Bongs can become very dirty and odor after many continuous uses without being cleaned. The resin that adheres to the glass wall of the bongs is very annoying and challenging to clean. Some resort to using chemicals to get rid of these particles, but this method of cleaning the bong can leave some residue that becomes toxic when it reaches high temperatures.
Instead, we recommend using natural methods that we will discuss later. In today’s post, we will review the hygiene of one of the smoker’s gadgets that tends to get dirty the most: the glass bongs. But before that, let’s start with how important it is to wash your bongs regularly.
Why is it Important to Clean the Bongs?
If you think that there are not enough reasons to stick a useful review to the walls of your glass bongs, see the following list of aspects that make cleaning pipes highly recommended to do regularly.
1. Flavor
One of the best aspects of smoking with a clean bong is tasting marijuana. When made in a bong, the flavor is more potent because the breath of air is also greater. When you don’t wash the bongs, the residue and leftover dirty water start to have a flavor of their own. This taste is profoundly unpleasant and ruins any distinctive marijuana flavor.
It is a stale taste that can be reminiscent of lousy food. If we inhale smoke from dirty bongs, we will lose all the organoleptic properties of the marijuana we use. It is of little use to use premium material in filthy bongs. That is why it is so important to keep the bong clean and free of olfactory residue.
2. Smell
Taste and smell go hand in hand. But the first symptom of a dirty bong is its smell. Resin build-up and standing water in the tank will both smell bad in the long run if you don’t clean them. It is a characteristic odor similar to swamp water mixed with ash. As you can imagine, a very unpleasant aroma.
Ultimately, that’s what happens when you don’t wash your bongs enough. You turn your smoking instrument into a swamp of debris that clings to walls, carpets, and even clothing. To avoid this with the tips later we will give you.
3. Bacteria
If you are still not convinced about maintaining the bongs’ hygiene, you should know that bacteria is another of the evils you can unleash. After 22 hours of standing in the water, the first bacteria will begin to appear, and if you leave it longer, things will get even worse.
The bacteria that appear in your bongs with dirty water and pipe are not the kind of non-harmful bacteria that we usually live with. In extreme situations, if you never clean your bong, there is a chance that necrotizing pneumonia bacteria are lurking in the dirty bong water. It’s something proven by science.
Necrotizing pneumonia is a disease that causes the death of certain parts of the lung tissue, as the very word necrotizing means. So take action and start washing your bongs and their pipes regularly.
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4. Difficulty
Imagine that you are already beginning to see the dirty bong on your bedside table with different eyes. But if you are lazy and do not want to waste time cleaning the bong, think about it in the following way: the longer you leave the dirt-eating your bongs, the more difficult it will be to wash the bongs.
The effect will be worse than when you leave the remains of lasagna in the source for a week. Do you have any familiarity with those scouring pads called “nanas” that serve to remove the most encrusted filth? The problem is that we cannot use this tool because the mouth of the bong is closed.
Anyway, imagine having to go to that extreme because you haven’t been able to clean the bong once heavily used. Conventional cleaning tools will no longer work to make your bongs flawless, and you will have to deal with a layer of burnt resin that will cling like lichen to stone.
If you clean the bongs enough, it will be infinitely easier to remove its dirt. Would you rather spend several hours cleaning the bong with harsh chemicals or rinse it with warm water for several seconds regularly? The best thing will be to take the last option more frequently.
How often to clean the bong?
The answer to this depends on the use. A bong used all day, and full of residues is not the same as the bong of an occasional smoker with little dirt and will last much longer clean. We will see the different cases in-depth below:
1. Regular Smokers
If you hit the bong practically every day, it is advisable to wash it at least every 48 hours. While it is true that heat and smoke can kill bacteria in the first place, over time, they will have settled in the bong and will be ready to be inhaled.
So if you smoke from the bong on a Monday morning, for example, before taking your first hit on Wednesday morning, make sure it is clean. It means using different water and having the bong cleaned using the methods that we will describe later.
Alternatively, you can also wash the bong every 2 days before going to bed. In this way, you will have it ready first thing in the morning, and you will not have to clean it. In the end, this will become a habit that will pay off your health. It will also improve the taste of marijuana a lot, and this is something we all look for, even the laziest;)
2. Casual Smokers
The best thing, in this case, is to clean the bong after using it. Although it may seem contradictory that daily smokers clean their bong less, now we explain why it is not.
Occasional smokers sometimes spend several days between bong sessions. When you don’t heat the bacteria every few hours, as everyday smokers do, it has a long time to grow and become stronger. That is why it is essential to stand up to him when he is not healthy.
If you are not going to use the bong in the next few days, it is recommended that you clean it thoroughly each time you use it. It will completely avoid the problem of bacteria growth and improve the aroma and flavor of the marijuana.
Signs That Indicate When the Bongs are Dirty
The bong itself will give you signs that it needs cleaning when it does. The symptoms are apparent: bad smell, dirt, sour taste. Next, we will reel off each of the signs indicating that it is necessary to wash the bong as soon as possible.
1. Viscose Film
Those of you who keep your bong clean will not know this feeling, but those of you who don’t know exactly what I’m talking about. This is a layer that covers the inner wall of the bong. This is the perfect breeding ground for the appearance of fungi and bacteria that we will then unconsciously inhale into our lungs.
The mold may also appear on these walls, and the risks involved in inhaling particles of mold in our body are shown that are relatively high.
2. Resin Build-up
It is not a novelty that the resin sticks to everything it touches. This is one of its most cumbersome properties. Dealing with resin is a reality for any marijuana user. Sticks to fingers, surfaces, and yes, your bong too. Although there are no proven medical risks, dried resin accumulation can adversely affect the hit’s taste.
It will be advisable to clean the bong for a good user experience if you see a small discoloration of the glass accompanied by a sticky and thin resin layer. This can appear everywhere, although the area around the bong pan is where it appears the most.
If you neglect this aspect of cleaning your bong, the build-up may increase, and it may be difficult or impossible to remove this residue. Indeed, there may be a point where this resin layer is permanent, and the only possible solution is to throw the bong in the trash.
3. Accumulated Water
Do you remember the example of the swamp? Smoking from a bong with water for a few days, even if it is clean, is not good. It will turn brown and end up smelling bad, and water plays a significant role when smoking a bong.
When you smoke a bong, water is to filter out the harsh part of the smoke. As a good filter, the bong water preserves these impurities, which turn it a dark brown, giving it an unappetizing appearance and a disgusting smell and taste. Here we will have the perfect breeding ground, and never better said, for the appearance of exogenous agents that are bad for the organism.
Therefore, always replace the water in your bong after home use.
4. White or Black Specks
Last but not least, look for specks of white or black on the wall of the bong. It means that there is a developing accumulation of ash. Unfortunately, it’s not about the ash that blows away. On the contrary, it will have stuck to the wall because of the resin layer that the bong has surely stored.
Cleaning the bong is super important, as no one wants to suck ash into the lungs. When you heat the bong, this resin wall will heat up and release the ash that directly reaches the lungs. So wash the bong and avoid this problem completely.
Ultimate Guide to How To Clean A Bong
Now yes, we begin with the didactic part of this content. I am proud to bring you these cleaning ideas so that you can keep the essential instrument in the house clean!
It’s not as easy as reaching in and scooping out embedded dirt, but it’s easy enough that everyone can do it in a few minutes. You will need these key ingredients:
- Hot water
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Salts
- Hand towels
- Small ziplock bags
- Pipe Cleaners to clean pipe
- Nail Polish Remover
Once we have gathered all these ingredients, we are ready for the cleaning process:
1. Empty the Bong
This obvious first step is essential to washing your bong. The simplest can be overlooked, so start by emptying that stagnant water that is stinking all over your house, and let’s follow through with the instructions.
2. Disassemble the Bong
Separate the body from the tube if possible. Remove the tube with the pot and separate all the bong’s removable elements, such as the grates. The result is to have the bong completely disassembled.
3. Rinse everything with Warm Water
Hot water is the best way to start getting rid of the waste to clean the bong. This first hot bath will help soften the resin, which will begin to come off the bong walls.
Put the water as boiling as you can bear. Even consider using a scrubbing glove that can lower the temperature you feel in your hands. Rinse it by filling the bong several times and emptying the water until you begin to see the wall more transparent. It will minimize the chances of a toxic agent lurking in the bong.
4. Place the Pieces in Hermetic Bags
You can also use Tupperware with airtight closure. This step aims to clean the parts of the bong separately. If we put them all together, the cleaning power of alcohol will not have as much effect.
After bagging the parts of the bong, it’s time to fill 1/4 of these bags with isopropyl alcohol along with a tablespoon of salts. If the piece is large, we can fill half the bag with alcohol and two small salt spoons. It’s the proportion to clean the bong.
Isopropyl alcohol is slightly acidic, which will cause the resin to come off the bong wall. Besides, salts are naturally abrasive, which will make them work in conjunction with alcohol, removing all possible dirt. Vinegar and rice can also be used, although I think the former is more effective.
5. Shake the Bong
Once the bags or toppers are sealed, proceed to shake them vigorously. It will spread the alcohol all over the bong walls and make cleaning the bong easier. Don’t get tired. When you think you’ve stirred enough, continue a little longer, and you’re good to go. Shake the bong for about 5 minutes.
6. Clean the Body of the Bong
Do you remember that we said earlier that we would clean the bong’s main body (the largest part) separately? Well, now is the time. To do this, pour 2 tablespoons of salts into the standard-size bong. If it is tremendous, you can add up to 5.
Then put at least half a cup of the alcohol that we have used inside the bong, proceed to cover all the holes in the bong, and start shaking as you did with the bags with the small pieces of the bong. Moreover, it would help if you didn’t forget to clean your bong’s pipes with pipe cleaners.
7. Rinse Everything with Hot Water
Remove both the parts and the bong’s general body from the bags or containers and drain all the salt and alcohol. Now is the time to do the last rinse to clean the bong. Rubbing it with hot water will remove all the particles that have not yet done so, and we will give a better finish to the cleaning of the bong.
Final Tips
If you have followed the advice in this guide to clean your bong, you will enjoy better smokes, highs, and flavors. But if you want a premium finish to this bong cleaning, don’t miss the following tips:
1. Use Vinegar or Lemon if Something Doesn’t Come Out
Stains on your bong can be challenging to remove with just rubbing alcohol and salts. If you see any stains left that make your bong look bad, pour a little vinegar over the bong’s body and shake hard for 2 minutes. Let the bong sit with the vinegar for a few minutes, rinse with hot water, and let it air dry.
2. Add a few drops of lemon to the water while you smoke
The juice of fresh lemon contains enzymes that can break down the bong’s sticky resin layer—adding a few drops of lemon before smoking will make the smell and dirt less present. However, remember that after using it, it will be convenient to wash it.
3. Store the Bong without Water
Although it sounds like common sense, we want to make sure that we don’t leave anything unmentioned. As a final tip, you know, throw the water out of the bong after use and store it empty for better conservation.
