Not Cleaning the Pipe as Thoroughly

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Dmitri1516

Might Stick Around
Jul 7, 2022
90
44
Hi guys, can I know if it's okay to not clean the pipe bowl as thoroughly? I plan to just clean the stem and mouthpiece. The reason being that im trying to conserve my pipe cleaners and it's not a good time to get more due to being busy with work and school

Thanks
 

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,417
Sweden
Hi guys, can I know if it's okay to not clean the pipe bowl as thoroughly? I plan to just clean the stem and mouthpiece. The reason being that im trying to conserve my pipe cleaners and it's not a good time to get more due to being busy with work and school

Thanks
Wiping out the bowl with a paper towel is cheap and takes 20 seconds. Waterflushing might also be an option. You cant be so busy that you cant spend 2 minutes cleaning the pipe, if you have the time to smoke it.
 

Dmitri1516

Might Stick Around
Jul 7, 2022
90
44
Wiping out the bowl with a paper towel is cheap and takes 20 seconds. Waterflushing might also be an option. You cant be so busy that you cant spend 2 minutes cleaning the pipe, if you have the time to smoke it.
I don't mean the bowl itself. I mean the part that connects the bowl to the stem and mouthpiece
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,569
27,074
Carmel Valley, CA
Pipe cleaners are a must and the cheapest thing apart from matches that you need.

If you do a water flush you will need to dry out the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaner(s) after.
For the first couple of years I did so. Then I discovered it really wasn't necessary except when the mortise needed attention. Which, when hot water flushing regularly, means a couple dozen smokes or more before the mortise can get sour.
A dirty airway (shank, mortise and stem) will result in a horrible, sour smoke.
Yes it does! But it needn't be totally clean as in running pipe cleaners through until they come out sparkling white.
 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,104
18,024
Michigan
I water rinse and use a shank brush after each smoke. A shank brush will cost you $2 max, and will last for years. Just wash off the brush with a little dish soap after each use to keep it clean. Before water rinsing I ream the bowl with a paper towel. Use one pipe cleaner to clean the mouthpiece.
 

vosBghos

Lifer
May 7, 2022
1,523
3,360
Idaho
When I first started I read that green pipe book and it said just run a cleaner through before or after every smoke and never break down the pipe hot/warm. Also I clean out the mortise with a bristle cleaner in the morning and every week or two I dip the cleaners in Vodka just to keep my pipes fresh.The bowls just get a paper towel after each ( ideally) smoke. I have done the salt and Everclear treatment on a pipe that got ghosted and another Estate pipe that had that grandmas house smell , that process exercises any poltergeist and leaves you with a clean slate but be sure to rest the pipe for a good week after you clean out that pepper colored salt.
 
Feb 12, 2022
3,405
46,958
31
North Georgia mountains.
Just buy pipe cleaners in bulk, cheapest option.
Regular pipe cleaner through your pipes will allow you to go longer without a deep cleaning. You really wanna get moisture out of the mortise and shank after each smoke, and the stem.
Pipe cleaner through those parts and a quick wipe of the bowl. Cheap, easy and takes just a couple minutes. You'll thank yourself down the road when you pipes don't taste like shit
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,398
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Just buy pipe cleaners in bulk, cheapest option.
Regular pipe cleaner through your pipes will allow you to go longer without a deep cleaning. You really wanna get moisture out of the mortise and shank after each smoke, and the stem.
Pipe cleaner through those parts and a quick wipe of the bowl. Cheap, easy and takes just a couple minutes. You'll thank yourself down the road when you pipes don't taste like shit
pipes get nasty if you don't clean them enough. Taste a bit like dog poop smells.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,757
30,563
71
Sydney, Australia
I know lots have multiple bowls out of the same pipe before cleaning, but I don’t.

Much like I won’t reuse a dinner plate or coffee cup without cleaning them first.
(It’s different if you’re just going back for seconds or topping up a half-finished cuppa) ?
 

Jef

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2019
280
498
67
North Carolina
I run a pipe cleaner down the stem and into the bowl after every smoke. If the pipe will not pass a pipe cleaner completely, then I do the stem and bend the cleaner to get into the bowl to get what moisture out that I can. After the pipe cools completely I break it down and get the mortise, shank, and the end of the tennon. Personally, I am not one for running water through my pipes.
Jef