohol. Then your first few bowls will have a salad dressing note…

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very hot tap water is my choice for routine and semi-deep cleaning of my pipes. For over six years I have been doing this on some 60+ pipes with nothing but good results. Pipes come out fresher and sweeter than going in.

Purchasing commercial pipe cleaning fluids is a waste of money, something foisted on pipe smokers to make a bit of additional coin- for over 100 years!

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

Title edited for caps and shortened.

Hi I'm in recovery 5 years 4 months and makes me nervous with using alcohol to clean pipe is there an alternative I could use

Just a little behind you brother, 5 years 2 months & 26 days...

 

[anotherbob]

I only use alcohol only a few times a year for cleaning a pipe. Only if it gets nasty which is rare. Or gets hints of nasty. Daily cleaning just needs pipe cleaners.

 

[sablebrush52]

20 years cool , do you still have dreams well nightmares were you are getting drunk and when you wake you feel like crap and guilty that you had a drink

No, thank goodness, nor shame and guilt and self condemnation because I drove drunk. It's one day at a time.

 

[reloader]

Congrats on recovery to all who are there. I don't use alcohol very often if at all. I twist a paper towel in the bowl when I finish, then when the pipe is cool take it apart and run a pipe cleaner through. I will also use the hot water rinse on pipes with acrylic stems and even a short rinse if it has a vulcanite stem every now and again.

 

[camaguey]

Bacardi 151 , if you can find it.

 

[mingc]

Bacardi 151 , if you can find it.

Wrong answer. The OP asked for alternatives to alcohol because he's in recovery.

Title edited for caps and shortened.

Hi I'm in recovery 5 years 4 months and makes me nervous with using alcohol to clean pipe is there an alternative I could use

As @sablebrush52 said, you can use warm water to clean the shank and bowl and acrylic stems. I use dish soap for acrylic stems too. But I don't know of any alternatives to alcohol-based cleaners for vulcanite stems. Even Pipemaster’s Clean & Cure contains alcohol. Maybe you can just avoid the stuff meant for drinking and use rubbing/isopropyl alcohol.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Lukewarm tap water and unscented dish soap . For deep cleaning the chamber cotton bowls and vinegar. Very effective.