There is nothing quite like the first pull from a brand-new, crystal-clear water pipe. There is also nothing worse than hitting a piece that has been sitting in stagnant water and accumulating black resin for a month.

Not only does a dirty pipe look terrible sitting on your coffee table, but it also completely ruins the flavor of your material and can even harbor gross bacteria. You don't need to spend a fortune on specialty brand-name cleaners to get your glass looking factory-fresh. Here is the classic, foolproof method.

The Magic Combo: Alcohol and Salt

To completely strip away hardened resin, you only need two things from the grocery store:

• 90% (or higher) Isopropyl Alcohol: This acts as the solvent to break down the sticky tar. Don't buy the 70% stuff; it has too much water and won't cut through the heavy grime.
• Coarse Salt: Epsom salt, coarse sea salt, or rock salt works best. The salt doesn't dissolve in the alcohol, so it acts as an abrasive scrubber to knock the resin off the glass walls where your brush can't reach.

The "Shake" Method

Step 1: Dump out the old water and give the piece a quick rinse with warm tap water to loosen things up. Step 2: Pour a generous handful of coarse salt directly into the mouthpiece and the downstem joint. Step 3: Pour in about half a cup of your isopropyl alcohol. Step 4: Plug the holes. You can use your hands, crumpled paper towels, or grab a set of silicone cleaning plugs (highly recommended if you clean your gear often). Step 5: Shake vigorously! Shake it up, down, and swirl it around for a few minutes. You will see the alcohol turn dark brown as the salt scrubs the glass clean.

The Final Rinse

Dump the dirty slurry down the drain and immediately rinse the pipe thoroughly with warm water. Crucial tip: Never rinse a room-temperature or cold glass piece with boiling hot water. The sudden temperature shift (thermal shock) can easily crack your favorite beaker.

Let it dry, fill it with fresh water, and enjoy that pure flavor again.