What Is Your Standard For Deep Cleaning A Tobacco Pipe?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

STP

Lifer
Sep 8, 2020
4,104
9,547
Northeast USA
Deep clean usually will include a light reaming. Pipe Cleaner soaked in Ever lead and run through stem until it comes out completely clean. Same for shank. Judiciously using the water flush method reduces the need for deep cleaning by at least a factor of 4 or 5.
^^^ This… and I was reluctant to use the water flush method, but I’m sold. New avatar ?
 

unadoptedlamp

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 19, 2014
742
1,368
Same standard for cleaning just about anything else I put in my mouth.

Warm water, lots of soap suds, and a thorough cleaning. Anything less is just sloppy, in my opinion.

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. I've got standards.

However, I'm not surprised at a lot of the cleaning "standards" put forth in the forums.

In a place predominately made up of dudes -who are notorious for being close to sub-human in respects to general cleanliness if you ask the opinion of the other 50% of the population- I fully expect the answer to be along the lines of "splash a little booze on it and call it good!"

Funny stuff... but sadly, entirely predictable.

Now, everyone, let's recite the possum lodge men's prayer by Red Green.

I am a man.

I can change.

If I have to.

I guess.
 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
1,989
2,651
WISCONSIN
I don't deep clean my pipes that often but when I do take them apart I use the cheap 97% alcohol and a brush on the stem and shank, a alcohol soaked Q-Tip in the mortise and a little vodka carefully applied to the the rim with a Q-Tip if needed. I clean up the chamber with sand paper if the cake is thick and finish up with Flitz Polish on vulcanite stems and Renaissance Wax over the whole pipe. I buff the rusticated and blasts with a boars hair brush or a chamois on the smooth pipes.
I always have a red/pink Dunhill Polishing Cloth, pipe cleaners and a paper towel for the chamber at hand for everyday use.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,756
30,563
71
Sydney, Australia
After each smoke, a couple of pipe cleaners in the airway then doubled up to scrub the bowl, followed by a scrunched up damp/wet paper towel in the bowl.

I deep clean all estate pipes received these days. I also did a few of my original pipes (bought in the '70's) recently.

Chambers reamed if necessary, leaving a minimal cake (<1mm). Then hot water flush, followed by a cotton ball + clear peach brandy soak for at least 24 hrs. Repeated if necessary.

The shank and stem is then cleaned with alcohol-soaked cleaners and q-tips. If the shank is really dirty, it's reamed with a set of jeweller's screwdrivers, then scrubbed out with shank brushes, hot water and soap. I like to see clean wood in the shank. Then alcohol-soaked cleaners left in for24 hrs