I see everyone saying to boil it. You dont have to in fact sometimes boiling a pipe, is too much thermal shock for the glass to quickly, and the pipe will break.

easy 5-10 minute method

1. ZIP LOCK BAG
2. Epsom or kosher salt (you want salt that is abrasive)
3. 99.9% ISO Alcohol

put about a table spoon for every inch of pipe, could be less or more. Put enough alcohol to submerge pipe, and a little more.

Combine all ingredients into zip-lock bag, you can shake bag like shake and bake, or better seal bag, and hold pipe then shake.

you are using the salt as brushes, only they are free do do their work so you don't have too.

you can let them all soak for about 10 minutes before shaking, If it is a piece that is very dirty.

Things that help, the purer the alcohol the easier it is, the more abrasive the salt the easier it is, If you hold the pipe and not the bag while shaking, use the openings of the pipe to shake fluid and salt in the pipe over and over, very rapidly.

I clean my bong about every other day, or even every day sometimes, takes literally 5 minutes, and I have 2 tree percs , a diffuser, and 2 feet of bong to clean. for pipes I like to let the fume take some color, but not so much the taste is bad.

It is easy, no need for tongs, or fire, or heavy ingenuity, it is very simple and very easy once you get a handle on it, if its hard it does get easier.

If you keep your glass clean your taste is that much better, and your filtration is that much better.