Why should you clean your glass pipe or bong?
Tar builds up after a period of smoking out of a glass piece, making hits harsher, possibly causing a coughing fit, and dulling the flavour of the smoke.
There’s nothing like a hit from a newly cleaned bong, pipe, or bubbler to bring out the flavour of the smoke and strain, and the hits won’t be as harsh.
You can always scrape a glass pipe for resin and take resin hits—we’ve all done it—but cleaning your piece and packing a fresh bowl of flower will give you superior flavour. Cleaning a glass bong or pipe is both inexpensive and simple.
When should your bong or pipe be cleaned?
When it’s brown and full of tar, in a nutshell. It’s time to clean the windows if you can’t see through them. If the water in your bong is difficult to see, clean it.
The frequency with which you smoke from a piece is determined by how often you clean it. Some people will clean a glass pipe or bong every day if they use it a lot or if the piece is valuable.
With modest use, once a week is probably sufficient. You can possibly last longer if you only smoke out of a piece on occasion. It’s time to clean a piece if it’s been months since you’ve done so.
It’s a good idea to change the water in bongs and bubblers once a day, or every time you use them. Water that has been sitting in a piece for an extended period of time will be full with tar and debris.
Cleaning techniques for your bong or pipe
It’s simple to clean a glass bong, pipe, or bubbler.
All you require is:
- Isopropyl alcohol—70% works fine; 90% is better
- Coarse salt
- Orange Chronic contains both of these ingredients and a refresher to keep your bong looking fresh and sparkly!
Salt isn’t necessary but it will help dislodge chunks of resin.
Specially designed bong cleansers (Orange Chronic) can be purchased here, although they are generally more expensive than isopropyl alcohol and contain unnecessary chemicals.
To clean a piece:
- Pour out the water if it’s a bong or bubbler
- Pour alcohol and coarse salt into the piece
- Plug the holes and shake it for a minute or two
- Pour out alcohol/salt mixture
- Rinse with warm water to make sure no alcohol or salt are left
- Let it dry until it doesn’t smell like alcohol (usually an hour or so)
- Repeat if necessary
- For tough tar, let the piece soak in alcohol for a few hours or overnight. You can also invest in a pipe brush and scrub it after pouring out the alcohol.
If a piece is tiny enough, immerse the whole thing in alcohol and salt in a jar.
When cleaning a glass object, be careful not to break it. Cleaning frequently entails violently shaking a glass piece near a porcelain or metal sink, which is excellent area for shattering. To avoid breaking the item on a countertop, place it on an old rag.
