Deep Cleaning Pipe…without Alcohol?

[Law]

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.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I’ve had good luck with damp baking soda in my meerschaum pipe when it gets a little too “Lakeland-y,” but I’ve never tried it in briar. ?‍

 

[lightmybriar]

I have restored hundreds of estate pipes, some looking more like a tarry clump rather than a pipe, and I now exclusively use water, with better results than anything else I’ve ever done.

The trick is to find where the smell is hiding. Usually it is the shank and mortise. Toothbrushes, q-tips, and pipe cleaners, with the occasional dental pick or in extreme cases, a hand-turned drill bit just slightly larger than the airway. These tools, with care, will bring your pipe back to new.

I’m not endorsing one way over another, I just thought I’d mention that basic tools and water can be used to completely clean out a pipe!

 

[lightmybriar]

Just as an example, I recently cleaned this pipe for a forum member and these are my results using the above described tools.

 

[verporchting]

Coffee grounds

 

[Law]

I have restored hundreds of estate pipes, some looking more like a tarry clump rather than a pipe, and I now exclusively use water, with better results than anything else I’ve ever done.

The trick is to find where the smell is hiding. Usually it is the shank and mortise. Toothbrushes, q-tips, and pipe cleaners, with the occasional dental pick or in extreme cases, a hand-turned drill bit just slightly larger than the airway. These tools, with care, will bring your pipe back to new.

I’m not endorsing one way over another, I just thought I’d mention that basic tools and water can be used to completely clean out a pipe!

Just to make sure I am not missing anything, the water is really warm or it should reach boiling point?
And if I pour the water inside the bowl, and let it leave the stem. I should, then, clean the bowl with a brush?

And thanks for your input.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I just throw them in the dishwasher.

 

[lightmybriar]

Just to make sure I am not missing anything, the water is really warm or it should reach boiling point?
And if I pour the water inside the bowl, and let it leave the stem. I should, then, clean the bowl with a brush?

And thanks for your input.

I use warm tap water, closer to hot than warm, but not full heat. I use a toothbrush inside the bowl after reaming, and a gun brush and a shank brush inside the airway. If there’s buildup in there, various pointed tools can carefully scrape it away, and last resort is to use a drill bit by hand to scrape out buildup in the deep airway.

 

[sablebrush52]

Just to make sure I am not missing anything, the water is really warm or it should reach boiling point?
And if I pour the water inside the bowl, and let it leave the stem. I should, then, clean the bowl with a brush?

And thanks for your input.

I generally use as warm as I can comfortably tolerate with skin direct contact, not boiling hot. I let it drizzle through, such as will fill the chamber while the water pours out the end of the shank. I'll let it drizzle in for a minute, then start scrubbing out the mortise and twisting a bit of toweling in the chamber. If needed I'll repeat the process. So far no casualties, just fresh tasting pipes. I don't use water on Vulcanite stems as it can raise the sulfur in older stems. I only use water on acrylic stems, since alcohol isn't good for them.

 

[BROBS]

Alcohol is good for my acrylic stems. They love it

 

[sablebrush52]

Alcohol is good for my acrylic stems. They love it

You like that Venetian cracked glassware look?

 

[BROBS]

You like that Venetian cracked glassware look?

Never had any issue ?‍

 

[Law]

I generally use as warm as I can comfortably tolerate with skin direct contact, not boiling hot. I let it drizzle through, such as will fill the chamber while the water pours out the end of the shank. I'll let it drizzle in for a minute, then start scrubbing out the mortise and twisting a bit of toweling in the chamber. If needed I'll repeat the process. So far no casualties, just fresh tasting pipes. I don't use water on Vulcanite stems as it can raise the sulfur in older stems. I only use water on acrylic stems, since alcohol isn't good for them.

sounds great. Im grateful for this insight, both to you and “lightmybriar”. On a smaller note, I am soon getting a dunhill that uses a vulcanite stem. And god forbid anything happens to it, but if it does, Is there a way to clean inside of the vulcanite stem without this “water” method?

 

[cigrmaster]

I have used moist coffee grounds with really good success. I let the grounds sit for over 24 hours and it works just fine. I have gotten rid of nasty ghosts using this method.

 

[sablebrush52]

will it “dissenfect” the pipe? And should I use it instead of the salt?

sounds great. Im grateful for this insight, both to you and “lightmybriar”. On a smaller note, I am soon getting a dunhill that uses a vulcanite stem. And god forbid anything happens to it, but if it does, Is there a way to clean inside of the vulcanite stem without this “water” method?

You might try using a bit of toothpaste on a pipe cleaner, or baking soda paste on a pipe cleaner, then a quick rinse in cool water. I usually use alcohol for Vulcanite stems.

 

[Law]

I have used moist coffee grounds with really good success. I let the grounds sit for over 24 hours and it works just fine. I have gotten rid of nasty ghosts using this method.

That actually sounds really good. Might as well try it if I couldn’t get rid of it using the water method mentioned above.

 

[sablebrush52]

Never had any issue ?‍

As of yet. Give it time. Hopefully there will still be someone to do tenon replacements for you.

 

[JOHN72]

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.

The alcohol It's the best......for me...........I don't use any other liquid...........

 

[anotherbob]

I just throw them in the dishwasher.

I meet a gentleman who's wife did that to his meer collection.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I meet a gentleman who's wife did that to his meer collection.

I was only kidding of course....LOL!!