The Best Way to Clean a Bong

• Soak the smaller bong parts in a plastic bag with rubbing alcohol and salt for 4-5 hours to clean them.
• Fill the bong itself halfway with rubbing alcohol and 4 tablespoons of salt, then shake it over the sink for 5 minutes.
• Scrub the inside of the bong with a bong brush or a sponge, then rinse it out with hot water and let it air dry for about an hour.

Cleaning the Removable Parts

Detach the smaller parts and rinse them with hot water. Separate any removable pieces from the bong, like the bowl, the slide, and the stem. Run each of them under hot water for 1-2 minutes to loosen any stubborn debris, and to wash away any bits that aren’t especially stuck. If you have time, use a cotton swab to scrub away any particularly large debris, which will save you some effort later. Wear latex gloves to avoid having the smell, which can be hard to wash out, transfer to your hands. Do not use hot water on a cold piece, as this can cause it to shatter. If your piece is cold, for whatever reason, start with lukewarm water and slowly raise the temperature.

Place the parts in a plastic bag with isopropyl alcohol and salt. Gently set the bowl, slide, stem and any other small parts into a resealable plastic bag or a food storage tub. Then, add enough 91% isopropyl alcohol to cover the parts, and spoon in 1-2 tbsp (17-34 g) of coarse salt. Rubbing alcohol helps break down the old tar or resin stuck to the parts, and salt acts as an abrasive to scrub the gunk away. Instead of isopropyl alcohol, you might also use a commercial bong cleaner or white vinegar. White vinegar may not be as effective, and is better for light cleanings. Avoid placing the parts in kitchen cups or bowls that you use to prepare food, since the old resin in the bong parts may impart an unsavory smell or flavor.

Shake the pieces in the bags gently, then let them soak for 4-5 hours. Carefully jostle the bag for 2-3 minutes, distributing the abrasive salt into the nooks and crannies of the small parts. Take care not to shake too roughly or damage the bong parts. Then, set the bag down and let the parts soak for 4-5 hours to let the alcohol work its way into the gunk and grime. Jostle the bag again every hour or so to loosen the grime and help the salt scrub away at the sides of the glass parts. If you like, remove the parts and use a cotton swab to wipe away any stains, which should come off easily, before soaking the piece again.

Remove the parts from the bag and rinse them with hot water. Take each part out of the alcohol solution and flush them with hot water for 1-2 minutes. If there are still any stuck bits of grime, repeat the alcohol soak, or scrub them away with a pipe cleaner or a cotton swab. Remove any lingering hard-water stains (those white lines that build up over time) by soaking the parts in lemon juice for about an hour.

Cleaning the Bong

Dump out your bong water and rinse the bong with clean, hot water. Toss the old bong water down the sink (or even into your garden, if it’s particularly gnarly). Then, rinse the bong under hot water for 2-3 minutes to help loosen any debris before you get down to the proper washing.

Fill the bong with isopropyl alcohol and salt. Add enough 91% isopropyl alcohol to fill the bottom chamber of your bong about halfway full. Then, add about 4-5 tbsp (68-85 g) of coarse salt. The alcohol will seep into and loosen the grime inside your bong, and the salt works as an abrasive to scrub it away. Or, use uncooked rice instead of salt if you’re worried about salt scratching the inside of your bong. Alternatively, use a commercial bong cleaner or white vinegar instead of alcohol. White vinegar is a weaker cleaning agent, though, so it’s better for light washes.

Shake the bong up and down over the sink. Use your palms and fingers to seal off the openings to the bong, and be sure to hold it tight. Then, firmly but gently shake the bong up and down over the sink for 5-6 minutes, saturating it with alcohol and letting the salt scrub away at the grime inside. For a deep clean, rotate and turn the bong in order to get the salt to hard to reach areas. Repeat this step another 2-3 times for the most thorough clean.

Scrub the inside of the bong with pipe cleaners and rinse it with water. To finish off, dip a pipe cleaner, bong brush, or cotton swab in some rubbing alcohol-and-salt solution and use it to scrub away any remaining, stubborn gunk or buildup. Then, rinse the entire bong under hot water for 2-3 minutes to wash away the debris. Let it dry for about an hour before you toke up again. Also, go ahead and sponge down the outside of the bong with the alcohol solution to keep the whole thing sparkling. Remove any lingering hard-water stains by filling the inside of the bong with lemon juice, letting it soak for 2-3 hours, then rinsing it out again.

Keeping Your Bong Clean

Do a quick bong wash once a week. It’s not always easy to keep up on bong maintenance, we know, but frequently giving your bong a quick rinse is better than spending hours scrubbing it later. Before you smoke from your bong, take a moment to run your bong under hot water for 3-4 minutes, and use a bong brush, pipe cleaner, or cotton swab to dislodge those smaller bits of gunk before they become bigger problems.

Use fresh bong water every time you smoke. It only takes 24 hours for mold and bacteria to find their way into your piece—they love stagnant, warm water, and bong water is prime real estate. Dump out that old bong water and fill it up again before you spark up. It only takes a moment, saves you time down the line, and makes for a smoother smoke.

Add 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of lemon juice to your bong water. Before you spark up next, add a bit of lemon juice to your bong water. Lemon juice is a potent cleaning agent—the acidity helps keep grime from building up inside your bong, and the lemon juice itself adds a pleasant flavor to your toke. Alternatively, add 1 tbsp (17 g) of salt, which serves the same purpose. Or, add just a few drops of vegetable oil! The oil is mild enough not to notice, but still helps resin from binding to the walls of your bong.

Washing Other Bong Types

Wash a silicone bong with mild dish soap and water. Silicone is a fairly delicate material, and harsher cleaning agents can scratch or eat away at the silicone. Instead, fill the bong with hot water and 3 US tbsp (44 mL) of dish soap, then shake it up for 4-5 minutes. Then, go at it with the soft side of a sponge or a bong brush, and rinse it out with hot water. Or, place the bong in the dishwasher and run it on a warm cycle with your regular dishwasher detergent. Avoid this method if there’s a lot of gunk in the bong, since the gunk may clog your dishwasher’s pipes.

Wash an acrylic or plastic bong with vinegar and baking soda. Alcohol and salt may scratch or deteriorate an acrylic bong. Instead, place the acrylic bong in the sink and fill the central chamber half full of white vinegar. Then, add 2 tsp (12 g) of baking soda, and let the whole thing bubble up like a volcano. After the reaction has settled, scrub the insides with pipe cleaner or the soft side of a sponge, then rinse it out with water. Do the same for the small parts, placing them in a small container in the sink with 1 c (240 mL) of vinegar and 1 tsp (6 g) of baking soda.