Meerschaum Wipedown

[isaac]

Is there any reason that you wouldn’t be able to wipedown a meerschaum with a damp cloth? I’m assuming the wax isn’t sitting right in top, and it imbeds somewhat.

i can see some considerable smoot that I would like to take care of

 

[Fralphog]

I‘m interested in the replies to this thread. I only own one meerschaum and have had some questions on normal maintenance.

 

[Casual]

I sometimes hold the things under hot water and scrub them out with paper towel. No damage yet.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’m assuming the wax isn’t sitting right in top,

It is. It's applied to reduce scratching on the material. I just wipe the outside down with a clean t-shirt.

 

[kurtbob]

Yup, like @Chasing Embers said, t-shirt buff and you’re good to go. No wax, no nothin

 

[ashdigger]

This is becoming more and more complicated.

Just do a quick wipe down. You’ll be fine, but I clean my meers with Everclear. So follow my advice at your own risk, but I’ve never ruined one pipe doing it my way.

 

[jhowell]

I use a soft toothbrush and undiluted dish soap. Rinse off and set in a dish-drainer to dry for 24 - 48 hours. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRY WITH A CLOTH! I learned the hard way that you can wipe the carving right off the pipe.

 

[warren]

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRY WITH A CLOTH! I learned the hard way that you can wipe the carving right off the pipe.

Damn! My old meerschaums handle towel drying when I clean the surface and on the carved ones use a toothbrush. I don't baby my meers except they are now mostly indoor pipes. Or, on the deck. I've seen one with such shallow carving that a swipe of a towel could damage, much less remove it. But, I've only had a doxen or so in my possession over the last fifty plus years. Picture please!

 

[jpmcwjr]

I flush the chamber with hot water - maybe 15-20 seconds and then the outside if needed.
I don't towel dry, and sometimes smoke it within an hour or two. YMMV.

 

[dctune]

Is there any reason that you wouldn’t be able to wipedown a meerschaum with a damp cloth? I’m assuming the wax isn’t sitting right in top, and it imbeds somewhat.

i can see some considerable smoot that I would like to take care of

My meer is a bearded man’s face. I named the pipe Brother Daryl. And bc there’s so many little grooves and valleys, Brother Daryl has a tendency to get a little smudgy and grimes from time to time just due to my handling of his face whilst smoking. When I feel he needs a bath, I just wipe him down with actual baby wipes. Not Clorox wipes. Baby wipes. I even regularly swab the inside of the bowl with baby wipes to keep Brother Daryl from enjoying cake. Here’s Brother Daryl:

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I’ve only water flushed my Meers a couple of times. Sounds like I need to start doing it after each smoke. Other than that, I treat them no different than a briar.

 

[jhowell]

Damn! My old meerschaums handle towel drying when I clean the surface and on the carved ones use a toothbrush. I don't baby my meers except they are now mostly indoor pipes. Or, on the deck. I've seen one with such shallow carving that a swipe of a towel could damage, much less remove it. But, I've only had a doxen or so in my possession over the last fifty plus years. Picture please!

The pipe is long gone (in the trash) It was an excellent example of lattice carving (pipe within a pipe) I had just gotten the pipe and was eager to try it out. I have a process I go through with every pipe I receive. Part of that process is to scrub the exterior with a soft toothbrush and undiluted liquid detergent. Normally I rinse and set the pipe aside to dry. In this case I was impatient so I decided to "help" the drying process by wiping the pipe... All of the lattice just wiped off the pipe. I was disgusted with myself and heartbroken... Moral: Never rush anything when it comes to pipe smoking...

 

[Chasing Embers]

Damn! My old meerschaums handle towel drying when I clean the surface and on the carved ones use a toothbrush. I don't baby my meers except they are now mostly indoor pipes. Or, on the deck. I've seen one with such shallow carving that a swipe of a towel could damage, much less remove it. But, I've only had a doxen or so in my possession over the last fifty plus years. Picture please!

My big Kenan skull hit the kitchen floor without a scratch but it did leave a dent in the linoleum.