Short answer
A keychain pipe is 2 to 3 inches long. Most models unscrew into a bowl half and a mouthpiece half. Take the pipe apart. Soak the metal parts in 91% isopropyl alcohol for 30 minutes. Scrub the bowl and stem with a pipe cleaner. Rinse with warm water. Let the parts dry for 10 minutes before use.
Supplies
- 91% isopropyl alcohol, 1 cup
- Coarse salt, 1 tablespoon. Use on metal and glass.
- Pipe cleaners, 5 to 10
- Cotton swabs, 4
- Glass jar with a lid
- Dish soap and warm water
- Paper towel
- Tweezers
Steps
- Unscrew the two halves. Set the cap and the screen aside. If the pipe has a rubber O-ring, lift it out with a toothpick.
- Put the metal halves in the jar. Cover them with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt. Close the lid.
- Shake the jar for 20 seconds. Wait 30 minutes. For a pipe with heavy black resin, wait 1 hour.
- Pull the parts out with tweezers. Push a pipe cleaner through the stem from the mouthpiece end. Twist it. Pull it out the other side.
- Scrub the bowl with a cotton swab and a second pipe cleaner. Resin collects at the bottom of the bowl and in the side hole.
- Rinse each part under warm running water for 30 seconds. Salt left in the bowl tastes bitter and burns.
- Dry the parts on a paper towel. Wait 10 minutes. Alcohol trapped in the stem burns your throat.
Silicone and wood models
Silicone keychain pipes need other care. Isopropyl alcohol softens silicone. Soak silicone parts for no more than 5 minutes. Or skip the soak and use warm water with 2 drops of dish soap. Wood pipes get no soak at all. Wipe the bowl with a dry pipe cleaner. Water cracks wood and lifts the finish.
Does a Keychain Pipe Smell? Odor Facts and Fixes
How often
Clean a keychain pipe every 5 to 10 sessions. A daily user should clean it once a week. Resin plugs the air hole first. A clogged pipe pulls hard and gives thin smoke. A screen adds 1 more part to rinse. Replace a bent screen instead of cleaning it. A pack of 50 brass screens costs about 5 dollars.
What not to do
- Do not use a butane torch on the bowl. Aluminum melts at 660 C (1220 F). Thin walls warp at lower heat.
- Do not boil the pipe. Water at 100 C (212 F) strips paint and deforms plastic mouthpieces.
- Do not use acetone or nail polish remover on painted parts. Acetone takes off the finish.
- Do not smoke until the pipe is dry. Isopropyl alcohol is toxic. It is not ethanol.
Storage
Keychain pipes collect pocket lint. Store the pipe in a small case or a coin pouch. Lint in the bowl burns and tastes like paper. A clean pipe weighs the same but pulls with less drag.