What Is Your Standard For Deep Cleaning A Tobacco Pipe?

[JOHN72]

My pipes are made of corn. So I do not use water for cleaning. I do a deep cleaning every three to 4 months. With 96º alcohol and kitchen paper, in addition to the pipe cleaner rods Toothpicks for removing tobacco residue, etc...............Nothing special, no magic spells.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

So I supposed I am doing it wrong. I run a pipe cleaner through from button to bowl, then double the cleaner over and swish it around in the bowl. I clearly need a proper regimen.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I do keep mine rinsed and reamed with a paper towel, but every now and then the cake does start to bother me, regardless of how hard I try to keep it beaten back. I will still occasionally ream with a reamer, and clean the mortise and shank really well with small brushed and alcohol. Maybe buff with a clean wheel and rag. That's about it.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Pipe cleaner through the stem, damp paper towel in the chamber and clean the shmutz off the rim

Same, but with a damp pipe cleaner.

 

[telescopes]

A fine interesting study would be to look at the above given replies and correlate them to the marital status and experiences of the respondents. I have a hypothesis as to what the data might revel.

 

[Pipeoff]

Some of us take very good care of our pipes, keeping them scrupulously clean after use. Some of us are a bit more hit and miss in this department. Some of us are complete slobs.

So when some of you decide to "deep clean" a pipe what does that involve? What's your standard for "job done"?

The method I use is a hot al. Retort system. Pipe cleaners, flushing or bracer is better than nothing but the hot al. Sanitizes used wood, removes gosting when changing blends, opens pores of bowl. The only problem is that make sure your fire insurance is paid up.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A fine interesting study would be to look at the above given replies and correlate them to the marital status and experiences of the respondents. I have a hypothesis as to what the data might revel.

You've piqued my interest. Start a thread.

 

[Briar Lee]

I do one deep clean when I buy a used pipe, then afterwards maintain them using 190 proof Everclear, pipe cleaners, twisted paper towels, olive oil, and rarely a Butner reamer or a sharp pocketknife.

I usually smoke a pipe one smoke, then clean it. It’s never going to get all clogged with tars, never, although some of my Lees at the office may go a few smokes between cleaning.

I use Everclear because Harry Hosterman used it. A man who believed that only Satan was behind selling booze, kept a pint of the strongest to clean his Dr. Grabow pipes.

Harry claimed the strong liquor sweetened his pipes.

Water might not hurt, but soap residue would not taste as good as corn twistings, I don’t think.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Wasn't Harry Hosterman in Pennsylvania? I'm not sure I would trust his notions of strong liquors.

 

[telescopes]

You've piqued my interest. Start a thread.

I would...but. I am confident that I know how it would go.

Eventually, the thread would be divorced from its original question and locked out of the house after being served its papers by the moderators.

I would never give my dishes or my wife's ass a cursory rub with moonshine and call it a job well done, but that's just me.

Exhibit One: It appears that anal pipe cleaners are not just anal about pipes.

I think I can rest my case.

 

[Briar Lee]

Wasn't Harry Hosterman in Pennsylvania? I'm not sure I would trust his notions of strong liquors.

Harry Hosterman, lived in Cedar County, in Spout Spring Hollow, nearest post office Dunnegan.

He was such an observant Christian his church didn’t allow a piano, much less guitars, dobros, banjos and fiddles.

And for him to show a little boy like I was then a bottle of liquor store purchased straight unwatered booze, meant that Christ was watching, and there wasn’t any thing to be embarrassed about.

Our Christian Church was a tiny bit more liberal, than Harry’s Church of Christ.

We played and sang Louvin Brothers morality songs, like this one:

THE PRICE OF THE BOTTLE

Strangely, my folks kept an unopened pint of bourbon in the shelf, a 1947 wedding present, I was told.

If we had a bad enough cough, then we could use it as medicine.

I poured it out when my mother moved to town in 2001. She didn’t want to tempt the new cleaning lady with it.

For Harry Hosterman to recommend Everclear for cleaning pipes, would have required a papal dispensation had we been Catholic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Harry Hosterman, lived in Cedar County, in Spout Spring Hollow, nearest post office Dunnegan.

He was such an observant Christian his church didn’t allow a piano, much less guitars, dobros, banjos and fiddles.

And for him to show a little boy like I was then a bottle of liquor store purchased straight unwatered booze, meant that Christ was watching, and there wasn’t any thing to be embarrassed about.

Our Christian Church was a tiny bit more liberal, than Harry’s Church of Christ.

We played and sang Louvin Brothers morality songs, like this one:

THE PRICE OF THE BOTTLE

Strangely, my folks kept an unopened pint of bourbon in the shelf, a 1947 wedding present, I was told.

If we had a bad enough cough, then we could use it as medicine.

I poured it out when my mother moved to town in 2001. She didn’t want to tempt the new cleaning lady with it.

For Harry Hosterman to recommend Everclear for cleaning pipes, would have required a papal dispensation had we been Catholic.

You remind me so much of my brother-in-law that it is scary. I love talking with him. He is a retired CIA analyst, now a pastor up in NC, and we talk every Sunday evening on the phone, looooong conversations. I look forward to it every Sunday.
Too bad you are in an area that I hardly ever visit. I did stay at a dude ranch outside of Branson once, like 30 years ago. I bet we could yarn an afternoon away.

 

[lawdawg]

So I supposed I am doing it wrong. I run a pipe cleaner through from button to bowl, then double the cleaner over and swish it around in the bowl. I clearly need a proper regimen.

That's exactly what I do after every smoke. Been doing it that way for years.

After somewhere around maybe 10 or 15 smokes, I do a warm water rinse, swab with a pipe cleaner, and repeat until the pipe cleaners come out clean. I used to use alcohol to clean my pipes, but found that the warm water rinse is easier and accomplishes the goal a bit quicker, and no need to buy the grain alcohol. I do still use grain alcohol for cleaning my cobs.

I used to be a very scrupulous "thoroughly clean after each smoke" guy, but found it to not to be very worthwhile so long as you don't go too long between cleanings, which I probably do sometimes. I will say that the pipes seems noticeably fresh for the first couple smokes after a good cleaning, especially that first smoke.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Post with unattributed photo deleted.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Post with unattributed photo deleted.

Can you explain what this means, sir? Thanks in advance.

 

[cigrmaster]

After every smoke I clean the piss out of my pipe using only pipe cleaners, bristle and fluffy. I only use BJ Long and have for over 2 decades. I use 2-4 fluffy cleaners on the stem. I double those over and wipe the bowl of ash and loose tobacco. I also blow real hard through the shank. I double over bristle cleaners and use as many as needed to clean the shank and mortise, usually 3-4, sometimes more. I then wipe some Obidisian stem oil on after every use to keep the stems looking nice. I have Dunhill polishing cloths but rarely use them.

I rarely have to do deep cleans after this regiment but when I do I use shank brushes, Evercelar, bristle and fluffy cleaners. I also use a Senior Reamer when it is time to ream a bowl. I found the Senior to be idiot proof since I am able to use it.

 

[telescopes]

After every smoke I clean the piss out of my pipe

Hmmm. That's interesting. A bit different, but, yah, interesting. TMI

 

[jpmcwjr]

It's simple: after a few smokes, I run hot tap water through the chamber and out the stem. Perhaps followed by a pipe cleaner, but often not. This gives a deeper cleaning than many other cleaning methods.

For a really deep clean, after the above, I take out the stem and have at it with the mortise. Pipe tool, Q-tips, paper towel.

No alcohol has touched my pipes for five years, and my pipes smoke sweet and don't smell in the rack.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

Can you explain what this means, sir? Thanks in advance.

I think it means that he thinks someone is a little over-sensitive about a double entendre (which is French for "relax").

Huh, come to think of it, maybe the picture was a triple entendre (no translation).

Hold my beer. Dave Chappelle is calling about some upcoming tour dates.

 

[hauntedmyst]

You can always tell you need a deep cleaning by the funky taste. I start by separating the stem from the bowl and clean the stem first with Everclear and pipe cleaners on the inside. I wash out the bowl and mortise with warm warm and use paper towels to dry them. Then I re-drill the airway. Its faster than starting out cleaning the gunk out with pipe cleaners, which I then do with Everclear. Next is making sure the mortise is cleaned with EC, Q-tips and pipe cleaners Now we're on to reaming. Once that's done, I make my kid hold it while I hit it with a power washer. January through March is rough on him but the pipes need to be cleaned. You can really tell it's clean when you are done power washing it. Back inside for drying, waxing and buffing. I run some Obsidian over the vulcanite stems and leave it sit for about 30 minutes. Then I wipe it off and reassemble.