For about a year now, I have been using John's (jpmcwjr) method of water cleaning, and my pipes all look brand new all of the time. They smell fresh, no shtray smells at all, and they smoke sweet every time.
For years and years, I have just used the traditional method to have my pipe rack smell of ashtray, and pipes eventually smoked sweet, but they took longer, and cleaning all of them with alcohol was messy, nasty, and time consuming. The few minutes it takes to rinse a pipe, ream with a paper towel, and then swab with a pipe cleaner is minimal, and not an inconvenience on my day at all. Whereas, finding somewhere to buy high proof alcohol in my area is a long drive, then breaking them all down, and piles of nasty pipe cleaners.
Plus, my pipes all look beautiful, with a quick buff with a polishing cloth after the rinse, and they smell great at all times.
But, it is all a matter of what works best for you. As John says, many different ways to achieve the same results.
