Cleaning a Glass Pipe?

[TransistorBass]

What's the best thing for cleaning a glass pipe? I've got a fairly good clean using isopropyl alcohol but would Naphtha be better then wash that away with Iso??

Thanks

 

[Varallo]

What's the best thing for cleaning a glass pipe? I've got a fairly good clean using isopropyl alcohol but would Naphtha be better then wash that away with Iso??

Thanks

I would recommend, hot soapy water with an serious amount of vinegar.

 

[TransistorBass]

Thanks, thats good to know.

 

[Transform]

With ipa you do get the opportunity to recover any residual DMT, as you also would with vinegar, which is cheaper. Depends how stingy you're feeling!

 

[TransistorBass]

So I could have a little jar with vinegar in it, soak pipes when they get messy then do a Naphtha pull from the vinegar?
I'm maybe not that stingy but good to know.

 

[Varallo]

You can then poor it either into your next extraction or extract it by adding the base directly. It doesn’t need to be much, as long as it’s properly basic. Then you can re-extract it with naphtha.

 

[Transform]

So I could have a little jar with vinegar in it, soak pipes when they get messy then do a Naphtha pull from the vinegar?
I'm maybe not that stingy but good to know.

Great idea. I'd rinse through the pipe(s) with a little fresh vinegar after taking them out of the 'bath' to recover as much of the hard-won sacred molecule as possible (as well as just being a stingy OCD chemistry nerd )

 

[TransistorBass]

Maybe a Clean Pipe is like a Clean Mind...... I'll be sure to keep soaking my mind in mild acid to keep it clean.

 

[TransistorBass]

One thought here, does a clean pipe influence a positive trip and a week old non-cleaned pipe influence a more dark and light trip?
As in does the heated remnants of DMT left in a pipe for a week alter in structure giving a mixed feeling trip?

I'm only basing this on 3 sessions, 2 with a used pipe and 1 inbetween with a freshly cleaned pipe, the freshly cleaned pipe was pure beauty and calm, the others were not.

 

[Transform]

One thought here, does a clean pipe influence a positive trip and a week old non-cleaned pipe influence a more dark and light trip?
As in does the heated remnants of DMT left in a pipe for a week alter in structure giving a mixed feeling trip?

I'm only basing this on 3 sessions, 2 with a used pipe and 1 inbetween with a freshly cleaned pipe, the freshly cleaned pipe was pure beauty and calm, the others were not.

It seems plausible that some lower DMT oligomers might have a different pharmacology than fresh monomeric DMT. I'm thinking of the NMDA activity of rhynchophylline, which is an oligomeric indole/tryptamine derivative, just as an example.

It's also reminiscent of the old reports of so-called 'jungle spice' and 'jimjam', which seem to have a larger proportion of oligomeric DMT. The subjective effects of those were typically reported as being darker and more chaotic, too.

Of course, it's hard to take this as any kind of verifiable data in the absence of double-blind studies since the kinds of states we're talking about are highly susceptible to influence by suggestion as well.

Nonetheless, your observations seem to align with some aspect of this one way or another. "Cleanliness is next to godliness" is of course an old, old adage.

 

[TransistorBass]

Interesting stuff, I left my pipe soaking in a jar of Vinegar yesterday, cleaned up lovely with the help of a cotton bud so my next trip should be all peace, harmony and wonder.
*Thats the psychological intentions set
God must like a Clean Pipe!

 

[asherbennett]

Naphtha will definitely dissolve resin, but it leaves more room for residue and isn't something most people want inside a pipe they're heating afterward. High-percentage isopropyl alcohol (91–99%) is generally the safer and more common choice. Adding a little coarse salt and giving the pipe a gentle shake usually removes the stubborn buildup without needing a stronger solvent.

If you're trying to recover any residue first, the vinegar/IPA approach mentioned above makes more sense than switching to naphtha. After cleaning, rinse well with warm water and let the pipe dry completely before using it again.

Found a few good maintenance tips while browsing [Mod edit: link removed], and the advice lines up with what most experienced glass users recommend, regular IPA cleanings are much easier on the pipe than waiting until it's completely clogged.

 

[triple000]

regular IPA cleanings are much easier on the pipe than waiting until it's completely clogged.

Also much healthier for the user. Biofilms start growing fast, and inhaling vapor through those layers of bacteria on its way into the bloodstream is less than ideal. Clean/fresh water (and glass) for each journey makes for a massive improvement in experience.

I like to keep a container of citrus degreaser to dunk rigs into after heavy dab sessions... But a fill with 99.9% IPA to dissolve residuals followed by a couple quick rinses of distilled water will generally keep a rig in great shape for years.

Using distilled water in your glass is also recommended, as hard-water/calcium stains can build up over time.

#cleanyourglass