Best Way To Clean Up Rim Darkening?
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How there are 40+ responses to this question amazes me… But I’ll nevertheless add my own, just in case it hasn’t been mentioned before:
Q-tips moistened with saliva, along with a damp paper towel.
I find that Q-tips allow you to really dig into char build-up in a helpful way. But you can’t be stingy with them; if you’re talking about months (or years!) of build-up, it may take six Q-tips (using both ends) for you to see much progress.
You just have to be mindful to always stick the “clean” end into your mouth to moisten.
Q-tips moistened with saliva, along with a damp paper towel.
I find that Q-tips allow you to really dig into char build-up in a helpful way. But you can’t be stingy with them; if you’re talking about months (or years!) of build-up, it may take six Q-tips (using both ends) for you to see much progress.
You just have to be mindful to always stick the “clean” end into your mouth to moisten.
Add another vote for spit. But I use an old face cloth, sturdier than paper towel and the texture of the cloth helps the cleaning immensely. And yes, elbow grease!
Yes, and you would think after 20+ years of smoking a pipe- "Don't fill it all the way to the top" would be an obvious way to avoid rim charring that I would already know... but my mental response was still "Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea."
That helps in keeping down lava, cake, accretion, what ever, but isn't the whole story. You have to hold the flame away and draw it down to the tobacco.
I am afraid most of us say "rim charring" when it's not that at all.
I’ve had some luck with cutting board “butter” … food grade mineral oil and beeswax. Just put a little on rim and polished with toilet paper or microfiber cloth.
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What I have been doing lately after being a non water flushing opponent forever is when the pipe is cool & I am done with it, if seeing a build up on the rim is to run it under the kitchen sink and rub the rim with my finger till the build up is gone. Short time, 3-5 minutes. dry everything with paper towels & pipe cleaners.
For decades used spit & q-tips.
I realize the above post is a joke but if you wife has makeup removal wipes they are great for cleaning pipes. They have mild solvents and at least the ones in this house are really durable when they are dry for things like wiping out bowls after a smoke. I dont use them on the outside of clean pipes becuse it would probably remove wax.
They are a nice mix of being very thin but absorbant and tough. I use a dry one repeatedly in the bowls after smoking. Paper towels are often too thick if they are decent and the thin ones rip up easily.
For restoration Id test on a beater pipe first to determine if/when it starts to remove color. Thats the case with most methods. Ive often had to recolor tops at least a little when doing super heavy cleaning. Its handy to have some dyes around.
They are a nice mix of being very thin but absorbant and tough. I use a dry one repeatedly in the bowls after smoking. Paper towels are often too thick if they are decent and the thin ones rip up easily.
For restoration Id test on a beater pipe first to determine if/when it starts to remove color. Thats the case with most methods. Ive often had to recolor tops at least a little when doing super heavy cleaning. Its handy to have some dyes around.
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I don't have the photos on hand but I discovered a very efficient method of removing rim carbon deposits using strong organic acid. Will post photos later.