Deep Cleaning Pipe…without Alcohol?

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karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,604
9,927
Basel, Switzerland
Twisted paper towels and pipe cleaners after smoke, hot water - near boiling - flush, old toothbrush scrubbing the chamber and scraping the chamber down to wood with the knife of my pipe tool about once a month.

I recently bought an old pipe, the chamber and mortise were clean, but the draw was very restrictive. I tried with alcohol soaked pipe cleaners which did bring up some funk but didn't make it any less restrictive, so I used a drill bit. With some effort what came out was clumps of brown/black, rubber-like tar, a lot of them. Opened up the draw nicely.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
4,258
12,602
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Last edited:

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
4,258
12,602
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Greetings gentleman!

Lately, I have been experiencing some issues with the taste of one of my pipes. Basically, it has a weird funky flavour that always imparts whatever tobacco I am smoking. Deciding I need some deep cleaning methods, I have read a bunch online on how one could deep clean his pipe. Unfortunately, all the methods use alcohol and especially hard liquor. In my situation, I can not have access to any hard liquor and I am thinking of using some natural ingrediants like white vinegar and/or lemons with salt.

What do you think? Do you have any alternatives?

A note, I have used the “water method“ that some have discussed in this forum, it helps with my other pipes to clean them. It is a good tool for a normal weekly routine to clean my pipes, but it just didn’t help with getting rid off whatever that weird funky taste out of my pipe.
Can you not get isopropyl alcohol from the pharmacy?
 
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kurtbob

Lifer
Jul 9, 2019
2,131
12,762
58
SE Georgia

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
4,258
12,602
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Acrylic chemical compatibility chart: TDI International, Inc. - The Technical Source! Product Information - https://www.tdiinternational.com/technical-source-product-info/. Isopropyl alcohol up to 50% is "short term compatible." So are ethanol and methanol but up to 30% only. Ammonia, hydrochloric acid (aka muriatic acid/pool cleaner), gasoline and urine are fine. Soap and water are undoubtedly safest.
Here's a more specffic link: Acrylic Chemical Compatibility Chart | TDI International, Inc. - https://www.tdiinternational.com/technical-source-product-info/chemical-compatibility-charts/acrylic/
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,866
37,109
72
Sydney, Australia
I prefer to DRINK the alcohol WHILE smoking a pipe!?
I use a high proof (clear) apricot brandy to clean out the shank/mortise and stem as well as bowl (cotton-ball then top up with brandy). Leaves behind a nice aroma.

Lots of others have advocated using isopropyl alcohol (which fully evaporates). However I don't envisage drinking it, so I won't put it in my pipe(s) :)
 
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