How much mileage do you get from a pipe cleaner?

[MisterE]

The ubiquitous pipe cleaner. Something you take for granted until you don't have any left!!

Where I live (Mexico City) we haven´t any decent B&M´s. Simple things like pipe cleaners are virtually nonexistent. What is to be had is often exorbinantly expensive. A package of 25 pipe cleaners will go for approximately $28 pesos. That is about 10 cents per pipe cleaner!!

I order ten packs of the various types from etailers in the US: bristly, regular, extra absorbent. etc. It is far more economical that way.

Today I was thinking how many I'll go through on any given day. I often don't throw them out until they're well used on both ends, and several times each. Lately as I grab a new bundle from my box of cleaners I've thought how quickly I've gone through almost 1000 cleaners.

I guess the lack of availability makes me cherish them more.

How do you guys go about using pipe cleaners? Are you economical and thrifty, or do you use one side once and discard?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Depends...some pipes/tobacco smoke dirtier. Especially on the estates, which seem to have the haunting demons of dirt far more often.

I find myself pretty economical, if there's a LOT of filth, I'll use three or four, both ends, then use the cleanest one I've used once and keep scrubbing for good measure. The cleanest of the dirty bunch I also use to whisk out excess ash from the inside of the bowl.

Then I bend them into little, filthy figurines and keep them on my desk. Actually, I do not do that.

 

[Lestrade]

Even though my pipes are all dry smokers, I found by using cleaners during and after every smoke, truly needed or not, I end up using less of them that letting a pipe go. This pretty much allows me to cut the "soiled" ends off when they get to be so and use a cleaner again on a pipe with a shorter stem/shank setup.

 

[tiltjlp]

I use a lot of pipe cleaners, since I clean each pipe with isopropyl after each use. I also use them as needed during each smoke. I use each cleaner at least 3 times, if not more, except for the bristle ones, which I use with the isopropyl. That said, I find them worth the cost, since I believe a perfectly clean pipe tastes better. If they were as expensive as they are for you, I'm not sure how often I would use them.

 

[Harlock999]

I confess to being on the stingy side when it comes to pipe cleaners. I definitely try to get as much mileage as I can out of every cleaner, but I still go through quite a few. As mentioned above, regular, preventative maintenance does help cut down on having to use a bunch to clean just one pipe.
As I begin to run low, I'll order 5 bundles each of the regular, fluffy and bristled.
Ah, what we pipe weenies have to endure... :roll:

 

[Hermit]

I use two after every bowl.
First a scruffy then a fluffy.
I buy em by the case.

 

[Tim_Haggerty]

I'm with Hermit. I buy a box at a time and use as many as the cleaning requires.

 

[flytyer]

I know one thing I use way to many. I would say 3 or 4 cleaners for every bowl smoked. That inlcudes cleaners used during the smoke, and whats used cleaning the bowl out after smoking. I use both ends of the cleaners...then I have top secret ways of bending then to clean out the pipe and get it ready for the next bowl. All jokeing aside maybe I should be more conservative in my use if pipe cleaners...Im buying and useing these things like toilet paper. The only excuse I can come up with for my flagrant use of pipe cleaners is my local B&M, the shop is run by an elderly widow and the only tobacco available is bulk aromatics , the pipe selection is ok but nothing usually interests me. As a pipe smoker I feel the need to support the shop...so about ounce a month or so I stop buy and buy bunches of cleaners and other items like rubber pipe bits and czech tools. I know my use of them is excessive, but its contributing in some small way to the local economy.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ah, what we pipe weenies have to endure... :roll:

Yes, but like most labours of love, they do tend to weed out the wannabes and brings closer those of us that know why it's worth it!

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I use three with each smoke - one during, one after and then I leave the third in there overnight. When I do a thorough cleaning I use one of the wire brush cleaner dealies and alcohol.

 

[R.A.]

Yea I use them without much thought, I buy them in bulk, I have saved alot of bristle types by using the little twist wire stem nylon bristle brushes for the hard cleaning.

The little wire/nylon brushes work great where sometime the pipe cleaners jam and bend.

Also get some natural yarn (cut in 2-3 foot length) use a hair wire leader pull through the stem damp with spirits and tie or clamp to the work bench hold the other end and slide the stem up and down the yarn for a scrubbing.

The 2-3 foot of yard gives a lot of clean material to extract tars using the spirits as a solvent.

 

[flytyer]

Also get some natural yarn (cut in 2-3 foot length) use a hair wire leader pull through the stem damp with spirits and tie or clamp to the work bench hold the other end and slide the stem up and down the yarn for a scrubbing.

This sounds like a good idea for estate stems.

 

[Dutch]

I use a lot more of the standard pipe cleaners than the ones with the bristles. I also use q-tips dipped in Jim Beam to clean my pipe bowls, so that saves a lot on pipe cleaners.

I've also learned to just tap the pipe button on my jeans to clear the condensation, and that usually saves me a pipe cleaner now and then. What can I say, I might save enough at the end of the year to buy an extra pipe. :lol:

 

[Rob_In_MO]

I guess i've been slacking all of these years. I clean my pipes and change balsa filters (where appropriate) every 5 or 6 smokes. Sure, it takes a few cleaners, but not too bad.

Never though of using one or two each smoke - whether it be during, after, or overnight in the stem.

I don't have a problem with my method, but by the 5th or 6th smoke, I can tell that it's time to clean. Maybe i'll start cleaning my pipes (and changing balsa filters if needed) every 3 smokes. Pipe cleaners aren't that expensive here, so i'll give it a shot and compare the results to what i've been doing thus far.

 

[Hermit]

I like to clean my pipes while they're still warm,
if convenient, before the gunk has a chance to harden.

 

[deepbass9]

I use them during the smoke, up to 3-4 if it's a wet ride. Then I use as many as needed afterwards, until the last one comes out fairly clean. I always use both ends, clean up while still warm (except for the occasional over night sitting), and double one or two over to clean the bowl.

Thankfully they're cheap enough in bulk, and I view it as the cost of the hobby. I'd never think of reusing one...I don't really even like touching them after they're all soggy...ewww, it stinks. :no:

 

[forsooth]

I smoke mainly standard system Petersons, meaning that there is a well for moisture and the bowl remains very dry.

After a pipe, I remove the stem and run a cleaner into it and "turn" it using the still-exposed end of the cleaner as a "crank." Then I remove the cleaner and set it aside. It hardly looks used at all.

Next I use a Q-tip to remove the moisture from the well in the briar, and I use a ream tool to lightly ream out the bowl and remove any loose ashes.

Finally, using a dropper, I squirt some bourbon into the stem to keep it "fresh."

Done.

I smoke 3 pipes a day, and I use the same pipe cleaner for each of the 3. After the last pipe, I dispose of it.

 

[hobie1dog]

use it, then toss it.

 

[Stackle2]

Where I work, we use a lot of pipe cleaners, & sometimes large boxes of them make their way back home with me. So I'm a use them & toss them kind of guy

 

[smokey422]

I buy my cleaners in bulk to get the best price. I only use them once, although sometimes I'll use both ends. Like Hermit, I like to clean my pipes while they are still warm.

Smokey