More Uses for Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are brushes, very tiny brushes, that are used for cleaning tobacco pipes. The bristles found on pipe cleaners are made from an absorbent material such as viscose or cotton and will usually have stiffer materials such as monofilament nylon combined with the absorbent material to make the pipe cleaner better for scrubbing. Now days there are crafting pipe cleaners as well as smoking pipe cleaners. The difference in the two is that the crafting pipe cleaners are usually thicker and longer than the smoking pipe cleaners, come in different colors instead of just white and are not very good for cleaning purposes.

There are many uses for pipe cleaners other than just cleaning tobacco pipes. They can be mini scrubbers, gift decorations, twist ties, napkin rings and plant ties. They can even be used to unclog things.

A pipe cleaner can be used as a mini scrubber to clean things such as the bobbin area of your sewing machine which can collect dust and stray threads whenever you are using the machine or when it is stored. Pipe cleaners can also be used as a mini scrubber to clean the wheel that helps hold cans on your can opener. Everyone knows that can openers can and do get dirty and have to be cleaned up.

Another use for pipe cleaners is gift decorations. Pipe cleaners can be manipulated into many designs and can then be used on a gift box to add a decorative touch to the gift. A piece of scotch tape is all that it takes to keep the beautiful decoration in place on the gift box.

Pipe cleaners can also be used as twist ties. This can be especially handy if you need to close something, such as a trash bag and can not find anything else to tie it up with.

Napkin rings are another project that can be made out of pipe cleaners. All you have to do is shape the pipe cleaners into a circle, heart or square or whatever you decide you want, then slide the napkin through the hole. This project is very easy and looks good.

Pipe cleaners are perfect for securing plants, especially small ones, to stakes or other things that are used to support them. They can also be used to tie plants onto trellises or archways.

One last chore that pipe cleaners can be used for is as a mini unclogged. As a mini unclogged, pipe cleaners are perfect for cleaning the ports of aerosol containers, steam irons and gas ranges.