I use a little spiral brush for stubborn tips. It's about the same size as one used to clean jewellery. Toothpicks are great for tiny holes, too!
Mostly I rinse them and put them in the silverware caddy in my dishwasher.
Another way to clean them (I read about it here on CC!) is to put them in a container with a little dish soap and COVER THE TIPS COMPLETELY WITH WATER, then microwave them for a few minutes. Let them cool and rinse them and they will be clean!
YES, you can microwave them as long as ALL of the metal is covered with water!
~Chelle
I was having a hard time cleaning them too. I got fed up and invested in a tip brush cleaner , got it from michaels and it's the perfect size for the tips. My frustration has ended 
Another way to clean them (I read about it here on CC!) is to put them in a container with a little dish soap and COVER THE TIPS COMPLETELY WITH WATER, then microwave them for a few minutes. Let them cool and rinse them and they will be clean!
YES, you can microwave them as long as ALL of the metal is covered with water!
~Chelle
DO THIS!!!! I learnt it here. It's the ONLY way I clean my tips!!!
I bought a tip brush at walmart. And I wash them in regular palmolive.
Silly question... When you refer to "tip brush cleaner" are you talking about the little brush from Wilton? Can it be put into the dishwasher?
Another way to clean them (I read about it here on CC!) is to put them in a container with a little dish soap and COVER THE TIPS COMPLETELY WITH WATER, then microwave them for a few minutes. Let them cool and rinse them and they will be clean!
YES, you can microwave them as long as ALL of the metal is covered with water!
~Chelle
Works like a charm!
Thanks for posting this, I have had problems cleanning my tips as well. I basically just find it's a chore....
Anyhow,
I use what so many tips that you guys have mentioned:
toothpick to take out icing, I then put them in a little bowl with hot water and dawn. I mix it up a bit and let them soak for about 5 minutes to loosen the grease.
then I use the little wilton brush and clean them out some more and rinse.
Then I put them in a little bowl with a few drops of bleach and hot water for the last rinse.
Then I turn them over on a paper towel and I am good.
I forgot a bunch of them recently in a bowl and found the bowl a day or so later, well I had to buy about 8 new tips, since they rusted. Then I found another while I was decorating - Orange looking icing then I was using White Icing-- took a fee minutes to figure it out!
Anyhow, I have checked all my tips and now replaced all the ones I needed too. I wont do that again.
Also just another tip, for those of you always looking for your tips, I wrote in the bottom of my tip tray the number of the tip stored in that spot. I have them in numerical order and it works great.
When I go to a class and I need a tip, I find it in seconds, everyone else is looking and pulling out their glasses!
For the low #'s like the 1-9 I have several spots that way when I use a lot of colors which I like to do, I dont have to worry. I have 5 of # 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 so I have 2 or 3 spots for those, otherwise the case would not close! I have 2 large trays at this time, I only have about 1/2 of the tips available, in another 10 tips I will need another tray. But it works great!
Oh I also have about 30 couplers and I find I try to keep 8 parchment bags ready at all times, so I can just get going. Once I clean up everything I prep more cones.
I used the sugarcraft list of tips available and printed it. I keep it around and update my inventory that way I know what other tips I want to get.
http://www.sugarcraft.com/
Good Luck.
I don't find washing my tips to be a chore. I push a finger,gloved if it's colored, into the tip to force out the icing then blow in the decorating end of the tip to loosen the remaining icing. Then I put them in a lg custard cup add a couple pumps of dish soap, Polmolive works just as good as Dawn, fill with hot water and let it sit overnight. Next day I use a baby nipple brush, soap and hot water to clean to the tip. Works easy as pie (oops I said the P word) for me.
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