Cleaning a pipe

[Jamespfluger]

I am an alcoholic and I don't drink and can't use alcohol and was wondering if any one else is and how they clean there pipe

 

[Donb1972]

The water flush method works well for many people. And for basic, day to day, cleaning of the stem and such, I have found warm water on a pipe cleaner will do well.

Clean Your Briar Pipes The "New Way". :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/clean-your-briar-pipes-the-new-way.61923/

 

[HitchensDog]

I am an alcoholic and I don't drink and can't use alcohol and was wondering if any one else is and how they clean there pipe

I can relate. Pipe tobacco (and the occasional cigar) are my only vices now.

 

[anotherbob]

I'd say for daily cleaning you don't need anything more then a pipe cleaner. And there are at least a few none drinking alcohol alternatives to cleaning the pipe. I've joked before that pipe sweetener (a non drinkable green alcohol type thing for pipe cleaning) is for recovering alcoholics.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A number of us flush the chamber with water- for me, the hotter the better. 10-20 seconds out of the tap, paper towel dry the chamber, cleaner in the airway.

If your tobacco is on the dry side, you can smoke right away without fear of gurgle, but why not rest it for a bit if you have others to smoke.

There's seldom a need to use alcohol on a pipe, though many are used to it and do it by rote.

 

[bullet08]

I don't do alcohol. I drink it, but don't use it to clean my pipes, almost never. Instead, I clean my pipe right after each smoke immediately. I completely take it apart and wipe out everything including stem, airway, and mortise. After leaving it for drying for few days, it's good to smoke again.

 

[Duck]

I am an alcoholic and I don't drink and can't use alcohol and was wondering if any one else is and how they clean there pipe

As am I, and I use isopropyl alcohol to clean my pipes. It evaporates quickly leaving no residue, and there's no temptation to drink it.

 

[Waning Embers]

I clean my pipe right after each smoke immediately. I completely take it apart and wipe out everything including stem, airway, and mortise.

Excluding restorations of estate pipes, this is exactly what I do but resting a pipe is entirely unnecessary.

 

[onestrangeone]

I am an alcoholic and I don't drink and can't use alcohol and was wondering if any one else is and how they clean there pipe

Same here, I corkscrew a paper towel into the chamber while its still warm then a pipe cleaner down the bit. If things are really funky a trip to the kitchen sink and a bristle works really well.
if it’s an estate I use 91% Isopropyl or the ‘pipe freshener’

 

[WNCLEE28466]

Hello. I'm a recovering alcoholic as well, and can't use the stuff. I use an alcohol-free mouth wash to clean my pipes. Cleans pretty well (just like your mouth) and freshens up my pipes as well... Good luck with your sobriety. Best, LeRoy

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just rinse with water after each smoke.

 

[monty55]

isopropyl alcohol works as well as ethyl alcohol

 

[Waning Embers]

Never use ISO on wooden/acrylic/ceramic etc. pipes of any kind because it will ruin it. You could try and use one of these. Or these little guys

Isopropyl works fine on briar and meerschaum. Some restorers even use denatured alcohol.

Edit - @didimauw I think we've got some spam.

 

[Alejo R.]

You can wash a pipe with water, a hairdryer, or a heat gun in hand to dry it.

 

[Briarcutter]

Pipe cleaners are all I ever use. Once in a great while Isopropyl in the mouthpiece. No drinking alcohol in the house, I'm a friend of Bill as well.

 

[sablebrush52]

Instead of soaking the bowl / pipe in the alcohol you should just wipe it with a rug that has been soaking in the alcohol and leave it bowl side down on a paper towel for at least 48hours before using it again.

Wiping my pipes with a rug is a novel idea. Wonder why I never thought of it.