Extracting resin from your pipe. This is the perfect solution for those moments when you need to "break and smoke" or want your pipe to look brand new again.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Step 1. Review the recommendations and warnings at the bottom of the page to avoid damaging your pipe.
Step 2. Look inside the pipe to determine where the resin is accumulating.
Check inside your pipe to see where the resin has formed. Unbend a paperclip or grab a rubber band. Insert it into the mouthpiece, carburetor, or bowl (any convenient spot) and gently collect the resin. If you wish, you can rub a little (10-15 seconds) in the right places — this will help make the resin stickier. Avoid using light methods or cleaning the outside of the bowl, as the resin will be hard to access. Instead, place the bowl under hot water for 30 seconds, then use your nail (cover it with a cloth or napkin if you don't want to get dirty) to extract a large amount of resin. After cleaning, you should have several very sticky black chunks of resin. Find a place to store them conveniently.
- Continue the cleaning process until no traces of resin remain.
Step 3. Clean the pipe.
Cleaning the pipe is an important step. To make it look brand new, you'll need isopropyl alcohol with a concentration of at least 90-95%, preferably 100% (which effectively breaks down the resin). This alcohol can be found at your local pharmacy or stores like Wal-Mart. You can also purchase a pack of iodized salt.
Step 4. Place the pipe in a zip-lock bag and pour in the isopropyl alcohol; don't fill it completely, just enough to cover the bowl.
Put the pipe in a zip-lock bag and fill it with isopropyl alcohol; not all the way, just enough to cover the bowl. Use salt as an activator (shake the bag to activate) — this will significantly speed up the cleaning process.
Step 5. Let it sit for 3 hours.
Leave the bag for 3 hours. If you've used salt with the alcohol, the wait time can be reduced — just shake it until you're done. No one wants to wait too long to enjoy their favorite item again.
Step 6. Move to the sink and rinse with hot clean water.
Rinse the pipe under hot water in the sink. If you skipped the "salt or scraping" step, clean it using a baby bottle or a clean test tube. Water and a little dish soap should wash away the alcohol residues.
Step 7. Continue rinsing the pipe until the isopropyl smell is gone (it's flammable).
Keep washing the pipe until the isopropyl smell is gone (as it is hazardous). After thorough cleaning, your pipe should look brand new.
Freezing
Step 1. Review the recommendations and warnings at the bottom of the page to avoid damaging your pipe.
Step 2. Grab the pipe from which you want to extract the resin.
Step 3. Place the pipe in the freezer.
Step 4. Wait for 30 minutes.
Wait for 30 minutes. You can leave the pipe longer if you wish, but half an hour is the minimum time.
Step 5. Grab a scraping tool.
Step 6. Clean the pipe.
Clean the pipe. The freezing effect only lasts a few minutes before it becomes sticky again, so try to act quickly.
Step 7. Watch as the resin falls out of the pipe like a handful of black sand.
