4 Ways To Clean Your Glass Bong or Water Pipe

You should always use a clean glass bong or water pipe. While you don’t necessarily have to clean a bong after every hit, you should drain the water as soon as it discolors and is evidently dirty. Some water pipes may also have ash and resin floating inside, which necessitate cleaning.

Ideally, you should clean your glass bong after you have used it for the day. That will prevent the ash and resin, along with other residual traces, from building up and forming rigid stains inside a water pipe. Also, regular cleaning simplifies the chore, and you may not need a lot of essentials. 

Here are 4 ways to clean your glass bong or water pipe, depending on how dirty or stained it is:

1. Clean and Rinse Your Glass Bong With Warm Water

Always disassemble a glass bong before you clean the water pipe. Remove the bowl and down stem. If you have a fixed stem, remove only the bowl. Many users have ash catchers and splash guards in their bongs. Remove these components as well.

If your water pipe has a detachable percolator or other removable parts, such as glycerin coils, it is necessary to disassemble those as well. While every component needs regular cleaning, you must separate them and attend to each part separately.

Now, suppose you have a reasonably clean glass bong, or the water chamber and pipe, to be precise. You may be able to clean such a glass pipe with only warm water. Hold the glass pipe under the faucet in your kitchen sink, and let running warm water flush out the mild debris.

Ensure that your water pipe doesn’t have any resin or gunk. If there’s any solid debris, you may not want those pieces to get into the kitchen sink drain. Use a kitchen sink strainer or stopper if you see solid debris inside the bong pipe or water chamber.

A relatively clean bong without any rigid debris or visible stains may not need any other steps I share in this guide. But you may still consider them so that the water pipe is disinfected and safe for continuous use.

2. Clean Your Water Pipe With Baking Soda and Vinegar

All the assembling and initial use of warm water applies to this step as well. After the first rinse in the sink, you can use some baking soda and white vinegar to clean your glass bong. Use res caps to cover the openings of your bong. Bong res caps are a handy accessory you will need.

The quantity of baking soda or white vinegar depends on how much gunk you see in the bong. You don’t need a lot initially. Besides, you may have to repeat the process once or more based on how clean your bong is after every round.

Plug the down stem opening of the bong with a res cap. Put baking soda in through the mouth and pour white vinegar. Close the mouth with a larger res cap. Hold the glass bong firmly but gently. Shake the solution inside the water pipe as rigorously and vigorously as you can.

The white vinegar is likely to be discolored in a while. Drain the baking soda mixed with vinegar. Rinse the glass bong in warm water. Review the progress to repeat or air dry your water pipe. 

3. Use Coarse Salt and a Cleaning Solution for Your Bong

An effective method of cleaning a glass bong is using coarse salt and a cleaning solution. You can use rubbing alcohol as the cleaning and disinfecting agent. Alternatively, you can purchase a glass cleaner. If you use rubbing or isopropyl alcohol, try to get at least 70% or ideally 91%.

You won’t need 99% IPA. If you have that, you can dilute the concentration with some water. A highly concentrated solution of isopropyl alcohol will have strong fumes. You may not be familiar with the odor and vapor of IPA, so the sensation might be a little discomforting.

Isopropyl alcohol is very effective at cleaning and disinfecting glass bongs. It is imperative to use coarse salt with such cleaning solutions if you aren’t going for baking soda and white vinegar. Coarse salt has larger crystals that have a scrubbing effect on the glass pipe.

The process is the same as it is for baking soda and vinegar. Use the res caps to plug the ends of the bong. Put some coarse salt inside, add the isopropyl alcohol solution or a cleaning agent, and shake the glass bong as well as you can. Drain the mixture and review your progress.

4. Combine One or More Methods to Clean a Glass Bong

Depending on the impact of your cleaning, you may have to combine two or more methods for your glass bong to look fresh and almost new. However, regular cleaning usually doesn’t require a combination of every approach. Use a lint-free rag to wipe the exteriors. Air dry the bong.