How to Properly Clean a Metal Smoking Pipe – the full guide

For those who aren’t familiar with cleaning a metal smoking pipe, there’s nothing to fear. Keeping your pipe in tip-top shape is simple once you get the hang of it. In this article, we’ll guide you through the tools, tips, and ways to keep your metal smoking pipe working like a charm.

This guide was brought to you by Parkdale Brass, a manufacturer of premium metal smoking pipes.

Metal Smoking Pipe Tools

Before you can get started caring for your pipe, you’ll need to gather the right equipment. To clean a metal smoking pipe, make sure you have:

• Alcohol – Isopropyl alcohol 70% is ideal, but you can also try vodka or whiskey that’s at least 140 proof. The stronger the alcohol is, the less soaking the pipe will need.

• Pipe cleaners or brushes – Although alcohol helps remove ash and grime from your pipe, you’ll still need to do some scrubbing. Using a pipe cleaner or brush will allow you to remove any remnants stuck inside your metal smoking pipe. 

• Cloth or rag – The metal smoking pipe you have will dictate the kind of cloth or rag you should use. For more sensitive metals that are prone to scratching, a microfibre cloth is best. More robust metal pipes can handle just about any clean rag you have.

Soaking your Metal Smoking Pipe

Soaking your pipe is the first and most important part of the cleaning process. Alcohol helps loosen stubborn gunk from the inside of your pipe, restoring its natural flavour and function. To soak your pipe, place your metal smoking pipe in a bowl and fill it with alcohol. For best results, the pipe should be completely covered by the alcohol. Place the bowl somewhere it won’t be disturbed and let the metal smoking pipe soak for at least 24 hours.

Removing Stuck-On Grime

In this step, you’ll need a bit of elbow grease and a lot of patience. Before you begin scrubbing, we recommend removing your screen as it’s likely to fall out during this step. To remove any remaining ash or resin, insert your pipe cleaner or brush into the shaft of the metal smoking pipe and scrub until gone. You can repeat this second step, but if you still have grime inside your pipe after that, we would recommend soaking it again.

Buffing and Drying

After soaking and scrubbing your pipe, you’ll need to dry and buff it. Although alcohol evaporates and leaves little to no taste behind, drying your pipe with a cloth or rag will ensure that there’s no remaining moisture. Any leftover moisture can impact a metal smoking pipe’s effectiveness. Buffing your pipe with a cloth can also help restore its original glow. For best results, buff in small circular motions as that will provide an even shine.

Time to Enjoy your Metal Smoking Pipe

In good times, and especially bad times, smokers turn to their pipes for relaxation. Whether you’re a daily smoker or a social smoker, maintaining a clean pipe will ensure a consistently better smoke. With these tips, we hope that you’ll be able to take good care of your metal smoking pipe and enjoy it for years to come!