Cleaning a dirty pipe - the EASY way

[tobedetermined]

We all know the pain of cleaning smoking accessories. The smoke residue is stinky, sticky and generally pretty disgusting.

There is an easy solution:

A really dirty pipe . . .

Basically, the unit electronically vibrates the crud away. To help it along, you can put it in an alcohol bath. Here are the dirty pipes in Isopropyl in a plastic container. This is the ‘lab approved’ cheat so you don’t have to fill the whole machine with solvent. The rest of the machine has water. I set the heat to 50C and cleaned them for 20 minutes. This left a carbon-like residue on the dirtiest one, so I ran the machine with dish soap and water at hot tap temperature for another 20. I have some learning to do to smooth out the process.

But, the end result speaks for itself . . .

 

[tobedetermined]

And I forgot the best part . . . it was a Christmas gift from my son & future daughter-in-law. She uses one in the lab at university. And she just got her doctorate!

You can also clean jewellery, car parts etc etc with it.

 

[goingrey]

Interesting looking pipe that Journey Pipe. Big but shallow bowl. Seems you like it based on the gunk. Ok gunk builds up quick..

 

[tobedetermined]

It is a great one hitter . . . EXCEPT it does gunk up pretty quickly. Of course, now I should be able to keep it under control.

 

[Switcher56]

I've been ising a compact jewellery clnr, Does a bank up job.

 

[exploziv]

Sounds like a great way! Altrough the device is quite big good it u use it for other stuff too.
Any ideea if hot water alone would do any cleaning? Also does it work with pipes that don't open, like glass one hitters?

 

[tobedetermined]

Any ideea if hot water alone would do any cleaning? Also does it work with pipes that don't open, like glass one hitters?

Good questions but I don't know. I will have to dirty my pipe for a few days and experiment some more. The sacrifices that we make for science . . .

 

[exploziv]

Nice! So sorry to have you go through that!

 

[tobedetermined]

I've been ising a compact jewellery clnr

They are the same principle. This is just an industrial stainless steel version aimed at commercial users. But it is < $200 Canadian funny money for 6 liter capacity. The only unknown question is . . . how will handblown glass do in it? Is it more delicate? Ultrasonic frequencies can do some weird things. I will try my Happle as an experiment.

 

[FranJan]

Sounds like a great way! Altrough the device is quite big good it u use it for other stuff too.
Any ideea if hot water alone would do any cleaning? Also does it work with pipes that don't open, like glass one hitters?

Cheapest, easieast way I know is plastic bag, vodka, ice and salt. Soak pipe with ingredients in bag and let hang over night in fridge. Rinse when done. Clogged pipes may need to be done twice but I've never seen it not work on any glass pipe.

 

[exploziv]

Thank you! I was using the bag technique with high proof alcohool and salt, but didn't know the fridge part. Gotta try it!

 

[tobedetermined]

Cheapest, easieast way I know is plastic bag, vodka, ice and salt.

I hate wasting good liquor. I hope you are using a rot gut vodka from Russia . . .

 

[Switcher56]

Sounds like a great way! Altrough the device is quite big good it u use it for other stuff too.
Any ideea if hot water alone would do any cleaning? Also does it work with pipes that don't open, like glass one hitters?

Sounds like a great way! Altrough the device is quite big good it u use it for other stuff too.
Any ideea if hot water alone would do any cleaning? Also does it work with pipes that don't open, like glass one hitters?

Nope! Alcohol.

 

[FranJan]

I hope you are using a rot gut vodka from Russia . . .

I don't f*ck with the Motherland, I go with the Heartland .

Yeah I've tried it without the ice and fridge and it's not the same. For whatever reason that combo works.