How to clean a bong

Are you trying to figure out how to clean a bong?

This article will teach you how to clean your bong and what materials to use. We'll dive into how to clean an acrylic bong, how to clean a glass bong, how to clean a small bong, and how to clean a large bong.

Let’s find out how to properly clean a bong – so that it smells and looks like new.

How to clean a bong (acrylic)

We're going to start with how to clean an acrylic bong. 

Acrylic bongs are the toughest to clean because materials that can be used on glass bongs can't be used on acrylic or it will damage the bong, and possibly cause you to consume stripped acrylic.

Materials to clean an acrylic bong

·      Acrylic safe bong cleaner

·      Cotton swabs

·      Disposable gloves

·      Hot water

·      Clean containers that fit your bong and its pieces (food storage containers or pots)

·      Paper towels

·      Soft-bristled brush

How to clean an acrylic bong

Step 1: Put on gloves. 

Step 2: Separate the pieces of your bong (remove the bowl and stem).

Step 3: Dump out any water that is in your bong. Don’t pour the dirty bong water through the mouthpiece or you run the risk of developing mold. 

Step 4: Rinse each piece of your bong with hot water.

Step 5: Fill the individual clean containers with warm water. 

Step 6: Shake the closed bottle of acrylic safe cleaner.

Step 7: Cover each piece of the bong with acrylic safe cleaner. Swish/shake the cleaning solution around the inside of the bong for 60 seconds. 

Step 8: Place each piece of your bong in the containers of water. Let them soak with the cleaner. How long you let it soak will depend on how dirty it is: from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

Step 9: Use a small soft-bristle brush (like a toothbrush) to scrub each piece clean.

Step 10: Use a cotton swab to clean residual resin from the bowl.

Step 11: Rinse each piece thoroughly with clean warm water. Dry each piece with paper towels.

Step 12: Let your bong air dry for a few hours to ensure there is no moisture for mold to grow.

You can use the process above without a cleaner to clean any bong. If you’re cleaning a bong without a cleaner, you may need to repeat this process several times to get it clean.

How to clean a glass bong

Glass bongs are easier to clean than acrylic bongs because you can use cleaning materials commonly found in your house.

Let’s learn how to clean a glass bong with isopropyl alcohol (i.e. rubbing alcohol) and salt. Before we get into it, here are a couple of safety details to highlight:

1.    Glass Can Shatter Due to Rapid Temperature Changes

Glass can shatter due to rapid temperature changes. If your bong is cold to the touch and you place it in hot running water, it can shatter and cause injury. To prevent this from happening, allow the water to transition from cold to warm as you rinse the glass.

2.    Avoid Breaking Your Bong

To prevent accidentally breaking your bong, be mindful of how much space you have when rinsing it in a sink. If your bong is large, use a garden hose or a shower.

3.    Avoid Harmful Isopropyl Alcohol Exposure

You do not want to get isopropyl alcohol in your eyes or breathe in its fumes. Use eye protection, gloves, and clean your bong in a ventilated area to prevent inhaling fumes. If you get isopropyl alcohol in your eyes, flush thoroughly with water and seek medical attention if needed. For isopropyl alcohol exposure information click here.

Materials to clean your glass bong:

·      91% to 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

·      2 large resealable (liquid tight) plastic bags

·      Cotton swab

·      Dish soap

·      Disposable gloves

·      Eye protection

·      Himalayan Sea Salt (table salt works okay too)

·      Soft-bristled brush

·      Warm water

How to clean a glass bong

Step 1: Put on safety gloves and eye protection. 

Step 2: Separate the pieces of your bong (remove the bowl and stem).

Step 3: Dump out any water that is in your bong. Don’t pour the dirty bong water through the mouthpiece or you run the risk of developing mold.

Step 4: Rinse each piece with water. Remember to let the water go from cold to warm.

Step 5: Place your bong and pieces in the large resealable (liquid tight) plastic bags.

Step 6: Fill both bags with isopropyl alcohol to halfway. Make sure the bowl and stem are covered. Seal and let it soak.

Step 7: Add Himalayan sea salt to the bag with the bong so the salt mixes with isopropyl alcohol. Seal and let it soak.

Step 8: Shake the bong in the bag: the alcohol and salt will remove the resin.

Step 9: Let everything soak for 5-30 minutes, depending on how dirty the bong is.

Step 10: Remove the bong and pieces from the bags. Rinse everything with cold water to wash off the alcohol and salt. Avoid inhaling alcohol fumes when you dump the contents of the bag down the drain. NOTE: do not reseal the bag with the alcohol and throw it away, as it can combust or become a biohazard.

Step 11: Use dish soap and a soft-bristle brush to wash the bong, stem, and bowl as if it were a dirty dish. You want to remove residual resin, salt, and alcohol. Rinse each piece after washing. 

Step 12: Use a cotton swab to clean residual resin from the bowl.

Step 13: Dry each piece of your bong with paper towels, then let it all air dry for a few hours to prevent the growth of mold.

How to clean a small bong

The steps and materials you'll need to clean a small bong will depend on whether your small bong is an acyclic bong or a glass bong. Select the cleaning method that best matches your small bong and follow the steps above.

How to clean a large bong

Cleaning a large bong over 12 inches tall can be tricky. Like a small bong, the method to clean a large bong depends on the material. Select the appropriate method and follow the steps above to clean your large bong. 

To clean a large bong, just replace the airtight containers or plastic bags with a large leak proof trash bag. For the bowl and stem, just follow the same directions as above.

If your bong is too large to submerge as directed in the acyclic cleaning method, or too big to easily shake the bong as directed in the glass cleaning method, just let the bong soak with the cleaning solution for a longer period and use a spray bottle to repeatedly spray cleaner on dirty areas.

If your bong is too tall to clean with a soft-bristle brush, tape it to a meter stick and scrub it like that. 

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