Over the years, I have tried out a few cleaning rituals.
In the meantime, I've arrived at “quick and dirty”, so every 2-3 weeks the workhorse is cleaned mainly with a brush.
It's really dirty and clogged, so the cleaning is worthwhile!
I use 2 brushes, one for the rough work and one to clean the dirty brush. (Pig bristles, no plastic!) I bought these brushes from René, the new ones are also very good.
The pan is heated up properly for this, then the brush is used at the first air hole. Then heat up again and continue.
From experience, I hardly touch the mica, just a quick brush over it is enough. The patina protects the surface very well.
Sometimes I still use this Magic Sponge, but only for a quick wipe.
In the second part, I also use the familiar needle to clean the air tubes, also when hot.
The best result is achieved by removing the tip of the needle.
The result is good enough for me.
The middlepiece and mouthpiece are also roughly cleaned, I'm so lazy, I don't even have the screws on, but clamp the filter part to the wood with the two tabs. As I only clean with a brush and a pipe-cleaner, there is always some resin left over, so the filter part holds better.
We don't want to conceal the advantages of laziness.