How to Clean a Glass Pipe, Bowl, Water Bubbler, Bong and Dab Rig
Nobody wants their hits to smell and taste nasty but your glass pipe and other tools are going to get dirty as you continue to use them. So aside from cleaning your vaporizer, it’s necessary for you to know how to clean a pipe, bowl, water bubbler, bong, dab ring, and even your herbal grinder because these accessories play important roles in the life of every smoker.
Cleaning your smoking utensils shouldn't feel like a chore if it's being maintained well. A lot of people run into the problem of how to properly clean your smoking accessories. If you're in this category, then you have nothing to worry about because our step by step guide will show you the best way to clean a glass pipe with ease.
Why You Need to Clean Glass
Generally, cleaning your glass smoking accessories is one of the secret keys to a more enjoyable smoking experience. As you continue to use your glass pipe, it gets clogged and you begin to you experience some restricted airflow and less tasteful hits. Then it starts oozing out an awful smell. That's your cue that it’s time for some cleaning. Here are some reasons why your glass pipes should always stay clean.
Residue and Resin are Harmful
Your glass pipes accumulate residue and resin as you continue to use them. Residue and resin can be harmful to your health and highly flammable - you don’t want to burn mouth and fingers, do you? You can prevent this from happening by learning how to clean a bowl.
Nice Appearance
Dirty tends to hide the beauty of your glass pieces as you continue to use them. Cleaning your glass pipes regularly will make you appreciate the designs of your accessories.
Good Hygiene
Dirty everywhere makes smoking a messy experience. When you continue to use a dirty piece, germs will pass through. They will find their way to your body leading to a cold or some other illnesses.
What You Need
- Boiling Water
- Salt
- Isopropyl Alcohol (higher % is better)
- Q-Tip
- Paper Towels
- Bowl or resealable bag
How to Clean Glass Pipe
Method 1 - Boiling Water
When using this method, you have to remove lingering residue from your glass pipe. You can use a cotton swab to brush off debris and rinse with only warm water (not cold water). Using warm water will give your pipe a safe transition from warm to boiling water without breaking.
Get boiling water and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the water in a bowl or a resealable bag. Make sure the water is enough to cover your pipe completely. Put the piece inside the water and make sure it is fully submerged. Allow it to soak for about 30 minutes to one hour.
Drain the water and rinse the pipe with warm water (do not use cold water as it will cause it to break). Use a cotton swab to wipe out remaining residue and rinse again with warm water. Allow to dry. This is the best Best way to clean a glass pipe.
Method 2 - Isopropyl
This method is also an effective way of cleaning your pipe as alcohol is known for removing tar and resin easily. Get iso, salt, and a plastic resealable bag. Blow out lingering residue from the piece.
Pour the iso in the resealable bag (enough to cover the pipe). Add salt, place the piece inside the mixture, and close the bag. Give the bag a good shake while ensuring that the salt gets inside the pipe as it will help to scrub off the resin. Shake for about two minutes or until you can see that the pipe is clean.
Leave the pipe inside the bag, completely covered in iso for some hours before shaking again. Remove the piece from the bag and flush the mixture down the toilet. Rinse the pipe with hot water and wipe off any stains with a paper towel. Soak the piece in a mix of lemon juice and warm water for 10 minutes.
How to Clean a Dab Rig or Glass Bong
There are so many ways to clean your bong, but this is one of the best and easiest methods. It takes just a few minutes to get you glass bong sparkling new. Things you need to clean your glass bong or oil rig are - a glass of water, iso, salt, Q-tip, resealable bag, a large bowl, and a little drop of dish washing liquid.
Pour some salt into the bong, add about 3 tablespoons of iso, and a drop of dish washing liquid. Clog both ends of the bong and give it a few good shakes.
Put the smaller pieces in the resealable bag, and pour the mixture from the bong into the bag. Seal the bag and give it a good shake. Rinse the appliance thoroughly with warm water and allow to dry.
How to Clean a Bubbler
It's super easy to learn how to clean a bubbler. First, make sure that there is no water in your bubbler pipe before you start cleaning. Shake the piece to remove any the remaining fluid.
Use hot water to rinse the piece thoroughly (inside and out) to help loosen the gunk inside the pipe and wash away residue. At this point, you should take care, so that the piece doesn’t slip off your hand.
Pour iso inside the pipe and add some spoon of salt - raw sea salt and Epsom will do just fine. Give the blubber a good shake for some minutes with your thumbs clogging the openings. While the alcohol will help to kill the bacteria and sterilize the inside, the salt will scrub off stains and residue from the piece.
Set aside and allow to soak for about 45 minutes before shaking again. Use Q-tip (or a brush, depending on the size of your bubbler) to wipe off any little stains or residue left. Remove the mixture and rinse the piece with warm water. Allow to air dry before another use.
5 Best Products to Clean your Glass
There are glass pipe cleaning products that have all the necessary ingredients for cleaning your glass pipes, rigs, bubblers, etc. These products are suitable for those who are not comfortable with using household products, and they usually come with instructions on how to use them.
These are some of the best cleaning products and bong cleaners available on the market.
