How to Clean a Pipe Screen

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 18, 2022 Tested

A dirty pipe screen can ruin a bowl of quality tobacco or marijuana and render a costly pipe as useless. Assess the dirtiness of your screen, burn it clean, and soak it regularly to enjoy the true value of your products and make the most of your smoking experience.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Assessing the Screen's Dirtiness

1
Remove the screen. Hold your pipe over a sink. Use a pair of tweezers to gently remove the screen from your pipe. If you didn't install the screen in the first place, make sure to also assess what material it is made of. If the screen is uncleanable, you'll want to know exactly what you're asking for in your local smoke shop.
2
Inspect the screen. Take a good look at the screen to see if it's damaged. If it doesn't have any holes or tears, then it's probably worth saving. If it has worn very thin or has a hole in it, you should probably just toss it and replace is with a new screen.^{[1]
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3
Blow on the screen. While holding your screen over the sink, gently rock it back and forth with your thumb and forefinger. Blow on it, and if it's now clean, there's no need to clean the screen. If it's still looking dirty and clogged, then it's time to start cleaning.
4
Gather some cleaning supplies. You'll need to gather some supplies, including a lighter or matches, salt, rubbing alcohol, clean water, and a small bowl or container. These supplies will help you clean your pipe screen effectively.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Burning the Screen Clean

1
Burn the screen with a lighter or match. While holding it with tweezers horizontally over the sink, hold a lighter or match underneath the screen in your other hand. Slowly move the flame around the different parts of the screen to burn it evenly.^{[2]
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- If it catches fire, extinguish the match or lighter and let the screen fire burn out.
- If it doesn't catch, burn the screen for no more than 5 seconds.
2
Let the screen cool for a minute. Remove or extinguish the flame and continue holding the screen with your tweezers for at least one minute. After a minute or more, hold the back of your hand close to the screen to see if it's still hot. Once it's cool, take it from the tweezers and hold each end of the screen between your thumb and forefinger.
3
Blow on the screen. Gently rock the screen again, letting any ashes dislodge. While still holding it over the sink, blow on it again to get any remaining ashes off.
4
Inspect the screen again. Look carefully at the screen once more to see whether it's clean or still looks clogged and covered in dirt. If it's good to go, you can put it back in your pipe. If not, you'll need to soak the screen.^{[3]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Soaking the Screen

1
Mix salt and alcohol in a container. If your pipe screen is still caked with dirt, ash, and debris, it's time to soak it. Pour some rubbing alcohol in a bowl, cup, or similar container. Add in a few tablespoons of salt and mix with a spoon.^{[4]
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2
Put your screen in the container to soak. Place your screen into the mixture and let it sit there for a half hour or so. This will give the mixture some time to break down the dirt, ash, and resin.
- This is also a great way to clean the pipe itself, if it's made of glass. Soak your entire pipe in the container if you'd like.^{[5]
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3
Rinse and dry the screen. After at least half an hour has gone by, take the screen out of the mixture, rinse it thoroughly under clean running water, and then wipe it clean with a paper towel.
- If you're cleaning the entire pipe, make sure to thoroughly rinse it with clean water and wipe it dry with a paper towel as well.

Warnings

Be careful when cleaning your screen; tobacco and marijuana resin can permanently stain your clothes.

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Helpful 11 Not Helpful 0
Don't make your own screen. Most screens are not fine enough for use as a pipe screen, and many also have a plastic or paint coating, which produce dangerous fumes.

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Always use caution when using fire. Extinguish matches and lighters, dispose of matches safely, and keep fire away from any flammable substances, such as alcohol.

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Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Some say new screens have a toxic oil film, so heat it up prior to its initial use.

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A broken screen can allow tobacco or marijuana to get into the pipe, which can damage and/or clog it, waste your product, create health hazards, and cause burns.

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Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
Be careful not to burn yourself on the screen, tweezers or match.

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