Disinfecting an Estate pipe question.

[Hater]

Hey all. I ran a search for disinfecting/disinfect/sanitize/etc... and didn't come up with anything. I obviously must be using the wrong terms. So here is the deal. I got an estate pipe but it hasn't been sanitized /Disinfected yet. using google I found a couple places that said isporopyl alcohol (at least 70%) some pipe cleaner and a ton of pipe cleaners is all you need.

So here is what I did. I went to work on the shank and bit with alcohol soaked bristle cleaners for quite some time. Then on to regular cleaners soaked in alcohol untl they camer out clean as a whistle. Then ran dry cleaners through the bit and shank to dry. Then used thick ones to pick up any remaining residue. All came out shiny and clean. After this I set the bit to soak fully submerged in alcohol (70%) for the night.This morning I took the bit out of the alcohol(which was a bit brown) but all the black funk was gone from the tip around the mouthpiece (the only place I couldn't really get too before)

After drying the bit and all that I dipped some pipe cleaners into a bottle of "Blitz Clean System* a cleaning liquid for pipes and ran them through the shank and bit.

first question is it says I can use it to clean and freshen the bowl as well. But should I do that?

So, BoBers, Is that disinfected?

You know, while I have you here what about cleaning the outside of the pipe. I've heard Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I can see that working on a smooth pipe but this one is rusticated (a castello sea rock briar) does that change anything? Also what do you use to clean your rusticated pipes?

 

[Harlock999]

You know, while I have you here what about cleaning the outside of the pipe. I've heard Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I can see that working on a smooth pipe but this one is rusticated (a castello sea rock briar) does that change anything?

Uh oh... :twisted:
Umm, personally, I just use toothpicks, q-tip swabs, and the wire ends of pipe cleaners to dig out the nooks and crannies of rusticated pipes. There is a type of wax that is advertised as specially formulated for rough finished pipes. It might be called Halcyon?

 

[kieveryuu]

Soaking the stem in warm with a lot of salt in solution will also go a long way toward sanitizing the bit. It also loosens gunk and makes it easier to clean before the alcohol treatment. Just be prepared if you use this method to also de-oxidize the vulcanite stems.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

You know, while I have you here what about cleaning the outside of the pipe. I've heard Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I can see that working on a smooth pipe but this one is rusticated (a castello sea rock briar) does that change anything?

Wasn't there a hell of a fight on here about a year ago concerning the use of Olive Oil on the outsides of pipes? :twisted:

Regarding the pipe itself, you should be good to go. When I want to clean out a bowl, I use a Dremel with a wire-wheel bit or a fine sanding disc. Try not to cut into the wood though. If you don't have a Dremel, a wire brush for cleaning copper pipe fittings usually works pretty well on the insides of the bowls too.

Hell, just put it back together and smoke it. If you really do want to polish it, now would be the time...

 

[ejames]

I wouldn't use olive oil on anything except food. A lot of guys use Murphy's oil soap( diluted) and a toothbrush to clean a dirty rusticated finish. I second the Halcyon II pipe wax--available here--
http://www.finepipes.com/accessories/
A one ounce jar will hundreds of pipes and is easy to use,no buffer required.
I've also found that if you get the shank thoroughly clean that the salt(or cotton) and alcohol treatment is unnecessary. Get it clean and a couple bowls of burley takes care of any ghosts. I've refurbed a boatload of pipes and used the S/A treatment three times.
You might also look for a Castleford brand reamer,they are cheap and the best reamer for the buck available IMO. My Kleen-Ream (identical to the Senior) just collects dust now.

 

[MisterE]

You know, while I have you here what about cleaning the outside of the pipe. I've heard Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I can see that working on a smooth pipe but this one is rusticated (a castello sea rock briar) does that change anything?

Wasn't there a hell of a fight on here about a year ago concerning the use of Olive Oil on the outsides of pipes? :twisted:

One of the better ones actually! It ended in an obstructed draw.....

Much rage quitting went on there.... :suspect:

 

[Rob_In_MO]

One of the better ones actually! It ended in an obstructed draw.....

Much rage quitting went on there.... :suspect:

Oh yeah, i'd forgotten exactly how many got pissed off and left for a while.
Here is the link if anyone wants to catch up on old times...

Warning: the thread was moved to the 'Rubber Room' and some of the content is rather aggressive.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm pretty sure you can use olive oil on olive wood pipes. :twisted: That whole thread is hilarious and ridiculous, the ugly side of BoB. :no: :drunken: :bball:

Bottle-brush type pipe cleaners, the twisty-metal kind with the loop on the opposite end, the scrapey pipe cleaners, some Everclear, salt in the bowl (again, with Everclear) for a bit if you choose, and a good wax polish on your favorite buffing wheel sure works good in my experience. I soak really nasty stems in ziploc bags with about an ounce of the Everclear overnight--then scrape the suckers with the above.

 

[Hater]

So, insofar as the salt/alcohol deal is concerened is the best kind of salt a sea salt or kosher salt? I'm assuming whatever has the largest crystals yes? and I can use that with whiskey? overnight?

Thanks!

 

[MisterE]

I prefer to use cotton balls instead of salt for leeching the bowl. It's easier and then salt doesnt soak into the wood.

LL (who unfortunately doesn't post much anymore) doesn't recommend deep cleaning in alcohol because it actually soaks the goop deeper into the wood. Kind of like deep treating the wood in exactly what you're trying to remove. He uses drill bits to remove gook from the shank until it's down to the wood. I tend to agree with this even if I still clean with alcohol from time to time.

Whee are ya George!?

 

[Rob_In_MO]

So, insofar as the salt/alcohol deal is concerened is the best kind of salt a sea salt or kosher salt? I'm assuming whatever has the largest crystals yes? and I can use that with whiskey? overnight?

Thanks!

When I used to do the alcohol soak, I used Kosher Salt. Large crystals and quite inexpensive. I always have some on hand since it's also great on a grilled steak!

 

[Hater]

So, insofar as the salt/alcohol deal is concerened is the best kind of salt a sea salt or kosher salt? I'm assuming whatever has the largest crystals yes? and I can use that with whiskey? overnight?

Thanks!

When I used to do the alcohol soak, I used Kosher Salt. Large crystals and quite inexpensive. I always have some on hand since it's also great on a grilled steak!

haha! It is great on steak! Just add a little cracked pepper and a steak cooked properly is perfect. Then again I can't understand when people put A1 or ketchup on a steak. It freaks me out, man. it just plain freaks me out

 

[Hater]

I prefer to use cotton balls instead of salt for leeching the bowl. It's easier and then salt doesnt soak into the wood.

LL (who unfortunately doesn't post much anymore) doesn't recommend deep cleaning in alcohol because it actually soaks the goop deeper into the wood. Kind of like deep treating the wood in exactly what you're trying to remove. He uses drill bits to remove gook from the shank until it's down to the wood. I tend to agree with this even if I still clean with alcohol from time to time.

Whee are ya George!?

hmmm I've heard the opposite. That you shouldn't use the cotton balls. haha being a noob sucks

I'm still more interested in if my pipe is safe to put my mouth on haha

 

[Rob_In_MO]

So, insofar as the salt/alcohol deal is concerened is the best kind of salt a sea salt or kosher salt? I'm assuming whatever has the largest crystals yes? and I can use that with whiskey? overnight?

Thanks!

When I used to do the alcohol soak, I used Kosher Salt. Large crystals and quite inexpensive. I always have some on hand since it's also great on a grilled steak!

haha! It is great on steak! Just add a little cracked pepper and a steak cooked properly is perfect. Then again I can't understand when people put A1 or ketchup on a steak. It freaks me out, man. it just plain freaks me out

Yeah, I agree 100%. A little Teriyaki marinade is ok too once in a while, just don't over do it.

Honestly though - with what you've done to your pipe, quit worrying and smoke the damn thing...

See Kyle, the grouchy young coot comes out in me sometimes too! And yes - receding hairline as well.

Oops, wrong thread. :mrgreen:

 

[Boxerbuddy]

Just speaking from experience here..not saying that other techniques don't work. I did the salt and alcohol treatment on an estate Ascorti that I bought on ebay. It came smelling heavily of whatever aromatic was smoked in it. I pulled the stem off, blocked the draft hole with a doubled up pipe cleaner, poured the salt in to almost the top and then the alcohol( Bacardi 151). I let it sit for about 24 hrs.

After I cleaned the salt out, the pipe still smelled slightly aromatic, but much, much less. Subsequent smoking has completely removed the ghost. I never tasted any salt after the treatment.

 

[ArleighBerg]

I wouldn't use olive oil on anything except food

I think if one had a fine Italian lady and a large air mattress, that olive oil might take on a whole new meaning.

I'm just sayin'...

 

[Rob_In_MO]

I wouldn't use olive oil on anything except food

I think if one had a fine Italian lady and a large air mattress, that olive oil might take on a whole new meaning.

I'm just sayin'...

New Brother - I like you're thinking! You'll fit in perfectly here.

 

[ArleighBerg]

I was wondering the same things. For the stem, would it work to use steam to sanitize as well? I wouldn't want to use it on the wood, but lucite/acrylic/etc. should be fine?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I was wondering the same things. For the stem, would it work to use steam to sanitize as well? I wouldn't want to use it on the wood, but lucite/acrylic/etc. should be fine?

A bit of an overkill, it's a pipe stem, not surgeon's tools. Heat might take the bend out of a stem, too--which isn't the end of the world, but might add some steps inadvertently.

I prefer chemical means for sanitizing tasks. 8)

 

[Harlock999]

I wouldn't use olive oil on anything except food

I think if one had a fine Italian lady and a large air mattress, that olive oil might take on a whole new meaning.

I'm just sayin'...

MmmHmm!