Cleaning Your Bong! Top Tips!

It’s a problem all cannabis enthusiasts encounter… cleaning the bong. Let’s get this out the way: if you are a psychopath and rinse out your bong after every session, congratulations, Mother would proud.

For the rest of us sane individuals, let’s define when you should clean your bong.

When Should You Clean Your Bong?

We’ve all seen horror story bongs. The one that looks like it is developing life within its walls. And in some cases, you might be right. A combination of dirt, grime, and water will eventually produce bacteria – AKA: life.

So, let’s break down some signs:

Slime

It was cool on that KTV slime gameshow, but in your bong, it isn’t. That slimy film is the perfect environment for fungi and bacteria to call home. And as anyone could assume, this can be dangerous to your health.

I mean, guys, we’ve all lived through COVID – BE BETTER ALREADY! Anyway, bacteria and fungi in your lungs are a serious no-no.

The only green in your bong should be your own homegrown herb. What’s another sign it is time to start cleaning your bong?

Resin

Again, cool in your herb, not great in your bong. Resin is just a fact of life when using a bong. Cannabis buds are crammed with natural resin that will eventually make its way into your bong’s water chamber.

Over time, this resin will build up and create a solid line around the bong’s water chamber. If left too long, it can become baked in and hard to remove.

What’s another sign it is time to change up and start cleaning your bong?

Brown, Stinky, Water

For those who needed another sign… if your water is brown and stinky, change the water and clean it. Like, damn guys, if your bong is slimy, has a brown ring, with water that smells – you don’t need another sign – you require an intervention.

We can only imagine what your place looks like… like… the insides of a disemboweled Taun-Taun

via GIPHY

Yes, I tried to find the clip, but you know, sensors. ANYWAY! CLEAN YOUR BONG, YOU PIG!

Need more signs! Ok then! You need help…

White and Black Specks

Congratulations, you have now created a build-up of ash. Really getting the most out of your crop. Please, for all that is good in the world, just clean your bong!

And if you are the proud owner of a Zootly Ceramic Bong. The latest Geometric Bong, or Ceramic Pipe, and you can’t see these signs, the usual time frame for cleaning is 48 hours after use. So, light up on Friday, and clean it before hearing the Carte Blanche music on Sunday.

Would you like photos of these aforementioned products? Of course you would!

This is new to our store. Get it now! Looking to cut some more straight lines…

That’s right, a Geometric ceramic pipe! This pipe is cheaper than having a three-course meal at McDonald’s – so get as many as you can!

So, let’s get to cleaning your bong. Yes, we’ve structured this article so you have to sift through all the SEO stuff. Don’t shoot the writer, hate the game – AKA GOOGLE!

Look At Us Eventually Talking About Cleaning Your BONG! (But this is the shopping list…)

So now you’ve realised that you need to clean your bong, let’s go through what you’ll need to buy to achieve the cleanest bong ever!

Isopropyl alcohol
Sunlight dish soap
Coarse salt
Sponges
Paper towels
Cotton swabs
Zip-lock bag (the cheaper version works just as well)
Bottle brush

Yes, this is a comprehensive list of items, but you want to be sure that your bong is squeaky clean. Now, let’s go through the steps!

Steps To Cleaning Your Bong!

God, we do drag it out for a while. So, let’s do the first step.

Step One

Call your parent/s and tell them you love them. This is going to be a journey of cleaning discovery. As a wise Chinese philosopher once said,

“The journey of achieving the cleanest bong, starts with dissembling it”
Made up philosopher

Make sure to disregard the bad water. We’d suggest flushing it as really sticky bong water in a kitchen or bathroom sink can cause some odour distress. There are simple plumbing terms to define why this is problematic, but sinks hold onto some of the water in the pipes, which is stinky. If you have thrown it into the sink, make sure to run a lot of water after it.

Now, let’s get to the next step.

Step Two

You should be left with a bong with an empty chamber. Fill it with isopropyl alcohol, but leave some space to allow for shaking. Anything else you want to throw in…? SALT! Throw in some salt.

The alcohol disinfects the bong’s surfaces while the salt acts as an abrasive additive. Think of it as the rough side of the sponge, just tearing through the dirt and grim.

Also, the alcohol will cut through the oils and resin in the chamber.

Once you’re ready, shake it vigorously, and please make sure to cover the holes. Overwise, you’re going to make a mess. We feel like this is an intuitive step – but humanity surprises us daily… So, there you go, warning signs for not throwing hot coffee around. Just this time, it is for bongs.

When your arms get tired, place the bong down, and allow it to soak for ten minutes.

Step Three

After ten minutes, or when your phone’s timer starts to buzz, pour out the solution. Then dry off the inside of the bong with a paper towel. If you are going to struggle, use a bottle brush.

You want to work in the last residue of alcohol and mixture into the bong’s chamber’s surface. We’d suggest allowing it to dry out completely for another ten minutes.

Most of the work in cleaning a bong is waiting.

When ready, give the bong a rinse. If you’re not exactly happy with the finish, it improves with repetition. So, if your bong’s water has developed into a living organism, expect to repeat this process.

Now, what else is there to do…

Step Four

Yes! There’s more, cleaning the exterior. After all, it’ll be covered in fingerprints and whatever your dirty friends have been handling. Sure, your friends could be germaphobes, but we’re going to just say it, we’re making an assumption.

That’s right; we’ve just thrown around some generalisations, you dirty-dirty person! Now, let’s focus on all the rest of those bits and bobs you’ve set aside.

Place them into the zip-bag, throw in that cleaning mixture, let it soak for 10 minutes, and repeat until happy.

If you’re not keen on using alcohol, we do stock an amazing bong and pipe cleaner.

Yes, this is the longest advertorial ever, but you know what, we learned some things. Also, the salt can actually be Epsom salts. Which is great for plants, and if the soap is organic, it would be perfect for your cannabis plants.

What a win!

Now that we’ve jumped through all the hoops and got the clean bong, what steps can you take to keep it clean? You filthy animal!

Keeping Your Bong Clean!

via GIPHY

So, now that your bong is clean, you probably want to avoid cleaning it as often. We don’t blame you!

Here are some tips.

Address Water Stains

It might be obvious now, but empty your bong after use. Letting the water sit in the chamber is the main issue. If there is a stain when emptying it, you can address the issues with vinegar and lemon juice.

Both vinegar and lemon juice are natural cleaning agents that won’t kill you.

And if you’re really keen to keep the water, adding some lemon juice drops to the bong water should work at breaking down resin.

Don’t add too much lemon juice, as it will just ruin the smoke. But a few drops should help.

Keep Out of The Sun

The sun is not your bong’s friend. Not sure if we needed to say this out loud, but there we go. Also, who enjoys smoking a hot bong? No one – is the answer.

When your bong is in the sun, it also helps develop bacteria and fungi. As mentioned, this is bad news.

And what’s the last tip?

Salt It!

Some say it is cool to throw some salt into the chamber for that abrasive properties, but we’re not sure this is a good idea. Smoking a bong with any salt in it seems like a terrible idea, but if you are doing a quick clean between sessions – that’s ok by us.

Seriously, there’s a theory that the salt bonds to some harsh ingredients of the bud… We think this is just dumb. Please… don’t smoke salt.

WTF…