How to Clean Your Pipe Without Breaking It

420 Culture

We've all been there. You're proudly cleaning your beloved glass pipe – and boom, it shatters, despite the care you took to avoid this unhappy situation. 

This reminds me of an unfortunate event that happened to me and a fellow smoking buddy of mine. Let’s call him Jack. I was walking home from class one day with Mr. DeJesus in hand, my beloved piece named after a favorite algebra professor. Jack tried to take a hit, but sadly Mr. DeJesus was clogged with sticky resin. A busy schedule had caused me to neglect my regular cleaning routine. What could have been a beautiful ganja-inspired stroll home quickly became a somber walk through a lifeless neighborhood. 

As soon as Jack walked into the apartment, he began to deep clean Mr. DeJesus. He took extra care to ensure he didn't damage the piece by using soft tools and a gentle touch. Sadly, Jack learned this routine the hard way. This was Mr. DeJesus #2. Mr. DeJesus Senior died in an aggressive cleaning malfunction that reduced him to tiny shards in the kitchen sink. Jack was kind enough to share his favorite backup glass to save the day. How can careful stoners avoid accidentally destroying their unique, handblown glass pipes?

Here are five tips on how to deep clean your glass pipe without breaking: 

1. The first step in gently cleaning your pipe requires removing excess debris with something delicate like a cotton swab, soft bristle toothbrush, or a pipe cleaner. Do not use metal tools, and please don't bang your glass pipe against a hard surface. This harsh treatment will lead to a broken pipe and a broken heart. You can also opt for a handy debowler to remove excess particles. Remember to use light pressure only. 

2. Once you've finished the baseline cleaning, fill a small glass bowl or metal baking dish with 90% isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) and about one tablespoon of salt. Large grain kosher salt is best. Place your pipe inside the bowl of solution. 

3. Once submerged, let your glass pipe marinate for a couple of hours until you notice the cocktail mixture begins to dissolve the resin. You could also use soap and hot water mocktail if you prefer to avoid chemicals.  

4. Use a small sponge or washcloth to rub away the debris gently. Then do a second run-through with a soft bristle toothbrush or pipe cleaner. Once your piece is sparkling like new, rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove any remaining cleaning solution. 

5. Use a soft towel to polish your piece. Once dry, load it up with your favorite herb and reward yourself for a job well done. 

Clean your pipe once a week with water and isopropyl for about five minutes to avoid unwanted clogging and lengthly deep cleaning sessions.

If you can't shake concerns about the fragility of glass, you might want to consider a different material. If that's the case, we recommend the Swivel Lid Wood Pipe and the metal Lipstick Novelty Pipe