PBW & the Chemistry of Clean
- Thread starter t-dub
- Start date
OutkastBoss
Well-Known Member
This thread was a great find , thanks T-dub !
So after playing this weekend with PBW I have found my perfect mix that when using as about a 2 hour soak and I will say - this stuff is amazing. It almost seems like it restored my glass. Pieces that had burn marks on them for years, like new. And they mean it when they say no scrubbing necessary. I did play with my mix though as far as the yield on the packet.
I bought a few 2 OZ packets on amazon shipped for 6 bucks. 1 Packet to a gallon of water did the trick for my glass (about twice the recommended amount for brewery equipment). Made my HT look brand new, got burn marks off my solo stems after years of heavy use, and made my percs shine on all my pieces. How long do you get a way with one batch? I cleaned 2 bongs, and HT, 3 solo stems, a few adapters, and a wand for an SSV. Should I change it now?
BTW - Cleaned the fuck out of my shredder too!
I bought a few 2 OZ packets on amazon shipped for 6 bucks. 1 Packet to a gallon of water did the trick for my glass (about twice the recommended amount for brewery equipment). Made my HT look brand new, got burn marks off my solo stems after years of heavy use, and made my percs shine on all my pieces. How long do you get a way with one batch? I cleaned 2 bongs, and HT, 3 solo stems, a few adapters, and a wand for an SSV. Should I change it now?
BTW - Cleaned the fuck out of my shredder too!
t-dub
Vapor Sloth
slowandsteady
Member
Success! Used some PBW yesterday when doing the first cleaning on my piece. I started off with rinsing in warm water for about 30 seconds then poured it out. I then took some hot water from the electric kettle and filled it up again, allowed it to soak for 5 minutes and poured out again. After that I plugged the joint and put one teaspoon of PBW down the mouthpiece, filled as much as possible with more hot water and soaked for 10 minutes. Finished it up with a 1.5 minute rinse in warm water. Came out looking real good. Latez!
stickstones
Vapor concierge
have we figured out what caused the white film yet and how to avoid it? I want to give my Ion a long soak, but was concerned the longer soaks were the problem.
Vaporisateur
Senior Marijuanist
I did not, but the only way I found to avoid the film is to do a quick ISO 99% wash after a PBW soak. Sparkling new!
Roger D
Vapor Wizard
Yes long soaks are not optimal, quick wash with hot water, product and little bit of shake is much better.
The finish touch ? Citric acid powder and hot water, swirl around, no more residues.
stickstones
Vapor concierge
thanks guys...this little spot inside my Ion is now unbearable for me. I have overnight soaked it in ISO and 420 multiple times and am ready to give it the PBW. I am dead set on not using it again until I win! I want to use this cranberry stuff with a clean piece.
t-dub
Vapor Sloth
Sticks, make sure the water is hot and keep the dwell times short. Hopefully your spot will ablate away.
Edit: On another note, I'm rebuilding a Tec infrared grill right now and I am using PBW to clean all of the 304 stainless steel parts. Its doing a beautiful job
stickstones
Vapor concierge
Finally! After two ISO's, two 420's, and one finishing PBW my Ion is finally spotless. I just had the best session with my shiny, clean Matrix/Cloud/Buddy/CranExtract/WarmWater combo. I feel like a pretty little princess!!
t-dub
Vapor Sloth
That is awesome sticks . . . looks like the cannabis forces of the universe are harmonizing for you . . .
Enchantre
Oil Painter
I came home today, and my husband showed me the Power of PBW... he has a travel coffee cup that has had a thick brownish layer melded to its inside (stainless steel, no less)... he said he'd opened it, and it was a touch moldy (ewwww)... so he put about a half tsp of PBW in it, filled it with hot water, and let it soak.
It's so shiny, it looks brand new!
It's so shiny, it looks brand new!
mlo4sho
Well-Known Member
I grabbed a pound of PBW to try with my glass. It did a good job removing a lot of the "fog" and making it almost crystal clear to see through. I am satisfied with the look of the glass itself. However, there is an area of filmy residue around the area where my water level sits that I couldn't get rid of. I did one quick wash initially. Rinsed with warm water, put some PBW, filled with water, shook it around a bit, and let it sit for a few minutes. Emptied it out and thought it still needed cleaning. So I repeated this process but this time I let it sit for about 15 minutes after doing a brief rinse/shake.
Could it be my technique or do I need another cleaning agent to get rid of this residue? Any recommendations? As is I'm quite pleased with the way it made my glass very clean and clear but I still need to find a way to get it 100% sparkly clean. Here are some pictures for reference:
Before:
After:
Could it be my technique or do I need another cleaning agent to get rid of this residue? Any recommendations? As is I'm quite pleased with the way it made my glass very clean and clear but I still need to find a way to get it 100% sparkly clean. Here are some pictures for reference:
Before:
After:
John Lewus
Well-Known Member
I don't think you are soaking it long enough. Use extremely hot water and soak for at least a few hours if not longer. I let mine soak for a day and it does make a difference.
mlo4sho
Well-Known Member
Thanks John. Will try this when I get a chance and will see if the longer soak gets rid of the residue.
momofthegoons
vapor accessory addict
I still maintain that water temp is the key. My water is usually just under the boiling point. Rinsing thoroughly is also key.
Sometimes, when there are bubbles in the bub while soaking, that area will have a white residue afterwards. It's almost impossible to get off without doing a re-soak. I've found rotating the bub a few times while soaking has pretty much eliminated this problem. That and a thorough rinse in water that is just as hot as the water you used to soak. You also have to be careful not to spill any of the PBW solution on the outside of the glass during the soak.
Sometimes, when there are bubbles in the bub while soaking, that area will have a white residue afterwards. It's almost impossible to get off without doing a re-soak. I've found rotating the bub a few times while soaking has pretty much eliminated this problem. That and a thorough rinse in water that is just as hot as the water you used to soak. You also have to be careful not to spill any of the PBW solution on the outside of the glass during the soak.
t-dub
Vapor Sloth
Its interesting the film is at the water line . . . its scale or some kind of etching or water damage thats being exposed by the cleaning procedure perhaps. I wonder if all of the pieces having these issues are older ones . . . 
just thinking out loud . . .
Edit: And used with hard water/acid water . . .
just thinking out loud . . .Edit: And used with hard water/acid water . . .
Doug
Just passing time
High proof alcohol, i.e. Everclear is my go to aid to to finish the job after a PBW wash and good rinse. My glass is never clouded up these days after those two. Add some Rezblock or NACE to the mix (while vaping) and you'll hardly ever need to clean with more than hot water.
Also to counter most of the last posts, I haven't found that extra long soaks really help my cause. I have found my best results will come from a couple of shorter soaks in the hottest water my tap can produce. Two, ten minute soaks with long hot water rinses in between has been better than one long half hour soak.
Also to counter most of the last posts, I haven't found that extra long soaks really help my cause. I have found my best results will come from a couple of shorter soaks in the hottest water my tap can produce. Two, ten minute soaks with long hot water rinses in between has been better than one long half hour soak.