Dirty bongs are simply… gross. They’re nasty to look at and are 100% guaranteed to ruin the taste of your top-quality medical marijuana. Cleaning a bong regularly is essential to maintain a pleasant smoking experience.
If you want a great smoking experience, you’ve gotta get rid of the dirty bong — and the dirty bong water.
Elevate Holistics ensures that patients get the best of everything cannabis. So, below, let’s break down the bong cleaning process to ensure your next smoke sesh is better than ever.
Wait, Why Clean Your Bong?
Bongs, like every other water pipe, depend on water filtration to deliver a good toke.
Expectedly, the bong water, which acts as a filter, collects some of the dirt, oils, and other harsh substances, so you don’t fill up your lungs with unwanted particles that do you no good.
The trapped particles change the color of the water, but as a result, you get to enjoy a cleaner and smoother smoking experience.
As with a dirty joint filter, stinky bong water would mess with the flavor of every subsequent drag you take.
Over time, resins that are part of the particles the bong water filter out will start caking on the bong’s surface, making it much harder to clean.
But those only make one – and less bothersome – part of the problems you can avoid when you clean your bong.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Supplies
When it comes to cleaning your bong, having the right supplies is essential.
Here’s what we think are the ideal cleaning supplies for your gunked-up bong:
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Isopropyl Alcohol: This is a must-have for cleaning your glass bong. Look for a high concentration of isopropyl rubbing alcohol (at least 90%) for effective cleaning. It helps dissolve resin and other residues, making the cleaning process much easier.
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Coarse Salt: This gentle abrasive helps remove stubborn residue from your bong. Opt for coarse salt like Epsom salt, rock salt, or sea salt, which are specifically effective for cleaning purposes.
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Bong Cleaning Solution: If you prefer to use a commercial cleaning solution, look for one that is specifically designed for cleaning bongs. Popular options include Formula 420 and Orange Chronic, which are formulated to break down resin and grime.
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Pipe Cleaner: A pipe cleaner is a long, flexible brush that helps remove residue from hard-to-reach areas of your bong. It’s perfect for cleaning the narrow passages and intricate parts of your water pipe.
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Bottle Brush: A bottle brush is a soft-bristled brush that helps remove residue from the inside of your bong. It’s particularly useful for scrubbing the main chamber and larger sections.
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Hot Water: Hot water is essential for rinsing your bong after cleaning. Aim for a water temperature of at least 104°F (40°C) to effectively rinse away cleaning solutions and loosened residues.
How to Clean a Glass Bong
You now know why you should clean your bong, so let’s hop on to how to clean a bong thoroughly and ensure there is no germs left lurking inside.
Any person who knows how to clean a glass bong knows to always gather the bong-cleaning materials first.
It is crucial to use fresh alcohol for effective cleaning as it ensures the thorough removal of residues and contaminants.
To stress, here’s what you’ll need:
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Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) and Epsom salt
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If you’d rather learn how to clean a bong with household items or how to clean acrylic and plastic bongs, then a good cleaning agent could be –
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Lemon juice mixed with rice or coarse salt (such as Epsom salt, rock salt, sea salt, or pickling salt), or
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Vinegar mixed with rice or baking soda.
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Ziploc bags or plastic bags
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Bottle brush and cotton swabs
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Paper towels
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Dish soap
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Sponge
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Disposable gloves
6 Steps to Clean Your Bong like a Pro
Here’s a 6-step guide on how to clean your bong quickly and effortlessly.
Step 1: Dump the Bong Water
Before you start cleaning, you must first dump the water into a sink and rinse out the bong with warm water.
Step 2: Disassemble the Bong
Detach all the removable parts of the bong, including the bong bowl, the stem, and the mouthpiece (if using a detachable mouthpiece). Place the detached parts in separate ziploc or plastic bags.
Step 3: Add Your Cleaning Solution and Coarse Salt
Cannabis connoisseurs prefer a mix of isopropyl alcohol, water, and Epsom salt.
It is important to avoid using boiling hot water when cleaning your bong, as it could potentially cause the glass to break. Instead, use warm water to safely wash the bong and its components.
Fill your bong base with rubbing alcohol and add 1- 2 teaspoons of Epsom salt to form a cleaning solution.
Step 4: Shake It Up to Clean
Cover the bong’s openings with your gloved palms and shake the bong for about a minute, ensuring the cleaning solution gets to all parts of the bong. Leave the bong to soak for about ten minutes, then shake it some more.
This process is best done in a sink. Some persons use a basin or a large container.
The disposable gloves help keep your palms from feeling too dry later, as some persons observe that their palms feel unusually dry after cleaning a bong with alcohol.
Step 5: Pour Out the Cleaning Solution and Rinse Thoroughly
Dump the cleaning solution into the sink, wipe the insides clean with a bottle brush or paper towel, then rinse the bong.
To ensure that you’ve done a good job while cleaning your bong, you must rinse it repeatedly until you’re satisfied that it’s squeaky clean or you no longer perceive the alcohol in it.
Clean the exterior with dish soap and sponge and rinse. You can do this before cleaning the insides or before rinsing thoroughly so remnants of the dish soap are not trapped inside your bong.
Step 6: Assemble and Leave to Dry
Once you’re done rinsing, re-attach the cleaned bowl and stem and leave the bong to dry.
If you’re in a hurry to rip a bong immediately, you don’t necessarily have to leave it to dry. Fill up with clean water and start smokin’.
Removing Stubborn Residue
Removing stubborn residue from your bong can be a challenge. Here are some tips for tackling those tough spots:
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Soak Your Bong: If you have a particularly stubborn piece of residue, try soaking your bong in a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt for several hours. This combination works wonders in breaking down and loosening the gunk.
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Use a Pipe Cleaner: A pipe cleaner can help remove residue from hard-to-reach areas of your bong. Its flexibility allows it to navigate through narrow passages and intricate parts, ensuring a thorough clean.
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Use a Bottle Brush: A bottle brush can help remove residue from the inside of your bong. Its soft bristles are perfect for scrubbing the main chamber and larger sections without scratching the glass.
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Baking Soda: This is a gentle abrasive that can help remove stubborn residue from your bong. Simply mix baking soda with water to form a paste, and apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing.
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Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is a natural cleaning agent that can help remove stubborn residue from your bong. Mix lemon juice with water and apply it to the affected area. The acidity of the juice helps break down the residue, making it easier to clean.
Other Ways of Cleaning a Bong: How to Clean a Bong With Household Items
Knowing how to clean a bong with household items could be handy when you don’t have isopropyl alcohol or Epsom salt but need your bong cleaned ASAP.
It is also important to use distilled water in bongs because it contains fewer minerals that can foster bacteria growth. Regularly replacing bong water with fresh distilled water helps maintain cleanliness and avoid contamination.
The results might not be as fast or as outstanding, but a mix of vinegar and rice/baking soda or a mix of lemon juice and rice/coarse salt will get the job done.
These cleaning solutions are also in line with what to expect if you’d like to know how to clean a bong with hot water and salt (sea salt, Epsom salt, rock salt, and the like.)
Whether you’re using lemon juice, vinegar, or hot water solution, the process is basically the same as with isopropyl alcohol.
The main difference is that you’ll first need to soak or wash the bong, bowl, and stem with dishwashing soap to loosen the muck before cleaning with the cleaning solution of your choice.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bong?
Unfortunately, fungi, mold, viruses, and bacteria can grow exceptionally well in your bong overnight.
Cleaning your bong regularly is crucial to avoid health risks from inhaling mold and bacteria, which can negatively impact the taste and airflow of the smoke.
It is nearly impossible to notice their growth with your naked eye in the case of bacteria, viruses, and some fungi. So, all you might see is discolored water, which you might think is nothing unusual.
To avoid gambling with your health and risking lung infections, we suggest taking a leaf from the page of cannabis connoisseurs and emptying the water after each use.
If you smoke up to two bowls daily, give your bong a thorough cleaning once a week.
If you’re a heavy user ripping through more than four bowls daily, you should definitely give your bong a thorough cleaning daily!
Get the Best Cannabis Advice With Elevate Holistics
From learning how to clean your bongs to learning and understanding everything there is to know about the many cannabis products in the market, you can always count on us to guide you aright.
And when it comes to quickly getting your medical marijuana card online in any legal state at a very affordable price, you also know no other telehealth service does it better than us.
We can help you get your card in minutes. Plus, we can register you with the state to help the process be even easier.
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