Steel Wool To Clean Tangiers Phunnel - Careful

[redjako]

Bought some steel wool reading old topics on cleaning gunk off a phunnel. Worked very well

However, I was doing it very often, even in between bowl switching. My tasty Lucid peach then smelt very very wool-like and stupidly I threw the bowl back in the tub, scraping off the top into the trash. Now the whole damn thing has a bad subtle flavor.

Steel wool just oozes odor / weirdness onto things (just clean with it for a bit and smell your hands).

So now I use it infrequently and scrub the phunnel with dish soap and a plastic sponge-scraper thing to get rid of that steel wool-esque-ness

[thatonethere]

I usually use a Scotch Brite style scrubber for my funnel. Steel wool gets rusty. Maybe you could try soaking it in vinegar. Hopefully that'll take out the metallic taste.

[bobbo21]

Make sure not to scrub too hard as to remove/thin the outer coating applied to the phunnel.

[ngraz617]

I use brillo pad with soap off it and never had a problem that I have noticed. Just seemed like the thing to grab under the sink but I dont like them with the soap. I wash as best as I can and use brillo on the few spots I couldn't get off with sponge and rinse a lot after.

[dingo1799]

i use spray oven cleaner on my vortex. for some reason, my phunnels arent getting nasty enough to need to use anything but a sponge/plastic scotchbrite thingy

[indian_villager]

I just use one of those sponges with a scrubby side. After a soak in water that bowl comes out purdy.

[Chreees]

[quote name='indian_villager' date='22 May 2010 - 01:35 AM' timestamp='1274510138' post='468980']
I just use one of those sponges with a scrubby side. After a soak in water that bowl comes out purdy.
[/quote]

x2

[F16WarBird]

[quote name='indian_villager' date='22 May 2010 - 09:35 AM' timestamp='1274510138' post='468980']
I just use one of those sponges with a scrubby side. After a soak in water that bowl comes out purdy.
[/quote]

Yep. That's also what I do.

I use antibacterial detergent, but I don't know that it really makes a difference. I just don't want cooties growing on the inside hollow area of my phunnel. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/getout.gif[/img]

[liquidglass]

Alright guys here's the BEST cleaning sponge for any phunnel. Plain and simple:[b] Magic Eraser. [/b]

It has micro abrasive particles which is what makes it so "magic" scrub the phunnel between every bowl and it'll look good as new with no weird aftertastes.

[Chreees]

[quote name='liquidglass' date='22 May 2010 - 03:07 AM' timestamp='1274515655' post='468985']
Alright guys here's the BEST cleaning sponge for any phunnel. Plain and simple:[b] Magic Eraser. [/b]

It has micro abrasive particles which is what makes it so "magic" scrub the phunnel between every bowl and it'll look good as new with no weird aftertastes.
[/quote]

Ooooo, I'm trying this. I stole one of those from work.

[rhineholt]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong... or right, but I don't need anything to get my phunnel/bowls clean. Just my fingers!

[ryno]

[quote name='indian_villager' date='22 May 2010 - 02:35 AM' timestamp='1274510138' post='468980']
I just use one of those sponges with a scrubby side. After a soak in water that bowl comes out purdy.
[/quote]

Exactly what I do. That with hot water gets it clean everytime.

[thecoalition]

most steel wool is a problem for 2 reasons:
1. it scrapes the paint off - leaving you with a non glazed bowl
2. it has that blue soap-like chemical and will your bowl tasting like shit.

my advice - still with a hot water/lemonjuice or baking soda soak and scrub

[SiPY]

Magic Eraser could scrub the evil out of Hitler's mind...

[redjako]

[quote name='thecoalition' date='23 May 2010 - 07:04 PM' timestamp='1274663055' post='469200']
most steel wool is a problem for 2 reasons:
1. it scrapes the paint off - leaving you with a non glazed bowl
2. it has that blue soap-like chemical and will your bowl tasting like shit.

my advice - still with a hot water/lemonjuice or baking soda soak and scrub
[/quote]


I tend to really push the limits of the bowl with super heat to get maximum flavor / smoke, which can straddle the cusp of "harshness" which means more burnt crap on the top.

The steel wool is scary to scrub the sucker with, but I still get residue post bowl even just a month later (new tang small phunnel).

Vineger soak should be interesting, though I think it takes 6mo plus to get to the "wow I can taste the black chard" point.

Good responses folks. I do use the "green" side of a regular sponge and it hasn't worked to really take down the grine. Though perhaps, thats the "season" of the bowl after a while. Like hookahs, you CAN overclean and fk up your bowl.

[Scoop]

[img]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1623/mediawebserver.jpg[/img]
I use that. The steel ones rust and go bad instantly. These last forever. I typically buy a new small bowl every few months so i never worry too much, but none of my bowls have "caked" or charred spots. Some bowls are glazed strange (they look dull) and the gunk will penetrate and be impossible to clean off. i like to buy the bowls that look reflective, that glaze seems to work the best.

i have a 3 year old bowl ive been using the copper pads on and its still good. my friends 3 year old bowl was kinda cool; the glaze started micro fracturing apart and eventually the bowl absorbed a bunch of crap and the top crumbled apart (it was pretty awesome)

[redjako]

[quote name='Scoop' date='30 May 2010 - 01:50 PM' timestamp='1275249034' post='469975']
[img]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1623/mediawebserver.jpg[/img]
I use that. The steel ones rust and go bad instantly. These last forever. I typically buy a new small bowl every few months so i never worry too much, but none of my bowls have "caked" or charred spots. Some bowls are glazed strange (they look dull) and the gunk will penetrate and be impossible to clean off. i like to buy the bowls that look reflective, that glaze seems to work the best.

i have a 3 year old bowl ive been using the copper pads on and its still good. my friends 3 year old bowl was kinda cool; the glaze started micro fracturing apart and eventually the bowl absorbed a bunch of crap and the top crumbled apart (it was pretty awesome)
[/quote]


Noice! Someone referenced the potential harshness of steel wool takin off the glaze, which I imagine the copper would as well. I don't think this to be true (for no particular reason). Anyone (john / eric?) wanna clarify?