For your health and enjoyment, you must regularly clean your bong.

While you can purchase mixtures at the store that guarantee to quickly and effectively clean your bong, you can also combine isopropyl alcohol and salt to clean your bong effectively.

You must employ a less abrasive technique, such as hot water and dish soap, to clean other types of bongs, such as silicone or acrylic ones.

When Should A Bong Be Cleaned?

After using your bong for a few days to a week, the majority of experts advise cleaning it. In order to prevent mold, you should frequently, ideally after each session, replace the water in your bong. Any water in a water pipe that is left standing is susceptible to mold growth.

“You’re literally inhaling through your bong and mold can grow in as quickly as 24 hours,” says Baum. “Why is it acceptable to breathe in the mold when you would probably freak out if you found mold in your home?”

In fact, lung infections and pneumonia can result from breathing in the bacteria and mold found in contaminated bong water. Additionally, any resin that gathers inside the bong can create a biofilm environment, which can serve as a home to dangerous bacteria that you definitely don’t want to breathe in.

The best way to know when to give your bong a deep clean is by looking at the color of the water in it. Even if it’s clean, the resin that has been stuck to the glass of a dirty bong will make the water appear brownish-green. It’s past time for you to clean out your bong if the room is getting dark or nearly black.

The experience is made better by using fresh water and a spotless glass mechanism. Cleaning your bong will extend its life and increase its value over time, and you’ll be able to taste the flavor profile of your cannabis more clearly.

How To Clean A Bong

Reyna and Navarro contend that using complicated cleaning agents is not the best method for cleaning a bong. According to some, the tried-and-true combination of salt and rubbing alcohol is still the best way to keep your piece looking as good as new. “The two items mentioned are already present in many people’s homes. Let’s keep our community inclusive by using accessible products,” suggests Navarro.

Remove all removable components, such as the pipe and mouthpiece, from your bong before cleaning it. Fill the bong with 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol and some coarse salt, like Epsom or rock salt, as an abrasive. Shake your item for approximately five minutes, then wash it with soapy water. Although vinegar and rice can also be used, Navarro and Reyna prefer the first approach.

You can also buy commercial pipe cleaners, but Navarro points out that many “aren’t necessarily the best for the earth. Generally speaking, I’ve found that rock salt and isopropyl alcohol work well. I love this method, not just because it works,” she says, “but because it supports the idea of conserving the legacy of cannabis, and continuing what has been working for so long. But kindly consider protecting our planet and our waterways. When cleaning, don’t waste any water.”

Clean A Glass Bong

It always works when using this simple and powerful technique. If you don’t want any sticky residue on your fingers, put on some disposable gloves before starting these procedures.

1. Take away the bowl and stem. Where place your cannabis on the stem and bowl. This component can be removed, which makes cleaning the bong much simpler. When pouring the water from the bong out, you should try to avoid getting the bowl wet.
2. Get rid of the old water. If at all possible, avoid pouring bong water down the drain because it is resinous and sticky. You can either pour it into a sealed container to throw away or into the trash if you have a properly sealed trash bag. You can also expel your bong water outside, but avoid using it to water any plants. Your plants will suffer from the same bacteria and mold that can harm you.
3. The bong should be put in a zip-top bag. The mess can be contained by using a sizable gallon-size bag, which should be large enough. The following steps can be completed inside a trash bag or over your sink if you don’t have a zip-top bag on hand. Just be careful because the bong resin might adhere to the sink’s sides.
4. Add isopropyl alcohol to the inside of the bong. Fill the bong’s top with your isopropyl alcohol. Depending on the size of your bong, use approximately 16 ounces of alcohol or just enough to fill it halfway. Pour that into the bong instead if you’re using an isopropyl solution designed specifically for cleaning bongs. White vinegar and baking soda can also be used as a substitute for isopropyl alcohol; just let it soak for a longer period of time.
5. Add salt to the bong. With the aid of this salt, the resin can be gently scrubbed out of the bong’s interior. Alcohol alone does a passable job of cleaning it, but salt gets rid of the buildup on the bong’s sides. Use a sufficient quantity to make sure the salt can scrub the resin away.
6. The bag is shaken after closure. In order to shake the alcohol and salt mixture inside the bong, seal the bag because this part can get messy. Make sure the mixture gets into all the chambers of your percolator bong if you have one. To get into all the cracks, you might need to tip the bong several times upside down.
7. For 30 minutes, let it soak. For about 30 minutes, let the alcohol mixture and the bong sit together. Depending on how dirty you allowed your bong to become, you might not always need to do this step, but soaking it does increase the alcohol’s ability to clean your glass.
8. Take out the bong, then throw the bag away. This is why the bag is essential: after filling it with contaminated bong water, you can simply seal the bag and discard it. By doing this, the sink’s resin mess is avoided.
9. Rinse the bong with warm water and soap. It’s best to remove all of the salt and alcohol from the bong before using it, especially considering that alcohol is flammable. To remove any remaining oil from the glass, use dish soap and warm water.
10. Alcohol should be used to clean the stem and bowl. Rub any resin that has adhered to the stem with a pipe cleaner. Before using it with cannabis, thoroughly rinse it with hot water and allow it to dry completely.

Clean Latex Or Acrylic Bongs

Cleaning latex, plastic, or acrylic bongs requires extra caution as opposed to glass. Use only hot water and a pipe cleaner or a sizable straw brush. This is due to the fact that alcohol can degrade and strip some acrylic and latex materials.

Rinse the bong over the sink after filling it with hot water. Rinse and repeat as necessary until the water is clear. There are also bong cleaning solutions that are safe for latex or acrylic.

Clean A Silicone Bong

It is simple to clean and very durable to use silicone bongs. The conventional techniques for cleaning glass bongs, however, can be a little too abrasive for silicone.

Here are several methods for cleaning a silicone bong and keeping it in perfect shape:

• Dishwasher method: if you have a dishwasher, you can take apart your bong and place the pieces on the top rack. Simply put it through a wash cycle after that. You should clean any breakable attachments, like a glass bowl, separately. Once you remove the item from the dishwasher, give it a rinse to get rid of any dish detergent residue.
• Soap and water method: Cleaning silicone is simple and safe when done with warm water and mild dish soap. Small pieces should be removed and stored separately. After thoroughly cleaning it with hot water, fill the interior of the bong with dish soap. Scrub any resin from challenging-to-reach areas using a bottle brush. Rinse the bong thoroughly with warm water and let it air dry on a dish rack.
• Freezer method: To get rid of accumulated gunk and resin, freeze your bong. Starting with a water rinse, let the water coat the bong’s exterior. Put your silicone object in the freezer for a while. To remove the frozen gunk from the sides when you remove it, bend the silicone. Then, dump it out and dispose of it. To make sure it is thoroughly cleaned, you can do a cycle in the dishwasher or rinse it with soap and water after this.

Other Ways To Clean A Bong

Although the aforementioned approach is extremely efficient and simple, there are some other possibilities to take into account. You can certainly clean your bong with items from your home that are already close by.

With Boiling Water

This isn’t our preferred method because the rapid temperature change could crack a bong. However, if you want to go ahead with this method, here’s the technique:

1. Put bong in a pot: Place the bong inside a stockpot after removing the accessories. To prevent coming into contact with the pot, place a canning rack beneath the bong. Without it, the bong might get scratched or cracked.
2. Cover with water: Pour cool water over the bong and into the stockpot. Don’t forget to fill the chamber with water.
3. Turn the heat on: Set the burner to low heat. The bong shouldn’t crack thanks to this gradual change in temperature. After bringing the water to a simmer, allow it to stand for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the bong: The bong should be removed from the water and left to cool.
5. Rinse: After the bong has completely cooled down, give it a warm water rinse.

With Baking Soda And Vinegar

This is a good substitute for acetone or isopropyl alcohol if you want a more environmentally friendly DIY bong cleaner. It’s an excellent choice for routine cleaning but not as effective at removing stains and disinfecting.

The same eight steps from the previous method can be used with this one. However, you will put ½ cup of baking soda in the chamber instead of alcohol, then add enough distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to fill the majority of the chamber. Do not become alarmed by the fizzing! It’ll settle down in a few seconds, so that’s a good sign.

With Rice

Rice is another well-liked cleaning substitute for salt. Utilize the same eight-step process as before to implement this method.

Warm water, a few drops of dish soap, and a ¼ cup of rice should be used instead of alcohol and salt. Make sure to thoroughly shake it.

To get rid of resin, sticky buildup, and debris, use rice as an abrasive.

Removing Stains From Bong

It can get stained if you haven’t cleaned your bong in a while. Hard water is typically to blame for this since the calcium and other minerals in the water can leave unsightly deposits.

You can try another method to remove stains if the eight-step cleaning process doesn’t work.

1. Dismantle the bong: The bowl, mouthpiece, and other extras should be taken off. Add salt and isopropyl alcohol to Ziploc bags with them. Give them a 10-minute soak.
2. Soak the bong: Spend two hours soaking the bong in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of dish soap.
3. Clean accessories: Remove the accessories from the solution after they’ve soaked for 10 minutes, then scrub the stains off of them with a cotton swab or pipe cleaner while wearing gloves. The stains should have been loosened by the alcohol, making this cleaning trick simpler.
4. Lemon juice: The stains on the bong should be loosened and ready to be cleaned after soaking for a couple of hours. Fill the bong back up with warm water and lemon juice after emptying it. Spend some time swishing it around. This will eliminate any hard water stains that the soaking procedure may have left behind.
5. Rinse: Rinse the bong and all of its accessories in cold water. Your stains should be gone, and hopefully, your bong is spotless!

Tips For Having A Clean Bong

Tip 1: Never Let Your Water Sit

Dump out your used water after each bong-ripping session. Don’t let the grime have a chance to settle in your bong. Clean as soon as possible and, even better, immediately drain the contaminated water.

Tip 2: Keep Your Bong Out Of Sunlight

Bacteria and algae growth is caused by dirty water in bongs. Keeping your bong out of direct sunlight will lessen any nasty effects if you ever forget to clean it. According to Kaczmar, the ceramic and opaque nature of Summerland bongs shields the water’s dirty water from ultraviolet light.

Tip 3: Salt Is Your Friend

Salt works as an abrasive to help remove stuck-on grime while cleaning your bong. Before beginning a bong session, salt, according to Kaczmar, is also beneficial. “Dissolve salt into your bong water before a session,” he says. “According to one theory, some of the harsh ingredients bond the salt molecules rather than the bong’s interior. You’ll most likely need to clean it less frequently if you dump it and rinse it.”