If you love your pipe or bong (and honestly, who doesn’t love their smoking piece) then you want to keep it in as good of condition as possible like these ones below.
But to keep them looking brand new, that means every once and awhile, you need to take a break from your all the bowls you’re hitting and give the thing a good cleaning and rub down.
It’s pretty simple: when you smoke the flower the leafy greenness of it all burns away, it tends to leave behind this black, tacky tar-like substance that can be hard to remove.
Besides it looking gnarly and disgusting, resin clog up your pipes making them effectively useless. The last thing you want is to pack a nice bowl, only to have it fizzle out because you’ve been sloppy with your housekeeping.
There is a glorious amount of diversity in the world of glassware from bongs and bubblers to pipes and chillums.
Each piece suffers the same problem (build up from your gross tar and resin) but most importantly, they all can be kept in premium condition through the same solution: basic upkeep.
Though all pipes have their similarities, they have all are effectively used in a different way and have different points of vulnerability. This means that some of them might require a little bit more TLC than others when it comes time for a cleaning.
Today we highlight how to clean up after yourself, and keep your pipe collection firing on all cylinders. That in mind, read on for a guide on how to clean your glassware.
Cleaning Solutions for Glass Bongs & Pipes
If you’re like most people, your bong has probably been through the wringer. It’s a fan favorite for good reason, but as a result, it accumulates lots and lots of gunk. Below we have some homemade remedies, as well as some more targeted ways that you can get your waterpipe looking good as new.
Cleaning Solutions Made at Home
If you have a home stocked with basic everyday essentials, you may already have the means to clean out your bong sitting within the cabinet beneath your sink. Here are a few common products that may (or may not) be great for cleaning out your water pipe.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Ah, hydrogen peroxide. Also known as bleach. A particularly potent chemical that is great for laundry, dishes, so on and so forth.
Can you clean a bong with hydrogen peroxide? Technically yes you can. It will effectively erode the build-up of harsh resin within the water pipe. The only problem is that unless you are extremely cautious, it can leave a pretty nasty after taste.
Considering the fact that most waterpipe people are looking for something that produces the best taste possible, this might be a no-no. Can you use bleach to clean bong? It might work in a jam, but consider it a back up plan.
Rubbing Alcohol
Don’t be pouring a bottle of jack down your bong. We mean cleaning alcohol. So, can you clean a glass bong with alcohol? Yep! In fact, this is one of the most popular means of doing so. Some people aren’t even sure you can clean a glass bong without alcohol. Typically, it’s done with a combination of salt and alcohol.
Most do this by pouring the alcohol and salt into the pipe (and percolators if you’ve got them) then covering all the holes, and shaking the pipe violently. This probably isn’t something you will want to try immediately after having used your pipe.
The alcohol serves to loosen the resin while the salt effectively scratches it off the surface that it is stuck to. In fact, the salt can scratch so effectively that it will tarnish the surface of an acrylic bong if you aren’t careful.
Dish Soap
Can you clean a glass bong with dish soap? Yeah, kind of. Your standard degreaser that tidies up yesterday’s macaroni and cheese isn’t terrible but it just doesn’t quite have what it takes to naturally remove resin.
Plus, it leaves a distinct soapy aftertaste that most people won’t be extremely keen on.
Nail Polish Remover or Acetone
Acetone (also known as nail polish remover) is a powerful cleaning agent. Something that is powerful enough to remove nail polish shouldn’t have any trouble working through some tar, right?
So, can you clean a glass bong with acetone? Yes! Acetone is a pretty effective means of removing nail polish. It does release a potent smell though, so be wary of that.
Baking Soda
Is it possible to clean glass bong with baking soda? You can actually. First, clean glass bong with boiling water, then, when some of the resin has been loosened, apply the baking soda.
After that, let it sit overnight. After a few hours, you shouldn’t have any problem removing the rest of the resin.
Store-bought Cleaning Solutions
If you’re finding that the home remedies don’t work, there are also some more industrialized options available. Products that are commercially marketed specifically with cleaning glassware in mind.
420 Solutions, Grunge Off, and Piece Water all make products that are deliberately designed to remove bong resin. Each works a little bit differently to ensure a clean pipe.
Piece Water
This isn’t actually a cleaning agent so much as it is a bong water alternative. Fill up your favorite pipe with Piece Water, and enjoy less resin than you are used to experiencing.
420 Solution
420 Solution is a bong and pipe fast acting cleaning agent and marketed as the first on the market. The manufacturer advertises that it starts working within one minute which is substantially faster than most home remedies. To use this product, pour it into the pipe and let it do its magic!
Grunge Off
Grunge off is another cleaner made to eliminate build-up from “tobacco and other herbal blends.” This is the solution you will want to use for the heavy use areas or pieces that have major resin build up.
Fill a plastic tub with Grunge off and let your pieces soak for a few hours. Rinse and repeat, but soon you’ll find that this solution with get your pieces squeaky clean.
How to Clean a Glass Bong Fast & Easy
Now that we’ve looked at the tools required for cleaning a bong, it’s time to get right down to the nitty-gritty details of what the process entails. However, you’re probably still wondering how to clean a glass bong properly. Understandable.
No one wants to be the goofy smoker that shatters their favorite pipe while clumsily trying to clean it. Read on to learn how to clean glass bong.
Using the Home Remedies
As you probably realized every home remedy is a little bit different. However, there are some generalities. Here’s how to clean a glass bong easily.
Before you get started, you will want to remove all of the loose parts. This includes the bowl, and the stem if it comes out (we will go over how to clean glass bong bowl and how to clean glass bong stem in a moment).
Next, it starts with choosing the cleaning agent of your choice. We’ve listed a number of at home solutions above, pick one and apply it to the interior of your bong. Naturally, it’s important that the solution makes contact with the resin you are trying to remove.
If your bong has a percolator, you will want to expose it to your solution as well.
Baking soda, bleach or acetone tend to have the best effect with loosen the resin build up in the biggest problem areas. In these cases, let the solution sit for several hours, or even overnight for best results. After a little bit of time, you should be able to scrub off the remaining resin via a toothbrush, pipe cleaners or some other gentle cleaning device.
That’s how to clean a glass bong the old-fashioned way. Alternatively, though, you can also go totally natural with boiling water which has always been an effective route to go.
How to Clean a Glass Bong with Boiling Water
This method is all natural but also a little bit risky, and it only works for moderately sized pieces.
First, fill a large saucepan big enough to contain your bong with water. Bring that water to boil, then stir in a small amount of lemon juice.
When the water has reached a rolling boil, submerge the bong completely, allowing the water to remove the built-up resin. Be warned that this method has been known to crack pieces on occasion.
How to Clean a Glass Bong Bowl & Stem
You can actually clean a glass bong bowl and stem the same way you might clean a pipe itself. Pour cleaning alcohol and hot water into a sturdy zip bag, add salt (the bigger the grain, the better) insert the piece, and shake vigorously.
You may need to repeat this process several times until the bowl and stem are completely free of resin. If you’re having problems, you may need to let the pieces sit in solution for a few hours or overnight for best results.
How to Clean A Bong With Store-Bought Solutions
The best way to clean a bong using store-bought solutions is to follow the instructions on the label. Industrial chemicals are usually how to clean a glass bong fast but caution is necessary because you may not know what exact ingredients they are using in their cleaning solution.
Usually, it’s a matter of pouring in the chemical cleaning agent and allowing it to sit for a little bit of time. However, each product is unique so be careful and read the instructions first.
How to Clean a Glass Pipe
Glass hand pipes get just as dirty as bongs. That in mind, read on for a step by step guide on how to clean a glass pipe!
How to Clean a Glass Pipe With Alcohol
Some salt and alcohol is one of the easiest ways to clean a glass pipe. Just drop the pipe in a zip bag, pour in the alcohol and salt, and shake it up.
How to Clean a Glass Pipe with Hydrogen Peroxide
Cleaning a glass pipe with hydrogen peroxide is usually the same approach you might use with alcohol. Pour the solution in a zip bag, submerge the pipe, and shake for several minutes, as needed.
How to clean a Glass Pipe with Nail Polish Remover
To clean a glass pipe with nail polish remover, submerge it in the solution for half an hour. The resin should then come off very easily.
How to Clean a Glass Pipe with Vinegar
To clean a glass pipe with vinegar, first soak (roughly 15-20 minutes) then scrub with soft towel or bristles.
How to Clean a Glass Pipe Baking Soda
You can clean a glass pipe with baking soda by first exposing the resin to hot water. Then coat the problem areas with baking soda and allow the solution to sit for several hours. Once dried, remove the resin with some light scrubbing facilitated by a soft towel or bristles.
As the caked on baking soda lifts off, so too should the stains.
How to Clean Glass Pipe Dish Soap
Dish soap for a glass pipe is a moderately effective approach, though often not much different than simply using hot water. Apply the soap to the problem area with warm water, and scrub vigorously.
Be sure to rinse the pipe out really well. No one wants to smoke soap.
How to Clean Glass Pipe using Efferdent
Also known as denture cleaner. To do this, submerge the pipe in water and drop in an Efferdent tablet. As the pipe sits in the solution, the resin should loosen and eventually come off.
Try at Your Own Risk
There are also a few methods that have been known to work, though with some degree of risk attached. For example, you can clean glass pipe in the dishwasher, but keep in mind that there is always the potential for it to shatter just like any other thin piece of glass might.
Other people clean glass pipe in the microwave by placing it in a microwavable bowl and submerging it in water, allowing it to reach a boil. Unless you are positive your pipe is microwave friendly, this is a risky approach, but it might work.
Clean Piece: Time to Smoke
Now that all your piece are clean, you’re ready to take part in your 4:20 ritual. Light up, relax and enjoy your clean piece.
