Spring Cleaning...

[WNCLEE28466]

Hello. I need to clean and freshen some of my pipes. Rid them of a sour smell, and make them taste fresher. Can anyone recommend a homemade solution for this? I know there is Decatur's Briarfresh which will help with the odor, but I'd rather get a "recipe" that works for you guys, and tweak it to my liking Please help me w/ this... Thanks, LeRoy

 

[OzPiper]

Do you mean the bowl/chamber, stem/mortise or both ?

I use alcohol - a high proof peach brandy (clear spirit, not the sweet gloopy stuff) because it smells nicer than Everclear, which lots on the Forums recommend. Vodka or whisky/whiskey are acceptable substitutes.
I stuff the chamber with cotton balls rather than salt - easier to remove.

Others recommend using fresh coffee grounds for stubborn ghosts.

If the stem or mortise is gunked up, then you will have no choice but to do a thorough cleanse. Check with a strong light. Reaming out the gunk from the airway with a set of small drill bits or jewellers screwdrivers and small bristle brushes first will save you a lot of cleaners, q-tips and alcohol, not to mention time.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Periodical flush with hot tap water will keep your pipes fresh,in order to get rid of side tastes-light ghost/I'd put tightly packed wet coffee grounds in the chamber, to remove more stubborn ghosts, salt&spirit treatment , and if this does not help, I have been told there are some rare individuals who have been said to be putting them pipes in the preheated (lowheat)oven, chambers stuffed with activated charcoal

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hot water flush does the trick.

 

[mingc]

Hot water flush does the trick.

Seconded. And scrub with brushes.

 

[STP]

Another vote for water flushing…

 

[sablebrush52]

For general maintenance I'll use a warm water flush, just trickling the warer through the stummel with the stem removed, scrubbing it out with either shank brushes, wire bristle cleaners, q-tips for the mortise, and wiping the chamber with a wadded paper towel to remove recent cake. If the stem is vulcanite, it gets cleaned with a few passes of pipe cleaners that have been lightly soaked in alcohol, making sure to thoroughly clean out the funnel and the slot. If the stem is acrylic I use a few damp pipe cleaners that have been dipped in unscented dishwasher gel to scrub out the acrylic. No water on vulcanite and no alcohol on acrylic. That does an excellent job for regular maintenance.

But recently I've been doing a heavy duty cleaning job to neutralize a number of my more heavily used pipes where normal maintenance didn't quite get rid of the sour note. With these it's alcohol all the way, many scrubings until the pipe cleaner is barely pulling even the littlest bit of color. Then I just barely dampen the bristle pipe cleaner, work it back and forth in the airway, and leave it in, hanging the pipe off the edge of my workbench with the shank hanging down, and let it dry overnight to pull any stubborn oils out of the wood. I'll repeat this on successive days with fluffies that have been barely moistened with alcohol, hanging the pipes shank down, and let them pull any remaining oils out of the airway as the pipe cleaner dries out. The mortise gets the same treatment, sucking out any stubborn oil deposits until it's not just wood, but clean wood. I'll also sand back the cake until it's just a thin veil. It's the routine I would use on neutralizing an estate, or readying a pipe for sale.

After the intensive cleaning, the water flush treatment does a great job of keeping the pipe fresh.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

Very happy for this post. I have a great Castello and Karl Erik ive been trying to rejuvenate. Been doing the salt and alcohol on the bowls, waiting on a reamer for the bowls.

 

[Scottishgaucho]

I have to admit apart from putting a pipe cleaner through my pipes now and again I don't do anything else.

 

[Grangerous]

Water is all you need.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I used to use Everclear to do clean my pipes and still would with a really dirty one that's gone sour. Since I started water flushing after smoking, haven't had the need.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I run a pipe cleaner through it after use and that’s it. It’s been a good while since I’ve done anything additional. I tend to enjoy the old rank scent/flavor of my dirty pipes. ?️

 

[anotherbob]

Using a pipe cleaner on your pipes at least every other smoke prevents this from happening. Pipe cleaners are your friend. Also swabbing out the gunk with booze works great. Which ever booze is strong and prefered by you. I use whiskey and brandy. The added benefit is it effects the way the next few bowls taste in a very good way.