Pipe Cleaning and Maintenance

[PApiper63]

I always run a pipe
cleaner through the stem, mortise and shank. I wipe out the bowl
with a wadded up paper towel after every smoke, even if I smoke the same pipe multiple times a day. I rarely do
anything else. Every once in a great while I will have to use a high octane booze for a bit of a deeper clean but that is rare. I have well known over 200 pipes including many estates that are several decades old and this cleaning system has never failed me. I have a pipe cleaning rag that I occasionally will wipe down the outside of a pipe and occasionally I will re wax them but that is mostly because I enjoy the ritual.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

I guess I am not particularly fastidious about it. I smoke my pipes without any thought other than knocking out the ashes between bowls…. until I find the experience not to my liking. Then I will either use a pipe cleaner to clean the stem and shank or ream the bowl a bit to wrangle the pipe back to the pleasurable experience I like. When I do this servicing is never predictable…. sometimes it is after a single bowl (rare) and sometimes it may be after a dozen or more bowls. Basically, to me a pipe that I like is functional until it isn’t….. and that is when I investigate cleaning it in some fashion.

 

[Bassman65]

I wait till the pipe is cool. First I chuck out my used filter. Then I use some small soft nylon brushes that seem to work well. One sized for stem. One for mortise. One for bowl. They get most of the gunk out. These can be washed and reused.

I then use a pipe cleaner that gets anything missed. I then clean the inside of the bowl with a paper towel.

I use a soft cloth on stems and the exterior of the bowls. Obsidian oil on the vulcanite stems.

Between the brushes, pipe cleaners and paper towel, I get very little cake. No real need to ream.

Does anyone else like to use the little nylon brushes?

My set up looks like the one in the picture below plus the pipe cleaners and paper towel.

 

[zanxion]

The problem with the nylon bristle brushes is that they do not take much of the tar from the airway of the stem. For the stem, a few drops of vodka on a cotton cleaner and taking all possible residues with it. Then, a wet another cotton cleaner and give it a drab of dish washing soap. I give a good cleaning with it to the airway of the stem, rinse it, and it is ready for a clean next smoke.
I liked a lot the idea of the brushes with the nylon bristles as their re-use contributes in reducing waste.

 

[FLDRD]

Clean everything after every bowl in any given pipe.
It seems like a chore in my brain, but only takes 2-3 minutes. Sometimes it's done a day or 2 later.
I enjoy adding the usage of the cheap Neerup? bristle brushes from SP. Just a few bucks and last a long time.
I use them in addition to pipe cleaners, paper towel or napkin, etc.
If one of my system standard reservoirs actually collected any moisture, I'll drop 1-2 drops of Everclear into it upon reassembly to soak / evaporate while resting.
Just for fun, I give most of them an exterior brushing with a horse hair shoe brush before placing back on shelf.

 

[anotherbob]

I used to run a pipe cleaner after every smoke. I do it every couple of smokes from a pipe about once a week. It takes a few smokes through a pipe before I notice a change and also it's more satisfying to have the cleaner come out totally dark. And about twice a year I do the alcohol swab on all the pipes. Biggest thing though is to make sure when you clean a pipe you also get the mortise the hole the stem goes into. That's where the grossest and most effective space for transferring nasty into the flavor. A qtip or bent pipe cleaner will do the trick there.

 

[Morbius]

Big fan of Q-tip in the mortise. You can really scrub it out well. It's always better to use a hard tool to get the job done.

 

[44 S&W]

Great advice,all of it. I find my pipes taste a lot better after I swab the bowl with a very damp cloth

 

[Bassman65]

The problem with the nylon bristle brushes is that they do not take much of the tar from the airway of the stem. For the stem, a few drops of vodka on a cotton cleaner and taking all possible residues with it. Then, a wet another cotton cleaner and give it a drab of dish washing soap. I give a good cleaning with it to the airway of the stem, rinse it, and it is ready for a clean next smoke.
I liked a lot the idea of the brushes with the nylon bristles as their re-use contributes in reducing waste.

For sure. I really find they cut down on the number of pipe cleaners used. Although cheap, the waste factor is real.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I insert the clean end of a pipe cleaner down the stem immediately once I'm done smoking. That's when the nasties are still damp and volatile, so this helps wick them away. I do tend to let the bowl cool and dry for a few minutes before wiping it out with a paper towel, though. That's so that the cake, which I try to preserve as an outdoor smoker, can re-harden a little first.

My system isn't really internally consistent, is it? Nevertheless, that's what I do.

 

[Pipeandapencil]

I dont do much different than most except I have found one thing helpful. I have a small 2x2 inch cloth rag that I keep in a bag with my obsidian oil. I put a drop of oil onto the same little rag every time and do a quick wipe down of the stem to help slow oxidation, then I put the rag back in the bag to keep it from drying off. After a few times the rag will have enough absorbed oil that I usually don't even apply more oil, just use what's still in the rag. I like to keep my pipes displayed so I give the vulcanite stems a quick swipe every time or if they look a little dry. After trying to restore a few old estate pipes I'm now terrified of oxidation...

 

[BigR]

I smoke cheaper pipes like DR Grabow and MM corn cob pipes, so I don't deep clean them much. Usually after every smoke I take a paper towel and twist it in the bowl after dumping the ashes. After a month or so of smokes, (depending on the amount of smokes), I'll break out the everclear and pipe cleaners and give them a good cleaning. Now, if I had expensive pipes, I'd probably clean those more often, but that's one of the reasons that I like cheaper pipes.

 

[bullet08]

I like to clean my pipe right after smoking it. Easier to clean that way, and don't really need monthly big clean. No, I don't mind taking apart still hot pipe. But, yes, things could go wrong.

 

[burleybreath]

If I thought I had to clean my pipes after every smoke I wouldn't be a pipe smoker. Maybe insert a pipe cleaner, maybe not. The mortise is the big deal. The taste will tell you when to clean it. I do nothing to the bowl because I like cake. When tobacco can't be easily knocked out of the bowl I ream it with a "Senior Reamer," or whatever they're called now. I have never damaged a pipe reaming it, and can't imagine how one could unless you're one of those who shouldn't be allowed to have tools. All my bowl chambers have remained round over the years, unlike what I'd expect from using a knife.

For what it's worth, a warm water flush will rid a pipe of vile nasties. Instantly. You can smoke it immediately afterwards, if so inclined. The pipe is already wet inside after smoking, so all you're doing is rinsing that out and doing the wood a favor. For the bottom of the mortise, I use a tiny screwdriver with straight, not tapered, sides to the blade, and scrape lightly.

 

[Chris T]

The only ones I clean after every smoke are my Petersons with reservoirs. Filtered pipes, when I change the filter. The rest, when they taste bad or the draft hole is blocked.

 

[Mike N]

As somebody relatively new to smoking a pipe, I'd be interested to hear what you old hands would consider to be a good general, day-to-day (bowl-to-bowl) maintenance routine for a pipe.

How often do you run a pipe cleaner through the stem? After every bowl? End of the day? Do you wait for the pipe to cool down before removing the stem, or is that being over cautious?

How about the inside of the bowl? I usually bend a pipe cleaner into a u-shape and lightly run it around the inside. Is that sufficient to keep things in good order?

Also, the outside of the pipe? Anything worth doing on a regular basis to keep the exterior in good condition?

Thanks in advance for your input.

---------

PS: Couldn't see an introduction page, so just to say I'm new to the forum, been smoking a pipe for a few months and look forward to meeting you all.

Buy thin or tapered pipe cleaners that pass easily and and even use them during your smoke if there is any moisture gurgling from the tobacco (I don’t use filters.). I seldom ever remove the stem. Just pre-bend the pipe cleaner for a bent stem.

I also buy the longer pipe cleaners and clip the dirty end with wire cutters about 3/4 inch down and get a lot of repeat uses, I am not a fan of bristle or fluffy pipe cleaners. I sometimes first dip the end in a pipe cleaner fluid to keep it fresh and prevent ghosting by Latakia etc. Purchased in bulk, pipe cleaners are relatively cheap.

 

[Briarcutter]

Buy thin or tapered pipe cleaners that pass easily and and even use them during your smoke if there is any moisture gurgling from the tobacco (I don’t use filters.). I seldom ever remove the stem. Just pre-bend the pipe cleaner for a bent stem.

^^^^^^^Yes, this. I very rarely take my pipes apart. Ream occasionally and pipe cleaners is about all I ever do. Been smoking a pipe for decades. I like the BJ longs regular. Last time I purchased them, still made in USA. As long as they smoke good I don't try and fix what isn't broke.

 

[Eireprof]

I give it a full clean after every smoke, and I run an Everclear soaked pipe cleaner through it every dozen or so bowls.

 

[PeachySmokes]

After every smoke: remove stem and flush with cold water, followed by pipe cleaner. Paper towel twisted into bowl and pipe cleaner into shank/mortise. Warm/hot water run through bowl followed by paper towel on finger and vigorously "ream" bowl. Reassemble and run final pipe cleaner through stem and into bowl. Sometimes pipe cleaner dipped into liquor and, once in a while a qtip dipped in alcohol into shank/mortise. Provides a clean smoke every time and means very thin cake with no reaming required.

Glad to know I’m not the only one who rinses the stem under running water after every smoke. To avoid the missus complaining about any unpleasant smell in the house, I try to clean my pipes as far as I think that it’s necessary, and I’m sure many would disagree. =D

My current established routine after every smoke:
- rinse the stem under cold/warm water through the airway
- blow through the stem to remove some water and dry the exterior of the stem with a paper towel
- twist a corner of this slightly moist paper towel and stuff it in the tenon, then mortise to clean out some gunk
- same moist paper towel, use a clean spot to wipe the rim of the bowl
- same moist paper towel wrapped over a finger (finger of choice depending on bowl diameter) and stuff in the bowl to clean out some char GENTLY
- run a pipe cleaner through the stem, which should take out any remaining water
- same pipe cleaner through the mortise and bowl airway
- same pipe cleaner bent to a U shape to clean the bowl
- optionally, wipe down the bowl further with a dry paper towel

Something uncommon that I do is that I then store the pipe in a small airtight container with a pouch or two of activated charcoal which (I believed) should takes out remaining moisture and some smell. I put out these pouches on sunny days to dry out and I have a few to rotate.

This routine to me is part of my pipe smoking ritual that brings me peace. Also, I don’t mind a slower buildup of cake in the bowl.

Comments are welcomed. =D

 

[MartyA]

I'm pretty particular about it. I just feel that clean pipes taste better.

I can't say that I enjoy cleaning my pipes, it's more of a small chore, but after each smoke I immediately (carefully) remove the stem, run a couple pipe cleaners through it, then clean out the stummel with Qtips. Then a few cut off pipe cleaners down the air hole, and a quick wipe of the bowl with a folded pipe cleaner just to get any unburned junk out. I clean off the rim with a little spit, and wipe the outside with a paper towel.

Takes 6 or 7 minutes per pipe.