Only tobacco smokers know the happiness of purchasing a new smoking pipe. They love to flaunt it to the people around. However, with time, it gets dirty after a few uses. To maintain it, you should not neglect the cleaning part. Whether you have the Vintage Smoking Pipes or a brand new one; after the honeymoon period will over, it will eventually get dirty.
So, keeping it clean is a prime important thing for tobacco smokers. Unless you have a clean pipe, you will not get the enjoyment of smoking. It is because the residues start to degrade the performance of the pipe. If you think that, it is pretty complicated to clean a pipe, then don’t worry. We are here to help you with a step by step procedure to clean the pipe.
If you are a new smoker, then before starting the cleaning process, you need to familiarize yourself with the parts of the tobacco pipe. Most of the time, the new pipes come with a manual, and for the Estate Tobacco Pipes, you need to search on a similar model on the internet to get information for the same. There are parts like chamber, bowl, shank, tenons, stummel, stem, bit, button, etc.
However, before starting the cleaning of the pipe, you need to make sure it is completely cold. So, keep aside all the cleaning accessories in the drawer if the pipe is still warm.
Never remove the shank from the stem of the smoking pipes as it may lead to cracking of the wood. Moreover, the warm pipe will absorb excess moisture and the job will be messier.
Now you start digging the dirt and keep the pipe clean!
Start the preparation:
Many times, you may tap the pipe bowl to make it empty. However, when you knock the bowl on a hard surface it can be cracked or get any other damage. So, to clean the bowl, always use a customized cork knocker or you can even use the palm of your hands as well.
Before starting the cleaning process, make sure you have a big space to work as there are so many accessories to work with. Moreover, you need to cover the space with a paper towel as it will release an unpleasant smell and tar.
Along with that, you need to keep a dustbin nearby at the time of cleaning the tobacco pipe. As the Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and paper towels can make other things dirty.
Tools you need to clean up the pipe:
To start from the basics, you need some basic tools that will help you in the cleaning process. You need the following tools to get yourself prepared for future use.
• Paper towels
• Q-Tips
• Shot glass
• Alcohol
• Pipe tools
• Pipe cleaners & scrapers
• Reamer
• Pipe tool
Now start the cleaning process:
• Start the process with a cleaning cloth or a paper towel. If you are using a cleaning cloth, then make sure it is washed properly. Otherwise, the paper towel is a great tool to clean it as they are good at absorbing stray liquid.
• Now it’s come to selecting the alcohol to clean it. You can use rye or corn alcohol though rubbing alcohol is also a good option for it. Nowadays, many people also consider using liquor for the cleaning purpose as it is less harsh on the wood. However, make sure that it should not ruin the authentic flavor of the tobacco.
• Select the right pipe cleaner which is best for your pipe. If the pipe is too much dirty then you need the bristle cleaner otherwise you can use the soft brush cleaner.
• Now start to clean the rim, shank, and steam, and finally the bowl.