I mostly use glass pipes, and when I'm done smoking, I have to clear the bowl before I can pack a new one obviously. If I'm on a nature walk, I'll just blow and the bowl empties itself into nature (this is fine and not bad for the environment right, it's ash and I think it's good to return it back to nature?), but if I'm home, there's not exactly an easy spot or angle to blow the deposits somewhere. I usually just use around 5-8 q-tips to clear the bud into a trash can, this feels like an obnoxious amount of waste if I'm smoking sometimes multiple times a day. Basically, what's the alternative to the q-tips.
Buy a pack of bamboo/wooden skewers that you'd use on a BBQ man.. I use them regularly to clean my downstem/bowl out when it's needed You get like 100 for £1 over here if you cut them in half/thirds for a pipe they'd last you a while
Personally I have a small screwdriver, like the kind to fix glasses with. Toothpicks are ok, but they break too often. The screwdriver can scrape the screen a bit to clear it between the times I use it to pry the old screen out to either clean or toss. Bought a tin of like 500 screens on amazon, but still pop'em out and clean them until they get a hole. I still soak the bowl in alcohol about once a week or the build up can get out of control.
When the Stone or Brass pipes I smoke Kief in start to bubble it's time to clean before it spits Oil and Tar into my mouth. While the pipe is still hot from the last bowl I pull the screen and fire it to burn it clean. Set aside to cool. A small twist of tissue or paper towel shoved into the mouth of the still warm stone pipes and pushed through with a wire gets all the goo pushed into the bowl where it can be scraped out. Flex the now cool screen to work the ash out and I have a fresh start. The Brass pipes will get disassembled periodically when they get really gooey and I'll use pliers and a big propane torch to get all the parts near red hot and that turns all the Tar to ash and it easily brushes out when cool. Broke way to many glass pipes over the years to deal with them. I've got Stone pipes I've had for over 40 years. BNW
LOL, my gf asked me this... I have a broom that has two sizes of bristles (plastic). I cut off 3-4 of the larger bristles and they are the perfect fit for my bowl. So I use one for a while, then cut the tip off a half inch or so, use it some more, cut and repeat till it's too short to use. It works perfectly. I don't have to worry about breaking the bowl by tapping it on anything when I'm ready.
I think that's what I'm gonna start with, I like this solution the most I also clean my piece once a week, I'm using Agent Orange lately, it takes 10 minutes if that from start to finish to use that stuff to clean and it's faster than anything else I've tried. I do have a small screwdriver, I could try that but it feels too janky, I know it's lowkey dumb to worry about the aesthetics, but I'm going to anyway. I love this
I use a knife because there's always one around, and usually don't clean my pieces til they're too clogged to use.. just gonna shoot ya straight, I'm lazy and my pieces are dirty..
I'm gonna try and use a paper clip dipped in alcohol to clean my pipes bc they're all clogged now and I can't get a pull from them. I have a Shire pipe that I love and miss using, and a corncob pipe. I'm done being lazy and settling for what still works tho lol. New Year, new habits. Usually I clean out the bowls with Witch Hazel tho. Alcohol is too strong, leaves a bad taste too, yuck!
I just use a Poke-a-Bowl from Leafly that I got in maybe 2019, it's great, still serves me well! I use it to clean my bowls out but the spoke is not long enough to clean my Shire Pipe and other longer pipes. Oh well! Your way sounds good too though!
SNAP!...and I thought I was the only one ...lol ps clean out my vape too, Spoiler I'd like to say my cats ears but lets not go their