If you enjoy smoking herb or tobacco from a bong, you know how important it is to keep it clean and fresh. A dirty bong can ruin the taste of your smoke, harbor harmful bacteria and mold, and damage your health. Fortunately, you don’t need to buy expensive or specialized products to clean your bong. You can use some common household items that you probably already have in your kitchen or bathroom. Here are some easy and effective ways to clean your bong with household items.
What You’ll Need
Before you start cleaning your bong, make sure you have the following items ready:
- A sink or basin
- Warm water
- Coarse salt, rice, or baking soda
- Rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or dish soap
- Cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, bottle brushes, paper towels, dry cloths, or earbuds
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Latex gloves (optional)
Step 1: Empty and Rinse Your Bong
The first step is to empty and rinse your bong with warm water. Pour out the old bong water and remove any spent herb or tobacco from the bowl and stem. Then give it a good rinse with warm water to remove any remaining solid particles. If you have a glass bong, you can use hot water to help loosen up the resin. If you have a plastic, acrylic, or latex bong, use only warm water to avoid damaging the material.
Step 2: Disassemble Your Bong
The next step is to take apart your bong so that you can clean each piece separately. Remove all movable parts, such as the bowl, stem, mouthpiece, and percolator. As you take your bong apart, check for any damage such as chips or cracks. You’ll need to replace any damaged pieces before using your bong again.
Step 3: Add an Abrasive and a Cleaner to Your Bong
The third step is to add an abrasive and a cleaner into the base of the bong so that they can work together to scrub the inside. The abrasive will help remove the sticky resin and tar, while the cleaner will help disinfect and deodorize the bong. You can use different combinations of abrasives and cleaners depending on what you have available. Some of the most common ones are:
- Coarse salt and rubbing alcohol: This is one of the most effective and popular methods for cleaning glass bongs. The salt acts as a scrubber while the alcohol dissolves the resin. The stronger the rubbing alcohol, the better. Ideally, you would use one over 90%. You can also use glass cleaners that contain alcohol, such as Aqua Glass Works Cleaner or Wellcann Glass Cleaner.
- Rice and vinegar: This is another good option for cleaning glass bongs. The rice acts as a scrubber while the vinegar helps dissolve the resin and remove odors. You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar for a more pleasant smell.
- Baking soda and vinegar: This is a natural and eco-friendly method for cleaning glass bongs. The baking soda acts as a scrubber while the vinegar helps dissolve the resin and remove odors. This method also creates a fizzy reaction that can help loosen up the dirt.
- Dish soap and warm water: This is a simple and gentle method for cleaning plastic, acrylic, or latex bongs. The dish soap helps dissolve the resin and remove odors while the warm water helps rinse it off. Be very conservative with the dish soap. If you use too much, your bong might produce an unpleasant soapy aftertaste the next several times you smoke.
Whichever combination you choose, make sure you fill your bong part way with it so that it covers most of the dirty areas.
Step 4: Plug the Holes and Shake It Up
The fourth step is to plug or block the open holes of the bong so that your abrasive and cleaner don’t cause a big mess. You can use your hands, fingers, and thumbs to do this, or you can use rubber stoppers or corks if you have them. You can also wear latex gloves to protect your skin from the alcohol or vinegar if you’re sensitive to them.
Once you have plugged the holes, shake your bong vigorously for about five minutes to get the best possible result. You can also use a spoon or a spatula to stir the mixture inside the bong. The goal is to make the abrasive and cleaner reach every corner and crevice of the bong and scrub off the dirt.
Step 5: Rinse and Repeat
The fifth step is to empty the cleaning solution into the sink and rinse your bong thoroughly with clean water. Make sure you remove all traces of the abrasive and cleaner from the bong, especially if you used dish soap. Repeat the cleaning process as many times as you need to, but once is usually enough for most bongs.
Step 6: Clean the Other Parts
The sixth step is to clean the other parts of your bong, such as the bowl, stem, mouthpiece, and percolator. You can use the same abrasive and cleaner that you used for the base, or you can use a different one if you prefer. You can also use cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, bottle brushes, paper towels, dry cloths, or earbuds to remove any remaining residue from these parts.
To clean these parts, you can either soak them in a container with the cleaning solution for a few minutes, or you can pour some of the solution into a ziplock bag and put the parts inside. Then shake or scrub them until they are clean. Rinse them well with water and dry them with a cloth or paper towel.
Step 7: Give Your Bong a Final Touch
The final step is to give your bong a nice shine and a fresh smell. You can use some water and lemon juice to do this. Lemon juice is a natural deodorizer that can help remove any lingering odors from your bong. It can also help get rid of any water marks or stains that might have formed on your glass bong.
To use lemon juice, soak your bong for 10-15 minutes in warm water and half a lemon’s worth of juice, or half a cup of white vinegar. Then rinse it well with water and dry it thoroughly with a cloth or paper towel.
Conclusion
Cleaning your bong with household items is easy and effective. It can help you enjoy a better smoking experience and protect your health. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or time to do it. Just follow these simple steps and use some common items that you probably have at home. Your bong will thank you for it!
