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If you enjoy smoking herb or tobacco from a glass bong, you know how important it is to keep it clean and fresh. A dirty bong can ruin your smoking experience, making it harsh, unpleasant, and unhealthy. Not to mention, it can also make your bong look unsightly and smell bad.
Fortunately, cleaning a glass bong is not a difficult task. You don’t need any fancy or expensive products to do it. All you need are some simple household items and a little bit of time. In this blog post, we will show you how to properly clean any type of glass bong using various methods and ingredients. Follow these steps and you will have a sparkling and smooth bong in no time.
Why You Need to Clean Your Glass Bong
There are many reasons why you should clean your glass bong regularly. Here are some of the main ones:
- Better flavor. A clean bong will allow you to enjoy the true taste and aroma of your herb or tobacco, without any interference from the tar and resin that accumulate in the bong over time. You will also be able to appreciate the different strains and qualities of your herb or tobacco better.
- Smoother hits. A clean bong will provide you with smoother and cooler hits, reducing the irritation and coughing that can occur from smoking a dirty bong. You will also be able to inhale more smoke and get more out of your herb or tobacco.
- Healthier smoking. A clean bong will prevent you from inhaling harmful bacteria, mold, and toxins that can grow in the water and the glass of a dirty bong. These can cause infections, allergies, and other respiratory problems. A clean bong will also reduce the amount of tar and carcinogens that you inhale from the combustion of your herb or tobacco.
- Prettier appearance. A clean bong will look more attractive and inviting, enhancing your smoking experience and impressing your friends. A dirty bong will look gross and unappealing, making you less likely to use it and enjoy it.
How Often You Need to Clean Your Glass Bong
The frequency of cleaning your glass bong depends on how often you use it and how dirty it gets. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should follow these guidelines:
- Change the water after every smoke session. This will prevent the water from becoming stale and contaminated with bacteria, mold, and debris. Stale water can affect the flavor and quality of your smoke, as well as your health.
- Deep clean your bong roughly once a week. This will remove the tar and resin that build up in the glass, especially in the bowl, the stem, and the percolator (if your bong has one). These can clog up your bong, making it harder to draw smoke and affecting the flavor and smoothness of your smoke.
How to Clean Your Glass Bong
To clean your glass bong, you will need some basic supplies that you can find in most homes or stores. These include:
- Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). This is the most effective solvent for dissolving tar and resin from glass. You should use 90% isopropyl alcohol if possible, but 70% will also work. You can find it in the first aid section of your supermarket or pharmacy.
- Coarse salt. This is an abrasive agent that will help scrub off any stubborn chunks of tar and resin from the glass. You can use any kind of salt, but coarse salt works better than fine salt because it has more surface area and friction.
- Cotton swabs or pipe cleaners. These are optional tools that you can use to knock off any large pieces of tar and resin that you can easily reach. They can also help you clean hard-to-reach areas of your bong, such as the bowl hole or the percolator holes.
- Resealable plastic bags or containers. These are optional containers that you can use to soak your smaller parts of your bong, such as the bowl and the stem. They will help you contain the alcohol and salt mixture and prevent any spills or leaks.
Once you have gathered your supplies, you can follow these steps to clean your glass bong:
- Separate all the moving parts from the bong. This will make it easier and safer to clean each part individually. You should separate the bong, the bowl, and the stem, and set them aside to be cleaned separately. You may want to wear latex gloves, as the smell of resin can be hard to remove from your hands.
- Rinse out the pieces in hot water. This will loosen up any of the bigger chunks of resin that may be clogging up your bong. The hotter the water the better, so use tongs to grip the piece if you can’t securely hold the piece. Do not use hot water on a cold piece, as this can cause it to shatter. If your piece is cold, for whatever reason, start with lukewarm water and slowly raise the temperature. For smaller, routine cleanings, you can just rinse out the bong quickly and move on to further cleaning.
- Knock off any big pieces of resin with cotton swabs or pipe cleaners. If there are any large chunks of tar or resin that you can easily reach, simply knock them off with gentle scrubbing. If a chunk resists, that’s fine. You just want to get rid of the big, easily removed chunks now. For smaller pieces with tough, thick stains, like your bowl or stem, it can help to freeze the piece for 30 minutes. This loosens up chunks of resin and makes them easier to knock off. Be sure to dry the piece before freezing.
- Fill your bong with isopropyl alcohol and salt. Pour enough alcohol into your bong to cover all the dirty areas. Then add a generous amount of salt into the bong. The alcohol will react with the tar and resin, making it easier to remove. The salt will act as an abrasive, helping to scrub off any stubborn stains.
- Shake your bong vigorously. Plug the holes of your bong with your fingers or some paper towels. Then shake your bong as hard as you can for a minute or two. You should see the alcohol turning brown as it dissolves the tar and resin. You should also hear the salt scraping against the glass.
- Let your bong soak for some time. Depending on how dirty your bong is, you may need to let it soak for a few hours or even overnight. This will allow the alcohol and salt to work their magic and loosen up any remaining tar and resin.
- Rinse your bong with warm water and dish soap. After soaking your bong, pour out the alcohol and salt mixture and rinse your bong thoroughly with warm water and dish soap. This will remove any traces of alcohol, salt, tar, and resin from your bong. You should also use a cotton swab or pipe cleaner to clean any hard-to-reach areas of your bong, such as the bowl hole or the percolator holes.
- Dry your bong completely. Use a paper towel or a cloth to dry your bong inside and out. Make sure there is no moisture left in your bong, as this can cause mold or bacteria growth. You should also let your bong air dry for an hour or so until it doesn’t smell like alcohol anymore.
Congratulations! You have successfully cleaned your glass bong. You can now enjoy a fresh and smooth smoke from your sparkling bong.
How to Clean Your Bowl and Stem
To clean your bowl and stem, you can follow the same steps as above, but with some modifications:
- Place your bowl and stem in resealable plastic bags or containers. Make sure that they can seal effectively. You’ll use these containers to soak your smaller parts in alcohol and salt.
- Fill your containers with isopropyl alcohol and salt. Pour enough alcohol into each container to cover the part completely. Then add a generous amount of salt into each container. The alcohol will react with the tar and resin, making it easier to remove. The salt will act as an abrasive, helping to scrub off any stubborn stains.
- Shake your containers vigorously. Seal your containers tightly and shake them as hard as you can for a minute or two. You should see the alcohol turning brown as it dissolves the tar and resin. You should also hear the salt scraping against the glass.
- Let your parts soak for some time.
