Step-By-Step Guide: How to Clean Your Bong

As a newer cannabis consumer, you might have questions about how to keep your devices clean. Doing this is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your consumption experience is a pleasant one.

Why You Should Keep Your Devices Clean

Before we dive into how to keep your devices clean, let’s briefly touch upon why it’s important to do so. Just like your car needs regular maintenance, so does your pipe or bong. A quality glass bong or pipe can last a long time, but you will need to maintain it and treat it with love. Keeping these devices clean is imperative for getting the most out of them and their functionality. Far too many consumers, even experienced ones, only clean their devices biweekly or monthly. We don’t judge, it’s your life - but your devices will deteriorate much faster by neglecting to keep them clean. A good rule of thumb is that after every 2-3 smoking sessions, it’s time to clean. Also, it’s easy to change the bong water after every session, so it’s a good idea to do that too.

A dirty bong will carry with it a ton of undesirable leftovers often referred to as “resin”, that nasty black tar-like residue that you should absolutely NEVER smoke. This dirty stuff gets in the way of the flavor of your herbs and prevents you from enjoying its terpenes. A dirty piece can reduce the benefits of cannabinoids and can be dangerous for your lungs. Not to mention, top-shelf cannabis isn’t cheap. If you are spending your hard-earned money on cannabis flower at your local dispensary, it’s counter-intuitive to put premium products in below-average pipes or vapes. With that out of the way, here’s how to keep your devices clean.

How to Clean Your Bong

Before we get started, be sure to pour out the old bong water. This might seem like a no-brainer, but we want to cover all of our bases. This step-by-step is focused on how to clean a bong, as cleaning a bong requires more steps. To clean your pipe, you can basically follow steps #2, #4 and #5 and you will be good to go.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Isopropyl alcohol (Aka rubbing alcohol - 99% preferred, but not imperative)
• Sea Salt (Table salt works too, but the coarser the better)
• Paper towels
• Large zipper baggies
• Rubber Stoppers (optional)

Step 1: Remove the down stem and the bowl from your bong. The down stem is the long glass piece that you fit your bowl into. Not all bongs have removable glass stems. If your bong doesn’t have one, that means easier cleaning for you.

Step 2: Place the bowl and the down stem in two separate zipper plastic baggies. Put a half of a handful of salt in with each bag and fill with rubbing alcohol until the parts are submerged with about a quarter-inch of liquid. If your bong has a down stem, using two separate bags will help prevent you from breaking the individual pieces. Make sure the baggie is zipped tightly. The last thing you want is that nasty liquid spilling everywhere.

Step 3: Do the same for the bong itself - fill with half of a handful of salt and about a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol. No need to measure - eyeballing it is just fine.

Step 4: Shake it up! Give both of the baggies and the bong a good shake until all of the resin build-up comes loose. If your devices are really dirty and caked with residue, you might have to repeat this process.

Step 5: Rinse all pieces thoroughly and place them on a paper towel to dry. Don’t reassemble your bong after rinsing, let everything air dry for at least an hour or so. If you can safely place it by an open window for fresh air, that’s a good idea as well.

Don’t Feel Like Cleaning? Here’s How to Roll A Joint

We get it. Cleaning sucks. We’ve all been there. If you want to consume but don’t feel like cleaning your pipe, bong, or vape, why not roll something up? We’ve got you covered. Check out our visual guide right here on our Instagram. This is a step-by-step guide on how to grind, roll, and enjoy the perfect joint.

HashDash - Your Perfect Cannabis Match

We hope you enjoyed reading this article on how clean your bong or pipe. If you’re a vape love, don’t fret - a handy guide on how to clean your vape is coming soon. If you found value in this article, we’d love it if you would check back to our blog often, because we post fresh content every week! Connect with us on social media: @hashdash on all platforms.

Here at HashDash, we are compiling an entire information database that will continue to answer your questions regarding all things cannabis as well as where to find the best dispensaries in your area. Be sure to sign up for HashDash to discover your cannabis matches if you haven’t already. It’s your personalized resource to discover the perfect cannabis for you, as well as where to get it. As always, thanks for reading, and happy consuming!