Everything you need to know about cleaning your pipe

Cleaning a pipe is not only a matter of tidiness. It is also what keeps the full range of aromas in your favourite tobacco and what makes your briar last. The idea is to do it after every session. Here is how to go about cleaning your pipe properly.

Taking your briar apart to clean it

To be cleaned properly, a pipe has to be taken apart. Take care, though: you must wait until it has cooled down completely so as not to damage it, and above all empty out the ash and the tobacco residue with a pipe cleaner or by tapping the pipe against a piece of cork.

Only then can you gently remove the stem, turning it as you pull. Take out the filter as well, if there is one. All the parts are now ready to be cleaned.

Cleaning the inside of your briar

Using a pipe cleaner, wipe the inside of the stem and the shank to remove tar and moisture. Take another pipe cleaner and repeat the operation. It is advisable to use a special cleaning fluid roughly every 10 to 12 sessions: simply dip the pipe cleaner in it before inserting it into the stem and the shank.

If you use disposable filters, remember to change them roughly every 3 or 4 sessions. Metal filters, for their part, are washed in warm soapy water before being dried with a soft, clean cloth. You can now reassemble your pipe, working in the same way as when you took it apart.

Cleaning the outside of the briar

So that your pipe shines and does not go dull, it is also important to clean the outside. Many people recommend plain water and soap. That can affect the wood, however. Some smokers never clean the outside at all, in order to keep a vintage look. Others polish it now and then with linseed or olive oil, although this can leave a taste in the tobacco that some smokers dislike. It is therefore up to you to do as you see fit.