Pipe Cleaning Recommendations for Newbies

[Coreios]

I just use a pipe cleaner after every use as suggested by someone here. Never needed Vodka because I never had a sour pipe.

 

[renfield]

When I need a solvent I only use food grade alcohol, Everclear. No real flavor an it’s almost pure ethyl alcohol. Isopropyl has a disagreeable smell to me and there are denaturing agents added to keep people from drinking it.

Rum will work but it’s mostly water. It has a flavor but it’s not persistent.

With all alcohols you have to avoid getting it on the stained parts of the pipe. The stains are usually alcohol based and alcohol will dissolve them.

Some plastics used in pipes will become more brittle with prolonged exposure to alcohol. The first sign is micro cracks. It shouldn’t be a problem because a pipe generally doesn’t need an alcohol cleaning very often if you just use a pipe cleaner or two each time you smoke it.

 

[anotherbob]

I gotta put this question out to the forum because of contradictory advice. Have been told I can use rum to clean my pipe .The rum will add a note of sweetness to my smoke. Then was told by a tobacconist only to use vodka or high proof grain alcohol to clean my pipe. That is because the sugar in the rum will clog my pipe stem. Which is true. Is using rum bad or good? Can some experienced pipe smokers weigh in? Thanks. Bombba 1

I use whiskey/brandy/or rum to clean my pipes. Never had it clog anything but if you have acrylic stems use alcohol of whatever type you pick on the stummel (wood parts internals only) and just water on the acrylic stem. Or at least that is what I do. But the only issue with alcohol is that it can ruin stain on the outside of the pipe and it can do damage to acrylics. But must important cleaning thing in my opinion is just swabing the pipe with a pipe cleaner per smoke making sure to run it down the stem and clean the mortise (where the stem goes into the pipe). The mortise can get real dirty if not cleaned regularly.

 

[OzPiper]

I use whiskey/brandy/or rum to clean my pipes. Never had it clog anything but if you have acrylic stems use alcohol of whatever type you pick on the stummel (wood parts internals only) and just water on the acrylic stem. Or at least that is what I do. But the only issue with alcohol is that it can ruin stain on the outside of the pipe and it can do damage to acrylics. But must important cleaning thing in my opinion is just swabing the pipe with a pipe cleaner per smoke making sure to run it down the stem and clean the mortise (where the stem goes into the pipe). The mortise can get real dirty if not cleaned regularly.

THIS

 

[Bob the bear]

Whisky alcohol rum vodka all work fine. But if you want a stronger cleaning agent then isopropyl alcohol is better(can't comment on everclear as it's not available where I stay ). For day to day cleaning I use cheap whisky. For deep cleaning I use isopropyl