How to Clean A Pipe Tobacco

Pipe smokers assemble!

We are sure that everyone who owns a pipe has at least a basic notion of the need to clean your pipe. But very few people actually know the proper methods for cleaning and maintaining a tobacco pipe. So in this post, we are going to be teaching you all of that.

The first thing you should know as a pipe owner is that your regularly used pipe (or pipes) needs to be cleaned in 3 phases:

• Phase 1 is a basic cleaning which you carry out after every smoke. This type of pipe cleaning only takes a few minutes and will keep your pipe in great shape for years to come.
• Phase 2 is an alcohol-based cleaning which you can opt to do every few smokes for extra-thorough maintenance of your pipe.
• Phase 3 is the most thorough cleaning phase of all and should be done at least once a month if you are a frequent pipe tobacco smoker, or at least once in 2 or 3 months if you do not smoke your pipe(s) that often. Here, you disassemble and carefully clean your pipe so that all the ash, dottle, and cake is removed completely.

How to Clean Your Pipe at Each Phase.

Now that you know when exactly you should be cleaning your tobacco pipe, here is how to clean your pipe(s) at each cleaning phase.

How to Clean Your Tobacco Pipe at Phase 1:

1. Wait until your pipe is cool to the touch before removing the mouthpiece to begin cleaning. Do not do this while your pipe is still warm. This is to avoid cracking or breaking your pipe.

2. Turn your pipe over a cork knocker and, holding it by the bowl, gently knock any ash or leftover tobacco into the ashtray.

3. Gently push a pipe cleaner back and forth through the stem of your pipe to absorb moisture and clean out ash from the pipe stem and mouthpiece.

4. Repeat step 3, changing the pipe cleaners until the last one comes out clean (this typically takes 2 or 3 pipe cleaners).

5. Use a pipe cleaner or paper towel to also clean out the bowl.

6. If the cake in the pipe bowl has begun to get too thick, use a dull pipe knife to carefully scrape the bowl. Again, be extremely careful not to scrape off too much cake from the bowl as the “carbon cake” serves as a protective layer within your pipe.

7. Use a clean soft cloth to shine up your pipe’s exterior (essential step if you use  smooth briar pipes).

How to Clean Your Tobacco Pipe at Phase 2:

1. Ensure your pipe is completely cool.

2. Use alcohol (this could be rubbing alcohol, vodka, rum, or whiskey) to clean the pipe more thoroughly. Soak a paper towel in your alcohol of choice and thoroughly dab it into the bowl of your pipe.

3. If the carbon cake is thicker than about 1.5mm, scrape down the cake with a dull pipe knife before dabbing the bowl with alcohol.

4. Soak a pipe cleaner each in the alcohol and run them through the stem and mouthpiece a few times.

5. Use a clean, dry pipe cleaner to soak up any excess moisture from the alcohol, then leave the pipe to dry completely.

How to Clean Your Tobacco Pipe at Phase 3:

1. You must make sure your pipe is 100% cool before doing this type of cleaning.

2. Disassemble any removable parts of your pipe (usually the mouthpiece and any filters).

3. Use pipe cleaners with alcohol to clean out the stem and mouthpiece the same way you would at Phase 2.

4. Use a pipe brush to clean the bowl thoroughly.

5. Swab the bowl with alcohol and set aside to dry thoroughly.

6. Consider doing a kosher salt treatment if you want to get rid of all the cake in your pipe and reset it to its original state (where, of course, you will have to break your pipe in all over again).

7. Consider using an oil (such as olive oil) to polish and treat the exterior briar of your pipe.

8. Allow all the pieces to dry completely before putting your pipe back together.

Conclusion

Using this timetable we have provided, every tobacco pipe owner must develop a unique routine for cleaning and caring for their smoking pipes. This will enable you to get the best use out of your pipe tobacco in the long run!

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