Isopropyl Oceans

Yes, that is excessive and is harmful for the and probably even you. You should only clean after a period of time of many smokes. Othersfeel its best only if a pipe goes sour. Isopropyl alcohol also has a chemical additive. The only alcohol you should be cleaning your pipes with is something strong like a whiskey, bourbon, rum or probably the best for purity, grain alcohol like Everclear.

Anything on the strong side will do. Some use vodka, some use whiskey, rum, etc... it's really up to you. It still doesnt need cleaned like that after every smoke.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the support.

I use either Everclear or whatever single malt I have at hand. I only use the alcohol when I deem it necessary, which is not often. I do use three pipe cleaners after each smoke; a regular for the stem, a bristle for the shank, and a fluffy for the shank and folded over to scrub out the bowl. That process seems to work fine for me. Years ago, decades actually, when I did my first round of pipe smoking I used a pipe cleaner only when the performance of the pipe degraded significantly; I wouldn't recommend that process! My pipes became sour tasting after months of smoking and the only thing that cured them was smoking straight Latakia, now that's a trip.

I use diet coke to clean my pipes because that is what is in the glass. Followed by a few dry pipe cleaners. I suppose it is less of cleaner and more of a sweetener. But for serious cleaning I normally pick whatever I want. Be it rum, whiskey, bourbon, scotch some for the pipe and more for me. Adding a high ISO would just increase drying time. Lots of folks use salt and spirits for a deep cleaning but God help you if you leave it in too long as it turns to rock. I have come to prefer the good ol cotton ball. Once the pipe is clean it is easy to keep clean by using pipe cleaners and paper towel in the bowl like a cork screw after each smoke. Everyone has their way and really non are right or wrong. So just find one that makes you happy and that you feel your pipe is clean and sanitary.

I’m curious as to why I never see vodka mentioned as a possible cleaning solution. I use everclear which I purchased specifically just to clan pipes with, vodka would have been my second choice if it had not been available. Maybe it’s just that none of us drink it because we have the clearly superior whisky sitting around 😁

Vodka has too much water. I use 151 rum or Everclear. Anything else leaves moisture and attracts more water before it evaporates.

I clean each pipe after each use. Mechanically (pipe cleaners and tissues only, no alcohol or solvents) and thoroughly (take apart). I think (I don't know) that if you clean a pipe after each use it will never get funky. It takes build up to get funky, I am guessing.

Something like brushing teeth. I just do it.

The secret is (you guys are going to love this) to get more than one each of the pipes you love. So I can move from one Savinelli 320EX right on to the second 320EX, getting my two bowls in. I put each smoked pipe in the "to be cleaned" area of my desk, and once a week I get after it. The cleaned pipes are put away and ready to be smoked.

I've only used Jack Daniels to clean mine...but it does leave behind a flavour. After the first puff though, that flavour disappears and all I taste is the smoke.