How to Unclog a Weed Pipe

Estimated 5-minute read

You have a lot of choices when it comes to smoking marijuana. One of the oldest and most popular smoking methods in the world is the pipe, a compact, portable tool used to smoke cannabis. Today, pipes remain popular cannabis smoking devices, primarily because of their accessibility, affordability, simplicity of use and wide variety of styles, colors and designs. Glass, wood and metal make up the most common and popular weed pipes.

Knowing how to clean it is part of using a pipe, bong, dab rig or practically any other smoking product. Pipes can build up debris with repeated use and without proper cleaning, which leads to clogging and negatively impacts the taste of smoke, also making it difficult and very unpleasant to use.

It's necessary to clean your pipe regularly for an optimal smoking experience. One of the key reasons why hand pipes are so common is that they are easy to clean, and you can use normal household materials or inexpensive materials to do so. Here we will give you 3 great products and methods to make your life easier. A step-by-step guide on how to unclog a weed pipe while maintaining it for optimum efficiency, purity of smoke, and durability.

How to Unclog a Weed Pipe

Mantello Pipe Cleaner

Get rid of any residual nicotine, tar, and moisture from your smoking pipe with Mantello pipe cleaner. These have a 4mm diameter that’s perfect for cleaning the bore and stem regularly. These pipe cleaners are suitable for use on glass pipes, gas burners, vapes, and guns.

Moisten a Mantello pipe cleaner in alcohol or the cleaning solution of your preference and insert it, repeatedly pushing it through from the stem to the mouthpiece. We suggest you try varying movements and directions to get every dirty spot. If you are doing it the right way, it will definitely come out with a bit of black or brown goo on it.

Follow this pipe cleaner with a dry one and repeat the process until the wet pipe cleaner comes out the same color it was when it went in. Last push one final dry pipe cleaner through to remove any moisture. Mantello is made with 100% cotton filler for each of their pipe cleaners. This choice material provides it with great absorption for removing all the filth in your dirty smoking pipe with ease.

Mantello pipe cleaners are 6 inches long and have a hard bristle at the end to allow cleaning any kind accumulation from your pipe. They are also very flexible, so you can turn them around to clean different sections of the pipe at different angles. These excellent pipe cleaners come in a package of four sturdy brushes, each with a total of 44 cleaners so your money is worth it.

Air Hose & Tires Dispensers

Many people already have one air hose and dispenser at home, in their garage or their car’s trunk for the tires. Maybe you are lucky enough to have one too.

Yes, it is exactly what you may be thinking. You can use the compressed air to throw out -almost like ejecting- the clogged bits in your pipe, preferably for hard to clean cases.

If you don’t know how an air dispenser works, it's nothing complicated at all. The machine has an air compressor drivably connected to an electric motor. An air outlet hose attached to an on-off valve is connected to the air outlet of the air compressor. You just need to switch it on and control the pressure with the side buttons. Now, put the air hose inside the mouthpiece to push what’s stuck out through the bowl. This device is powerful enough to remove the sticky resin in your pipe.

If you don’t have one at home, then drive to a local gas station, but to use the air dispenser, be sure to carry some money (especially coins) with you. Forget about stuff being as ‘free as air’ since it isn't at many gas stations! Use the air hose in short bursts to add air but be cautious with how much pressure you are using, we don’t want to break the pipe or make it fly with the excess of force.

Boiling water

When using this process, you have to clean the residual resin from your glass pipe. A quick easy cleaning of the pipe takes out any loose resin by using a cotton swab to dislodge any big bits of gunk or brush off debris. After that, rinse only with warm water (not cold water), thus the warm water will allow your pipe to transition safely from warm to boiling water without damaging the piece.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place it on the stove and bring to a boil and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, or simply reduce water to a simmer. Pour the water in a bowl or a deep plate. Make sure the water is enough to cover your pipe completely, preferably 6 or 10 centimeters above the pipe to be safe. Place the piece in the water and make sure it is fully submerged. Allow it to soak for about 30 minutes to one hour. The water will evaporate when it boils, so keep your eye on it so that your pipe doesn't end up alone in a hot pan that can break it.

Remove the pot from heat, drain the water and inspect the pipe before rinsing the pipe with warm water to check for any residues left (remember: do not use cold water as it will cause it to shatter, if the pipe is too hot, wear mittens or something similar to grab it).

With a fresh pot of clean water, you will need to repeat this step until the pipe is thoroughly washed. To clean off the last residual traces, use a cotton swab and rinse again with warm water. If water stains are visible, soak your pipe in a mixture of lemon juice and 2-3 tablespoons of clean water for a few minutes and then let it air dry.