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Isopropyl alcohol is a good solvent for resin/tar. Salt is not very soluble in the alcohol and acts as a scrubby abrasive that can get into every curve and crevice, while not being hard enough to scratch up the glass. You could use isopropyl alcohol and sand and it would clean great but scratch the glass over time.

Plus the salt easily and cleanly rinses away in water after you're done cleaning (vs something like sugar).

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This is the correct answer.

Just for fun, you can shine up dull coins and metal with vinegar and salt. For the same reasons.

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Sugar is also water soluble though, so why would it not wash away? It wouldn't be as good of an abrasive. But it should wash away just as cleanly given a few rinses.

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No, I agree salt is a better abrasive. But theyvstated that sugar wouldn't wash away as easily in water. When sugar is soluble in water, just like salt is. So im curious as to why the think it wouldn't wash away as easily.

I wouldn't use sugar because anybody who has smelled a used/dirty "water pipe" knows that bacteria already have a home there and I wouldn't want them having any more food than they already do, salt on the other hand is slightly anti-bacterial/viral/fungal and as such a really great substance for cleaning.

Ya, like I said, twice now.... I agree salt is the better choice.....

But I'm curious why they think sugar wouldn't wash away as thoroughly when both salt and sugar are water soluble. That is all.

I get what you’re asking and have the same question.

My current guess is that, while sugar does dissolve in water, it leaves a residue behind when dumping the water. So to clean it, you would need to use a soap.

No clue if that’s even close, though.

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The reason sugar won't wash away as easily is it will already be sticking to other things in the pipe.

Sugar has hydrogen bonds so any small amount that does dissolve in the alcohol will readily stick to other things.

Sugar will also easily dissolve with any water already in the pipe.

Once sugar has stuck to other things it may technically no longer be sugar but it will still be there.

Salt might react but generally the NaCl bond is pretty common because neither readily reacts with much else.

Flourine from any fluorides around maybe and heavier earth metals but generally, and water and the ions will just stay pretty close to each other in solution.

Hydrogen bonds like other hydrogen bonds and lots of stuff has hydrogen bonds.

You could use sugar, but if you don't fully rinse it out then the inside of the glass pipe will get sticky and dirty faster. Since salt is not very expensive, there's no reason to use sugar.

Some people use rice, which seems like it absorbs some of the tar and is also abrasive. However rice can get stuck in small openings or even just to the inside walls, so I think salt is still a better option.

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you can shine up dull coins with just your thumb if you have oily fingers lol

honestly salt isn't all that effective, heat is way better, you can use the microwave on 10sec bursts or you can just heat like a mug or something so that the alcohol gets hot

Just don't leave the coins in the solution for over a day. Otherwise EVERYthing will melt off the slug :)

Not quite the same reasons, you've also got hydrochloric acid in the mix here.

Hydrochloric acid in vinegar and salt?

Have a word with your chipshop mate, lol.

When you mix salt and vinegar you make sodium acetate and hydrochloric acid. Basic chemistry, mate.

edit: lol

I prefer using boiling 91% isopropanol to clean things, then run scalding water through the glass for a minute or 2- It reduces the amount of stuff used which is my reasoning. I microwave my isopropanol for 45 seconds and it's totally volatile and ready to strip oils on contact.

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