People who smoke cannabis regularly are often thought of as lazy, but if there is one thing serious that stoners are not relaxed about – it’s the lengths they will go to enjoy their cannabis. Using a clean apparatus elevates smoking cannabis in every way, so be sure to give your bong some love before you smoke it next. 

Why Even Smoke A Bong? 

Water bongs are a beautiful thing. Not only is a bong a functional piece of art, but a bong will filter hot cannabis smoke through water, which cools down the harsh smoke before it hits your lungs. 

If you have grown tired of smoking hot one-hitters, joints, or pipes, perhaps a small bubbler or larger glass or silicone bong deserves a spot on your wishlist. 

My Dirty Bong Works Fine

Standing water becomes disgusting quickly. Look at the forgotten cup of water on your bedside table after a couple of days and take a swig if you disagree. 

Sure, you can rip your resin-crusted bong that’s halfway filled with dark brown water…but it’s not a good taste or look. 

When the water in your bong has been used for several different smoke sessions it can begin to act as a Petri dish and grow fungus and mold. You wouldn’t want to eat a moldy sandwich because it can make you sick, and for the same reason, you don’t want to inhale mold spores directly into your lungs.

Not to scare you, but bongs can be notoriously gross. In 2017, there was a case study conducted on a man who developed necrotizing pneumonia from dirty bong use, which caused him to have permanent lung tissue death. There have also been reports of people who have smoked from the same bong developing pulmonary tuberculosis. 

In other words, go clean your bong right now.

How To Change Your Bong Water

It might seem like a lot of work, but changing the water in your bong before each use is pretty easy. Especially considering that you already spend time grinding cannabis and packing the pipe, what’s one more little task gonna hurt?

Before you go to load a fresh bowl of cannabis, take your bong to the sink and dump it out. Then, turn the sink on and with cold water fill the bong up with enough water that the stem is covered. 

If your bong has 3 little notches inside of the top cylinder, that is called an “ice catcher” and meant to hold a couple of ice cubes. When smoke percolates up through the clean water of a bong and into your lungs, it is getting filtered through the water. If the smoke passes over ice on the way to your mouth, it makes the hit of smoke even more cold and smooth.

My Glass Bong has Sticky Brown Spots on the Inside

Your bong needs more than a rise of water if this is the case. Luckily, you don’t need to perform the following process every single time you smoke, unlike changing the water. Once a week should be enough. 

You’re going to need isopropyl alcohol, a big plastic baggie, salt (preferably a thick salt, like kosher), and pipe cleaners. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, baking soda and white vinegar will do, but you will need to let the piece soak for a couple of hours. 

First, you need to pour isopropyl alcohol into your bubbler or bong, then add a spoonful or two of salt. Next,  place your glass bong carefully into the plastic bag and gently swirl her around. From here you will need to set a timer for thirty minutes and let that crusty bong soak. 

Repeat the same process for the bowl piece that goes with your bong, but this time in a separate and smaller baggie. You can use your fingers to do a little preliminary scrubbing through the bag before letting the glass sit for thirty minutes. 

When thirty minutes have passed it’s time to break out the pipe cleaners. Give your bong another swirl to see if any of the gunk has been loosened, and then start carefully scrubbing the spots with a pipe cleaner. 

Voila! With a little elbow grease, your bong should be good as new. 

Warning! Do not use alcohol on a silicone bong! Alcohol can strip and break down certain acrylic materials. Warm water, dish soap, and pipe cleaners (or a straw brush) will be enough to provide you with a squeaky clean non-glass bong.

The Moral of the Story

Being an adult means adding a little responsibility to your routine and performing tasks like sweeping the floor, doing your taxes, and changing your bong water. 

It’s not hard, it only takes a couple of seconds, and your lungs and house guests will thank you!