A good spoon pipe is a thing of beauty. Whether they’re blown in glass or carved out of wood, spoons are a great way to toke weed on the go and a must-have for any serious paraphernalia collection.
A slight issue is that no one enjoys cleaning the things. It can be difficult to remember to take good care of a piece that’s no more complicated than a corn-cob pipe. Everyone knows to wash their bongs, but spoons are easy to forget.
Similarly, they’re also easy to neglect, and that can end badly. At some point or another, all stoners come to that moment when a spoon gets clogged with ash and residue at exactly the moment you planned to start in on a fresh bag of bud.
But there are solutions. Your best option is simply to remember to clean your spoon on a regular basis, as often as you clean your bong.
If you’re wondering how to clean a weed pipe, there are a number of options. The most common is the alcohol-salt combo, though denture tablets, vinegar, and acetone are popular alternatives.
How to clean a spoon pipe with alcohol and salt
The most popular method of how to clean a spoon pipe is detailed below:
What you’ll need:
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Rock salt
- Ziplock bag or plastic container
Instructions:
To clean with alcohol, make sure you get a large bottle of isopropyl alcohol that’s at least 91 percent alcohol. The higher the proof, the more effectively it will clean glass and other surfaces.
1. Place the spoon pipe inside the ziplock bag (or plastic container)
2. Add enough isopropyl alcohol to fully submerge the pipe.
3. Add rock salt to the alcohol. The rock salt acts as an abrasive that will scrub off the gunk. Start with a couple of tablespoons, and add more if you need to remove any particularly stubborn stains.
4. Securely close the zip lock bag and leave the alcohol to do it’s job for 15 minutes or more. The longer this is left to sit and soak, the easier the residue will be removed from the pipe afterwards.
5. Grab the bag securely in your hands and shake it rigorously for a few minutes. By this time, the alcohol will have loosened up the gunk on your pipe, and the abrasive salt will be scrubbing it from the surface of the pipe. You will notice the water takes a resin-like color at this stage. Continue to shake until all residue has been removed.
6. Empty alcohol down the sink and rinse with warm tap water to remove excess alcohol and residue.
Alternative methods of cleaning a spoon pipe
Cleaning a spoon pipe with acetone
You can clean a glass pipe with acetate using the same approach as detailed above. If you can’t find acetone easily, just buy some nail polish remover, which contains the acetate solvent.
Place the spoon in the plastic container and fill it with acetone so the pipe is completely submerged. Now gently swish the container so the acetone has a chance to work on the residue.
Cleaning a spoon pipe with denture tablets
If you want to use denture tablets instead, fill the container with warm water, then add two tablets. Close the container and shake vigorously.
Once you’ve rinsed your pipe and dried it, it’s ready to go right back into circulation. So remember to keep your spoon clean. If you treat it right, it will never let you down.
Tips for keeping your spoon pipe clean:
Stay on top of it
The sludge usually gets stuck deep inside the pipe, in a part of the neck you can’t reach with a pipe cleaner, Q-Tip, or paper clip. It’s therefore critical that you wash the whole pipe. Scrubbing out the bowl with an alcohol wipe will make it look better, but it won’t get at the build-up inside the spoon.
By then, it may be too late. You may not be able to get the gunk out of the way no matter how hard you try. This is a great way to kill a good pipe.
