Okay, here's a minority report. Mostly I concur with what's been said; however, a sturdy minority of Forums members do not build cake. You need to be sure you have a thin carbon layer all the way to the bottom of the bowl. If you're not cake building, you scoop out the ash and any dottle and wipe out the bowl with a piece of paper towel (you don't need the whole square), paper napkin, or tissue, and blow out any remaining bits into an ashtray or waste basket. Then do the pipe cleaner, and buff the whole pipe with a soft rag, bandana, polishing cloth, or whatever. Enough bowls smoke low enough to create the carbon layer in the bottom of the bowl, but I never smoke after the flavor ceases to be pleasurable. The pipe serves me, I don't serve it. One or two of my pipes, bought new, are nearly 40 years old, and smoke better than ever, so in my opinion, this approach does not harm the pipe. The chamber remains the same size. I don't have to own a reamer and the chamber is never exposed to that additional wear. Many feel building cake is part of the grand tradition, but if you can stand to abandon it, you will find it is not needed for a good smoke.