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-Raskyl t1_j4v6xo2 wrote

Reply to comment by BurnOutBrighter6 in Why, and how, does a combination of isopropyl alcohol and salt, plus a lot of shaking, remove the resin tar from the inside of a water pipe? by dankantspelle

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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Diet_Coke t1_j4w83ek wrote

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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Jarlentium t1_j4wuo0p wrote

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

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[deleted] t1_j4vgvzr wrote

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-Raskyl t1_j4vh3bx wrote

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.

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zyiadem t1_j4vi4ms wrote

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.

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-Raskyl t1_j4viq4b wrote

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.

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MagicPeacockSpider t1_j4w4lb1 wrote

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.

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whoamiforrealsie t1_j4vjgza wrote

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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