Cotton Ball Cleaning Method Which Alcohol?

[vink]

I want to try the cotton ball method to clean a pipe I used to really like but taste like shit now since I smoked a lot of GLP triple play in it. I still don't understand what caused that persistant ghost, perique or DFK?

Anyways, I usually use 94% alcohol to clean my pipes but can't find any now in Quebec since COVID, as they use it for hand sanitizer, so I was wondering if using whisky or gin maybe could do the trick?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Everclear works perfectly for me. I'd use a high content clear alcohol if it were me.

 

[lawdawg]

Highest proof grain alcohol you can find in your state. For me, it's Everclear brand 190 proof. That's as high proof as it gets, 95% pure alcohol. I think some states only permit sales at a lower proof, and the lower proof (150 or whatever it is) should be fine it that's all you got.

EDIT: state, province, etc. - you catch my drift. I also understand there is some pharmacy type alcohol (not for human consumption) that could do the trick, but you'll want to know what you're doing on this one.

If you just can't find any grain alcohol, I'd try out the "new" hot water rinse method. It's all the rage. Some people are now saying that alcohol is bad for the pipes, though that's not been my experience.

 

[lawdawg]

One more thought: If the main concern is eliminating that ghost, and you can't do a proper booze soak, you might try smoking it out with some burley. Not exactly the most pleasant experience, but effective.

 

[Gecko]

I've tried vodka, whiskey and gin to freshen up my pipes (regular 40% ABV)
And found that vodka combined with a warm water flush works quite well for me and is best of thoose three spirits for this purpose.

 

[rajangan]

I agree with @hoosierpipeguy on the Everclear. We have it in AB. But it sounds like you can't get it right now, so I would look for overprooof vodka. Smirnoff with the purple label is an example — 50%.

I would like to add that it is wise to avoid drug store alcohols as many of them are intentionally laced with a bittering agent.

 

[craig61a]

While I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve read that white vinegar can be used to exercise stubborn ghosts.

 

[smknron]

Ived used whiskey before and it worked pretty good but for a really stubborn ghost, I would think something strong. There's also that salt method I've seen posted and looks like it works, although I haven't tried it. I have read that some used the method twice to clean up a pipe.

 

[mikethompson]

Are you sanitizing or getting rid of a ghost?

For sanitizing I just use vodka. When I first heard about Everclear, I thought it was a cleaning product. I can't imagine someone would want to drink it!

For ghosting, I would highly recommend using damp coffee grounds. Stuff the bowl and shank with as much as you can fit in there and let it sit for a day or two. You might need to repeat it, but it is very effective.

 

[ofafeather]

Vodka seems to work well for pipe cleaning and is recommended for odor removal in general. It’s what I typically use. If I had access to Everclear I would try it but it’s not usually easy for me to find. Not sure how that will work for removing a ghost but my guess is it will help at least somewhat.

As someone else said, white vinegar is great for odor removal, but I have no experience using that one pipes. We use it diluted frequently to clean around the house and it works well. For odors, a combination of vinegar and vodka works very well for general odor situations. If it is persistent it might be worth a try.

I would probably start with a thorough cleaning, especially the shank, then maybe the hot water rinse. I have a hard time imagining a ghosting that is not from Latakia or heavy Aromatics lasting past that and maybe a few smokes.

 

[smknron]

Are you sanitizing or getting rid of a ghost?

For sanitizing I just use vodka. When I first heard about Everclear, I thought it was a cleaning product. I can't imagine someone would want to drink it!

For ghosting, I would highly recommend using damp coffee grounds. Stuff the bowl and shank with as much as you can fit in there and let it sit for a day or two. You might need to repeat it, but it is very effective.

Yeah, Everclear sounds serious as far as drinking it, lol I wouldn't try it but I'd like to get maybe a small bottle for cleaning purposes. The coffee process sounds good too. I might try that some time.

 

[mikethompson]

I might try that some time.

Try it, you would be surprised how much embedded funk coffee grounds can soak up.