Bling brand cleaner is by far the best cleaner on the market. This 4 ounce version is designed for use with pyrex, glass, metal, and ceramic. It's anti-bacterial, environmentally friendly, and completely non-toxic! Plus it will get most pipes clean in 1 minute or less. This is the cleaner we all use and we always recommend.
For small pieces, just place the pipe in a ziptop baggie, put a little cleaner in it, seal and shake for a minute. For larger items such as tobacco hookahs, put some cleaner into the hookah, cover all the holes, and shake for one minute.