The compound from the cannabis steadily builds up over time when you smoke it via a glass water pipe called glass bongs. The glass’s sides are left with a sticky residue as a result. The cheap bongs will stop working if the stickiness gets too bad. Additionally, it taints the water and weakens the cannabis flavours.

Harrison Baum, CEO of the cutting-edge digital glass store Daily High Club, says: “It’s about safety.” According to Baum, mould and bacteria can grow in the water and threaten public safety. He claims that using a filthy bong poses a health risk and may give the incorrect impression if you’re smoking in public. Be careful not to be the one to pull out the filthy bong from your favourite bong shop.

As our culture is becoming more accepting of marijuana, it is essential to practice proper weed etiquette. Fortunately, the materials you’ll need to clean your big or mini bong will likely be just around the house. There are also products designed specifically for bong cleaning on the market.

What are Glass bongs?

A glass bong, commonly referred to as a water pipe and using them to smoke, is called water pipes smoking. Glass bongs are filtering apparatuses typically used for smoking marijuana, tobacco, or other herbal compounds. Smoke travels from the lower port on the left to the higher port on the right of the bong in the photograph.

A bong resembles a hookah in design and operation, although it is smaller and especially more portable. Any air- and water-tight vessel can be turned into a gravity bong by adding a bowl and stem mechanism (or slide) that directs air downward to below the water’s surface, where it bubbles upward (“bubbler”) during use. The “carburetor,” “carb,” “choke,” “bink,” “rush,” “shotty,” “kick hole,” or simply “hole” located somewhere on the lower half of the bong above the level of the water, is first maintained covered during the smoking process before being opened to allow the smoke to be absorbed into the respiratory system. The bowl and the stem must be removed to let the air out of the hole that supports the stem on bong without such hole.

Why it’s essential to clean your glass pipe or glass bongs?

Tar accumulates over time when smoking from a glass piece, making hits harsher, possibly resulting in a coughing fit, and muting the flavour of the smoke.

Nothing compares to taking a hit from a freshly cleaned bong, pipe, or bubbler. Hits won’t be as harsh, and you’ll be able to sense the flavour of the smoke and the strain.

We’ve all done it: you can always scrape resin from a glass pipe and take resin hits, but for superior flavour, clean your piece and pack a fresh bowl of a flower. Glass bongs and pipes are inexpensive and straightforward to clean.

When to clean your glass bongs or pipes?

The gist of the answer is: When it’s tar-coloured and brown. It’s time to clean the glass if you can’t see through it. Clean it if it’s difficult to see the water in a bong.

How frequently you have to clean a piece will determine how often you can smoke out of it. For example, if they use a glass bong or pipe frequently or if the item is valuable, some people may clean it daily.

With a reasonable amount of use, once per week is acceptable. You can wait longer if you only infrequently smoke from a piece. It’s time if you last cleaned a bit months ago.

It’s a good idea to replace the water in bongs and bubblers once daily or after each usage if you smoke from them. Tar and debris will be in the water left in a piece for too long.

How frequently should glass bongs be cleaned?

After using your bong for a few days to a week, most experts advise cleaning it. To prevent mould, you should frequently, ideally after each session, replenish the water in your bong. Mould can grow in any water left to sit in a water pipe.

Mould can grow in a bong in as little as 24 hours because you are essentially breathing through it, claims Baum. “Why would inhaling mould be acceptable? If you had mould in your home, you’d panic out,”

In fact, pneumonia and lung illnesses can result from inhaling germs and mould in contaminated bong water. Additionally, any resin that gathers inside the bong can create a biofilm environment, providing a home to dangerous germs you don’t want to breathe in.

Your bong’s water colour will best tell you when it needs a thorough cleaning. A dirty bong’s water will appear brownish-green even if it is clean because of resin that has adhered to the glass. It’s time to clean out your bong if the sky is gloomy or almost black.

Using clean glassware and freshwater improves the experience. In addition, cleaning your cheap glass bongs will extend their life and raise their worth over time, and you’ll be better able to discern the flavour profile of your cannabis.

Cleaning your Glass Bongs

This simple and reliable strategy is successful. However, if you wish to prevent getting any sticky substance on your fingers, you can put on disposable gloves before starting these instructions.

1. Remove the bowl and stem.

On the area with the stem and bowl, you set your cannabis. It is possible to remove this section, which allows washing the bong much easier. However, it would be best if you made an effort to keep the bowl from getting wet when you empty the bong’s water.

2. Get rid of the old water.

If you can help it, don’t pour bong water down the drain because it is sticky and sticky with resin. You can run it into the trash if the trash bag is properly sealed or pour it into a container to throw away. You can also dump the water from your bong outside. But it would help if you didn’t use it to water plants. Germs and mould can harm you and can also damage your plants.

3. Put the bong in a zippered bag.

A gallon-sized bag, which should be big enough, can be used to hold the mess. If you don’t have a zip-top bag, you can do the following steps over your sink or in a trash bag. Just be careful because the resin from the bong could stick to the sides of the sink.

4. Add isopropyl alcohol to the inside of the bong.

Fill the top of the bong with the isopropyl alcohol. Depending on your bong size, use 16 ounces of alcohol or just enough to fill it halfway. If you use an isopropyl solution for cleaning bongs, pour that into the bong. If you don’t have isopropyl alcohol, you can use baking soda and white vinegar. Just let it soak longer.

5. Salt on the bong.

This salt helps scrub the resin out of the inside of the bong in a gentle way. In addition, salt gets rid of the buildup on the sides of the bong that alcohol alone can’t get rid of. Use enough salt so that it can effectively scrape off the resin.

6. Shake the bag after you’ve closed it.

Before shaking the mixture of alcohol and salt 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. You might have to turn the bong upside down several times to get all the cracks.

7. Give it a thirty-minute soak.

Let the alcohol mix and the bong sit together for about 30 minutes. Based on how dirty you let your bong get, this step might only sometimes be necessary, but soaking it helps the alcohol clean the glass better.

8. Throw away the bag after you take the bong out.

The bag is essential because you can quickly seal it with dirty bong water and throw it away. In addition, this stops the sink’s resin from making a mess.

9. To clean the bong, use warm water and soap.

Since alcohol can start a fire, it is best to empty the bong of all alcohol and salt before using it. Dish soap and warm water can remove any oil on the glass.

10. Soak the bowl and stem in alcohol to clean.

Use a pipe cleaner to get rid of any resin that has stuck to the stem. Rinse it with hot water and let it dry completely before using it with cannabis.

References

Directo-Meston, D., & Directo-Meston, D. (2021, February 9). How to Properly Clean Your Bong, According to Cannabis Experts. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/how-to-clean-a-bong-1121339/

‌How to clean glass bongs and pipes. (n.d.). Leafly. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.leafly.com/learn/consume/smoke/how-to-clean-glass-bongs-pipes

‌Bartlett, L. (n.d.). How to properly clean your bong and how often you should do it. Insider. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.insider.com/guides/home/how-to-clean-a-bong

‌3 Ways to Clean a Glass Bong. (n.d.). WikiHow. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Glass-Bong