Pipe Cleaning

[badbriar]

Here's a 2-parter...

1) How often do you do a general or 'adequate' cleaning? After every smoke, once a week - when?
2) How often do you do a thorough cleaning - 151 / alcohol / cotton ball / salt, etc?

Inquiring minds want to know

 

[Chasing Embers]

Fully disassemble and clean immediately after every smoke. I only use alcohol on unrestored estate pipes.

 

[kcghost]

Light cleaning after every smoke. Don't do a thorough cleaning.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Fully disassemble and clean immediately after every smoke. I only use alcohol on unrestored estate pipes.

+1

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Generally I clean a pipe after every smoke.

 

[augiebd]

I also do a light clean after each smoke. It seems to be enough to prevent the need for deep cleaning which I would do if a pipe gets foul. Like @Chasing Embers I use alcohol on estate pipes.

 

[hall222]

Light cleaning after every smoke, pipe cleaner thru it and wipe out bowl with PT.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Just dry pipe cleaners after most smokes.

 

[warren]

When necessary. I used to do all previously smoked pipes on Sunday.

 

[ray47]

I just run a pipe cleaner thru the stem and shank and swab out the bowl after each smoke. The pipe will let me know if I need to do a deep cleaning.

 

[FLDRD]

The basics after every smoke seems to keep them in tip-top shape.
At this rate I don't imagine I'll need to do anything further for a loooooong time.

 

[didimauw]

Fully disassemble and clean immediately after every smoke. I only use alcohol on unrestored estate pipes.

This is briars you are referring to?

 

[Chasing Embers]

This is briars you are referring to?

All of my pipes excluding any that I'm experimenting on.

 

[dunnyboy]

I lightly scrape the bowl with a pipe knife to clear out the dottle and burnt tobacco. Run hot water separately through the stem and stummel and dry them. Run a pipe cleaner through both parts and swab the bowl with a paper towel. The pipes never need a "thorough" cleaning after that.

 

[Jaylotw]

I'm known to occasionally run a pipe cleaner through. Sometimes I even take it apart and fold a cleaner over and do a little scrubbing.

About once every other little while, I'll run some hot water through, maybe take a knife or sharp screwdriver and scrape some cake out on the front porch if I'm feeling like a crotchety old man and want to scare the neighbor kids off the god damn lawn.

Once a year or something, I'll bust out the bristles and some alcohol and go to town, and ask myself why I don't take more care in daily cleaning.

My method works for me. I don't have expensive pipes and don't mind abusing them a bit.

 

[badbriar]

This is briars you are referring to?

yep - mainly briars & maybe throw in cobs as well

 

[Sobrbiker]

I’ll back to back bowls at work, and some days the same two pipes multiple days. Usually in this case a dry “pretty clean” cleaner after each smoke. Once home, they get clean cleaners, maybe the tip dipped in everclear and pulled through, if needed and a bowl wipe down.
Smokes at home get a basic clean after each smoke.

Bear in mind-I’m new, I’m hard on gear, and I don’t own any tools I don’t use. Nothing I collect (pipes, guns, motorcycles, etc) are there only to be looked at.

 

[Browny]

I just run a pipe cleaner thru the stem and shank and swab out the bowl after each smoke. The pipe will let me know if I need to do a deep cleaning.

This is me.

Clean/fresh pipe cleaner every time.
Finish a bowl, the pipe cleaner gets run through the stem to the bowl then a bit of a twist in both directions (only one bent that's made for a filter that won't pass through to the bowl, btw I don't use filters).
The 'clean' end for a quick clean inside the last say inch of the stem.
Fold said cleaner in half and wipe around the bowl a few times.
Done.

As ray47 said, the pipe will let you know if it needs a deep clean.
The taste becomes less enjoyable, more 'sour' as the saying goes.

 

[tklee]

Light cleaning after every smoke. I just use pipe cleaner. Once a month, I use tissue, sometimes wet tissue to clean the chamber. Alcohol is only for cleaning estate pipe that just bought. To clean thick cake.

 

[Lumbridge]

Absorbent pipe cleaner through the shank and wipe down the chamber with a paper towel after each smoke. I use bamboo paper towels because they don't fall apart, and leave behind no lint. I don't build cake, just a very thin carbon layer, so this works for me.
I leave the pipe cleaner in for an hour or so to absorb moisture before leaving the pipe out to air dry. Occasional swabbing with a high proof spirit like 151 rum (no sugary stuff) when the pipe seems a little funky, which isn't often because I'm a dry smoker.
I almost never use bristle cleaners.