I have had mixed results depending on the pipe, or more specifically how it was finished. If I’m just doing a simple cleaning to use it, I generally use water with a very small amount of dish detergent, one drop at most. Even with that mild solution, I still plan to possibly put a coat of wax on after I clean it. 

For deeper cleaning, there are a few products marketed for this purpose that I am convinced are nothing more than unscented hand cleaners such as Gojo brand and others. Gojo hand cleaner actually works great. I’m curious as to what others here have to say, I’m always looking for a better method myself. 

I'm with Ted on this one. A gentle soap and water solution or just water and elbow grease. Never anything alcohol based as it will remove the finish.

Stanwell makes a impregnated pipe polishing cloth that I use on occasion. 

And once a year or so I use halcyon ll wax on the smooth finish ones.

Lager

I spit on the plastic, scouring side of a small dishwashing sponge! Never knew any other way till I just read Ted’s recommendation.  Thank you and BTW, spit ain’t half-bad getting build-up off the rim of my bowls.

I don't really bother with the outside of my pipes. If they get smoked they get a little worn and they tell a story that way. I have two unfinished briars and they only get more beautiful in my opinion.

This is my Stanwell 29 when I got it.

This is what looks like now after 8 months of use. Quite an improvement in my view.

Just a rub with a microfibre cloth after each smoke. One or two times a year I polish the soft finished pipes with Savinelli bowl polish.

In my experience and things I saw, depending the level of dirt and finish: from a wipping cloth to a treatment with toothbrush (for rusticates) and murphy oil. 

I will occasionally use the smallest drop of olive oil on a cloth and rub until it it all buffed out. This seems to work great but I did have 1 instance in which the olive oil seemed to remove the dye. I don't know why and it has not repeated itself since.

Posted by: Zigmeister67

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Can you use Murphy's oil soap?

For routine care, @Ted pretty much hit the nail on the head, and everybody who weighed in had great advice. ...which is why I didn't bother to weigh in earlier.

But specifically about Murphy's? No, I wouldn't recommend it for routine care - or even deep cleaning - of any pipe that's being regularly smoked. Murphy's doesn't smell or taste good on or in a pipe. And, it can strip sealers and dyes and adds a wet wood darkening "stain" of it's own if it penetrates. Oh, and it's really, really hard to get out all the way when you come across an estate pipe where it was liberally applied, (which is the source of my pet peeve against it).

The place for Murphy's Oil Soap is refurbishing a pipe when you want to strip the stummel, knowing you will later draw out the very last bit of that oil in a later step, before reconditioning, refinishing and resealing. But, I'm guessing that's not what you had in mind.

For routine care, the rule of thumb I use is to never put anything on or in my pipes that I wouldn't let stay on a plate or a spoon I was going to eat with, food-safe - because it can find it's way into your mouth. Now, I know few people lick the outside of their pipes, but, everybody wipes down their pipes. You may be more careful then me, but, I usually use whatever I'm wiping it with to wipe the whole thing, including the bit, (whether it's a wax impregnated microfiber cloth, a damp paper towel, or a licked thumb) 😝 TMI, I know.

I have to give an extra thumbs up to @Expositor comment further above. Sadly he doesn’t seem to have gotten active on the forum. 

He’s right about the spit idea for darkened bowl rims, I often spit on a bit of paper towel to wipe it off. For whatever reason, it works very well.