Sterilizing "estate" pipes

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DustyRoundup

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Plumbernator brought up sterilizing his pipes, and I have seen it brought up somewhere else on this forum.
But I just did a search for topics and posts concerning "sterilizing" estate pipes.
I dont know why, but I come up with nothing.

So, I guess its time to ask, just "how" do you guys sterilize your estate pipes ?
as Ive got a couple coming :D

Thanks
Dusty
 
I don't, having decided that the detritus of whatever bacteria deposited upon any portion of the pipe, but most notably the stem, is one of the things about which I need have no worry.

Other than the time when half of my upper palate dissolved and had to be suctioned by my dentist, no ill-effects have occurred.

 
Man, everyone's a strange mood in responses today... :lol: ...here I am giving sober advice... It's freaky Wednesday on BoB!

For terminology's sake, sanitizing is different than sterilization: sanitizing kills most pathogens/bacteria; sterilization kills everything--the latter likely not something possible on pipes or the stems without damaging (or even straightening bent stems due to heat...)--though I could be wrong, if you had a gamma radiation rig at you disposal. :lol:

In any case, I'm not worried about infectious pathogens or bacteria. I'm more worried about how the pipe looks, smokes and how clean it is for the combustion process.

I usually remove the stem from the shank, and drop it in a glass filled with Everclear (can be any 40 proof or more spirit) so I can loosen any resins on the inside. It stays there for about 20 minutes, with regular agitation every so often. Pipe cleaners come out, do their thing. I dry it out, and begin working on teeth marks on the stem. Once I have, back into the Everclear for round two, and then the final drying and polishing.

If I sell a pipe, I put it through this process as a convenience to others (which might really be bugged-out by the bugs of another...)

With this process, yes, I am also sanitizing.
 
Oxy-clean solution soak for rough looking stems,just ever clear for newer stems. My cleaned estate stems are probably more sanitary than many restaurants silverware. A "sanitized" stem is adequate for my needs.
 
riff raff":d3lmj87c said:
My cleaned estate stems are probably more sanitary than many restaurants silverware.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww and most likely very true. :D
 
The big thing with me is the stem, but I usually buy acrylic. I just dip a cleaner into some alcohol and run it through the stem with bristle cleaners and the next puffy. I do this until it comes out the same color it went in. With the bowl, I just ream it. There usually is no need for anything else unless there is just a noticeable ghost lurking. If the stem is vulcanite, I'll use alcohol to get rid of any nasty bacteria and then buff it up.
 
Good tips , Thanks,

I try not to keep grain alcohols around , anymore, :roll: :) as I sort of like grain alcohol's ALOT, and I dont need to go down that road again.
Ah , but it was fun !

I like the oxy clean idea riff raff had. And ive read where one feller uses isopropyl to clean his pipes. (I think that was in JM's thread, "how often") so i figure that ought to work as well as everclear.

Well, good , because I was wondering if you guys "bleached" the stem.? but it doesnt sound like you do. It would probably give it a bad taste i guess.

Thanks

And yeah ! Kyle , you are a bit more serious today, than usual. ?
 
DustyRoundup":tcjym0z3 said:
Good tips , Thanks,

I try not to keep grain alcohols around , anymore, :roll: :) as I sort of like grain alcohol's ALOT, and I dont need to go down that road again.
Ah , but it was fun !

I like the oxy clean idea riff raff had. And ive read where one feller uses isopropyl to clean his pipes. (I think that was in JM's thread, "how often") so i figure that ought to work as well as everclear.

Well, good , because I was wondering if you guys "bleached" the stem.? but it doesnt sound like you do. It would probably give it a bad taste i guess.

Thanks

And yeah ! Kyle , you are a bit more serious today, than usual. ?
Bleaching is something that is recommended a lot of times to break down massive amounts of oxidation. I have to wonder, however, the inner effects of this on the stem.
 
I use 190 proof Grain alcohol...that will kill just about everything it touches :lol!:
 
PipeLeisure":6305afob said:
I use 190 proof Grain alcohol...that will kill just about everything it touches :lol!:

I remember when it was cheep (EverClear), and how you could get a bottle of home made about 160 proof down south by the gallon. :affraid:
 
Well everyone has filled all the gaps in cleaning and sanitizing. I do have this wiery notion of some old gentalman who smokes pipes dying of hepatitus and his family selling his pipes on ebay. I sanitize :shock:
 
The Isopropyl alchohol will do just as well as Ever Clear, Walmart sells 100 proof (or something close).
 
Good tips. I can't get Everclear in PA, so I stock up at the ABC store in NC whenever we go to the beach.
 
DustyRoundup":pqwk52h3 said:
And yeah ! Kyle , you are a bit more serious today, than usual. ?
Really? Might have been moody. Can't recall. :lol: *shrug*

I think I wanted to state the difference between "sterilization" and "sanitizing" mostly because someone might just go boil an entire pipe in water. :lol: One is usually chemical, the other is usually heat, and a lot of it.

I have no idea what I was thinking. As per usual. 8) :p

In any case, strong alcohol should be fine--as in a glass mixed with ice and orange juice. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
 
“gentleman who smokes pipes dying of hepatitis” ...Wow. I would pass...glad I only buy new. I would say, unless you know the pipe, the person who smoked it and their health, I believe you will never really be sure of the level of disinfecting needed on a used pipe…sorry, “estate" pipe. Given the nature of the smoking pipe; porous briar, meerschaum and the rubber compound used for most stems. I would just say if you into the pre-owned market, methodical disinfecting short of ruining the piece is in order.

 
I'd be hard pressed to find an infectious pathogen, virus or bacteria that could survive a good bleach/everclear soaking. The material is porous, but not the kind of porous that makes for a great, life-preserving environment. I think you'd be more susceptible to infection from restaurant dinnerware.

More estate pipes for me. 8)
 
Point well taken Guy, but, I dont know , alot of people do it, and I havent heard of it yet.
I did sand the stem , soaked it in Bleach, then rinsedin HOT water, then sanded with 1500 grit to polish, then soaked in Ispropyl, then another Hot water rinse ,then dried, and then rubbed olive oil .
As for the wood , i thought about your point, and maybe saliva has made it down there, and soaked into the wood, but, wouldnt the heat kill a germ?

Idk,? I do think you have a good point though. Especially in todays world.
I guess I wont be sleeping too good tonight.

Just kidding, I'm good with it.
 
DustyRoundup":olazp4rk said:
As for the wood , i thought about your point, and maybe saliva has made it down there, and soaked into the wood, but, wouldnt the heat kill a germ?
I cannot say if the pipe, other than the burning surface, would heat sufficiently to kill bacteria in absorbed saliva from some unknown person, most salvia collects in the shank and stem where it remains relatively cool, sounds like something I would want to keep out of my mouth.
 
Hell we all are going to die of cancer when your mouth just rotts off from smoking the pipe . dont you read what the surgen general puts out. Oh yes dont smoke while pregnant
 

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