OxiClean For Cleaning Oxidized Vulcanite Stems

[Effortlessdepths]

Really frustrated here... bought some Oxiclean to clean the oxidation off my vulcanite stems like the Bare Pipe youtube channel guy shows, but the Oxiclean is scented... There are so many vaguely described Oxiclean products that I don't know which one is the "original", and which ones are unscented. For those of you who have used Oxiclean, which one did you use? Was it scented? If it WAS scented, was it ok to use to clean these stems? I DO NOT want to ghost my pipe stems with f*&@#%g synthetic fragrance.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[ashdigger]

I’m no help here, since I just use micro mesh and elbow grease.

BUT my guess would be that scented wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

 

[STP]

Not sure about Oxiclean, but I’ve used chasingembers’s toothpaste suggestion and it works like a charm. It cleans and polishes. While I have yet to use a MagicEracer, I’ve heard that it work as well ?

 

[FurCoat]

Haven't used Oxy. Magic eraser didn't do squat for me. Have yet to try the lighter method and I will when the need arises, say on an estate. Micro mesh and elbow grease as @ashdigger mentioned is the method I find effective. Once the stem is to my satisfaction, I wipe it down with a thin coat of mineral oil which I reapply after each smoke. Haven't had to clean a stem in a long time.

 

[Grangerous]

I tried ChasingEmbers flame ? method and melted the button! My fault, of course and I tried it on an old Grabow. Any particular type of toothpaste? Are some more abrasive to polish better?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’ve used chasingembers’s toothpaste suggestion

?
I've never used toothpaste to remove oxidation, only to polish.

I tried ChasingEmbers flame ? method and melted the button! My fault, of course and I tried it on an old Grabow. Any particular type of toothpaste? Are some more abrasive to polish better?

You left the flame on it too long. Shouldn't even smell warm vulcanite when doing it.



Oxiclean leaves vulcanite pitted and requires sanding to correct. I'd never use it myself.

 

[RonB]

The one I’ve used which works well.

 

[STP]

?
I've never used toothpaste to remove oxidation, only to polish.


You left the flame on it too long. Shouldn't even smell warm vulcanite when doing it.



Oxiclean leaves vulcanite pitted and requires sanding to correct. I'd never use it myself.

Ha... my bad. Well, toothpaste cleaned up my stems. Maybe it was just dried spit ?

 

[RonB]

The one I’ve used which works well.

I should have added I use the 3M fine sanding pads along with it.

 

[KafkaStoleMyBike]

Oxyclean “Versatile” is the non-scented brand that I’ve used. After a quick soak (one hour max) I’ll hit the stem with a Magic Eraser and then finish with either a polish or toothpaste (thank you ChasingEmbers). This works for light to moderate oxidation, but some stems have still remained problematic- micromesh sanding pads work well to removed any pits that form during the process.

 

[sablebrush52]

Oxiclean leaves vulcanite pitted and requires sanding to correct. I'd never use it myself.

That's interesting. I didn't know that Oxiclean pitted Vulcanite. I've never used it as it's not useful against advanced oxidation such as turns Vulcanite orange or green. Bleach was a populat shortcut that I personally disdained because it pitted the hell out of Vulcanite. By the time the pitting was sanded away one would have done better to just use micromesh or some other sanding material.
Ask any experienced restorer and you'll get the same answer. Oxidized Vulcanite has to be physically removed or it will continue to rot the rest of the Vulcanite.

 

[B_Rock]

I tried the oxyclean, the magic erasure, mineral oil and microfiber cloth but wet micro mesh pads worked the best. The Oxyclean does do a nice job on my clothes!

 

[shanez]

That's interesting. I didn't know that Oxiclean pitted Vulcanite. I've never used it as it's not useful against advanced oxidation such as turns Vulcanite orange or green. Bleach was a populat shortcut that I personally disdained because it pitted the hell out of Vulcanite. By the time the pitting was sanded away one would have done better to just use micromesh or some other sanding material.
Ask any experienced restorer and you'll get the same answer. Oxidized Vulcanite has to be physically removed or it will continue to rot the rest of the Vulcanite.

Oxyclean is basically powdered, color safe bleach.

 

[fjc623]

Another method to clean vulcanite use 1200 grit sand paper and wet sand, then polish with carnauba wax and this will restore the shine.

 

[ssjones]

The powder, in a mild solution works well. The liquid, useless. I never had any pitting issues.

 

[dino]

Flitz polish, elbow grease, and finish with Obsidian oil.
If still kinda green, use a small piece of dampened Magic Eraser first, then Flitz and Obsidian.

 

[ophiuchus]

There was a time when I used Pearl Drops tooth polish, then rinsed with cold water. I don’t know if it’s still on the market; I stopped using it on my teeth many years ago. It worked pretty well for pipes, though. I just use a silverware polishing cloth once in a while now. It takes longer, but it’s not messy and I think it’s easier on the stems. I could see micro-mesh working well for more extreme cases of oxidation.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

In order to soften badly oxidized stem i once left one of those savinelli pipe vulcanite stems in 50% bleach solution for about 2 hours, afterwards I noticed I was never able to get rid of that chloride smell + this questionable procedure will leave heavily oxidized surfaces pitted

 

[Effortlessdepths]

The one I’ve used which works well.

Same one I have I think, but does yours have a scent?

 

[Effortlessdepths]

Oxyclean “Versatile” is the non-scented brand that I’ve used. After a quick soak (one hour max) I’ll hit the stem with a Magic Eraser and then finish with either a polish or toothpaste (thank you ChasingEmbers). This works for light to moderate oxidation, but some stems have still remained problematic- micromesh sanding pads work well to removed any pits that form during the process.

I have that same oxiclean, but it definitely has a scent. Is it simply that it's not *heavily* fragranced and does not ghost the pipe stem? Because I'm telling you right now I would rather ghost this all the Lakeland and cherry flavor in the world than have some industrial laundry scent infused into it. If you have any of the oxiclean you use on hand, could you give it a sniff and confirm?