Is it safe to clean glass smoking utensils with methylated spirits? x-post from askscience
Posted May 9, 2012, 7:59 AM UTC
78
I recommend a mix of rubbing alcohol, baking soda, and salt, and shaking that around in the utensil.
3
if you use a very strong rubbing alcohol, the baking soda and salt will not dissolve.
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I believe that is desirable. You are using them as abrasives to help scrape resin off mechanically, aiding the chemical breakup by the alcohol.
11
This is correct. If you make a supersaturated mixture of 91% isopropanol and salt, the 9% water will dissociate the salt ions a little bit but they will not dissociate/ dissolve in the alcohol.
1
Assuming there is nothing non-volatile added in, yes. Bitrex is sometimes added to methylated spirits.
I have found a rinse with acetone followed by NaOH solution to be most effective.
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[deleted]
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Use non-acetone nail polish remover with ethyl acetate in the ingredients list. It's like magic. You need to do an alcohol wash to get rid of the taste, though.
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I have heard of many pipes being successfully cleaned with acetone. Some people even save the wash, evaporate away the solvent, and use the resin.
1
Yes.