Sterilize a Stem

[carbz13]

I've been wanting a poker for a while now and ended up winning a Mario Grandi on eBay. It's listed at used but looks almost new from the pics. Besides a standard cleaning, what do you all recommend for sanitizing/sterilizing the stem before I enjoy a smoke with it?

 

[ejames]

Clean it inside and out with 91% isopropyl alcohol.

 

[dryseason91]

If you find isopropyl hard to get, as I do, a bath in diluted bleach and a thorough rinsing with water afterwards is fine.

 

[carbz13]

Will the alcohol or the bleach dull the stems finish?

 

[jkenp]

Shouldn't cause a stem problem with most pipes of fairly recent manufacture. I wouldn't want it to test an amber stem or ancient. If you are concerned, plug the mortice. You can then clean the stem with a soaked cleaner. If you get one with oxidation, it can be cleaned and stabilized with some oxyclean.

 

[dryseason91]

If its an ebonite stem, then yes, the bleach will strip off some of the gloss. I believe this can be remedied by sanding down the ebonite and applying a polish.

 

[jgriff]

Most of the Mario Grandi stems I've seen appear to be acrylic., so oxidation shouldn't be a worry. I'd just grab some pipe cleaners and some grain alcohol and disinfect it. Unless there are alot of scratches or teeth chatter, then you shouldn't need to do much else.

 

[rcstan]

Alcohol. Inside and out. No bleach, you might cause weird chemical reactions that will affect the gloss. Then a good shining on the buffer wheel, if you have one.

 

[instymp]

+1 Ejames, he has done it once or twice. :lol: Drug stores carry the 90% for people that have to inject.

I use Bacardi 151 Rum.

 

[cigrmaster]

I personally use Everclear for cleaning my stems. If I cannot drink it then I do not want it touching my stems.

 

[instymp]

+1 cigar..if you can get 190 proof in you area

 

[sablebrush52]

Alcohol works fine. Bleach is a no no. Every restorer I've spoken with says the same thing, bleach destroys vulcanite. Check out what Walker Briar Works say on the subject. Bleach pits the vulcanite/ebonite.