Glass use/cleaning/maintenance

[Elluzion]

Hey FC! I wanted to start a thread to get a few questions answered on using/cleaning/maintaining glass pieces, and hopefully this could help out other people looking for guidance as well. I am a noob to glass and will be receiving my first piece soon and want to make sure I clean/maintain/use it correctly.

1. To fill the piece, do I use distilled water everytime? or is tap/filtered okay too? (i read somewhere that distilled is the best --> why?)

2. To properly fill, do I fill a little above the showerhead or an inch or two?

3. After each use of my piece, do I empty the water out or can I leave it in for a while? how long?

4. To clean, would I use iso 90% + sea salt, pour in and cover the GonG joint, mouth piece, and shake? then empty and clean with water and allow to air dry?

Those are all of the questions I was wondering for now, and hope some pro's can maybe chime in on some of their techniques for use/cleaning, or if you have any other tips you would like to share!! I would appreciate anything

Thanks for any help!
& <3

 

[Tweak]

Maybe I can answer a few.

#1 - Tap water can be okay, well depending on where you live, but will leave water stains when it evaporates (minerals in the water). Common Filters (carbon) only remove the large particles, still leaving a lot of minerals. Distilled will be the purest, as it is water that has been vaporized and then re condensed into a clean container.

#2 - Purely preference. If you overfill, the drag will be too much and you may get some splash when you clear the glass. If you put too little, there is just less diffusion/cooling done by the water and little to no drag, so it may effect your pulling technique (how fast you take a drag + temp of vape).

#3 - I try to empty after every sesh or the beginning of a new one, but I use tap water. I wouldn't be as worried if I used distilled water, maybe once a day or as needed for flavor.

#4 - I'm purely using 90% ISO w/ no salt as vapor is nowhere near as bad as stubborn as combustion resin. I cover all holes with wine bottle corks, run the glass under steaming hot water to heat the ISO and shake like crazy. I then wash the alcohol away with hot water and shake as much water out as I can, and then check it again in a few minutes to let the water settle. I've read some users just empty the ISO and then let the fumes evaporate away, I've tried it once and it worked, but usually I clean right before a sesh so I don't wanna wait.

I'm really interested in how other users dry there glass. How ofter do others use a vinegar bath the remove any water stains?

 

[Bouldorado]

I use tap water to wash. If I have distilled water, I use that for the final rinse as well when using the bong. The only real advantage of distilled water is that it doesn't leave hard-water stains.

When I combusted more, I would change the water before every session. However with vapor, the water doesn't get as nasty, so I don't care as much about changing it... still try to do it everyday though. My oil piece (since it doesn't get much use) prob gets a water change once week.

To clean, you can usually get away with just alcohol. Recently I've started pre-heating my ISO in the microwave, which makes a big difference. hot alcohol cuts right through the resin...just cover the joint (bottle corks like tweak said, or paper towel and saran wrap can make a ghetto cap) and shake. Since I usually don't have distilled water, I like to add a little simple green or dishwasher detergent, which helps remove the hard water stains. Also save the iso when you're done; it's good for several cleanings.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

1 - I tend to use water that's gone through a Britta Filter, but that's only because I like to use refrigerated water (makes the first couple of hits that bit cooler)
Otherwise I have no qualms about using tap water.
Tap water can lead to mineral buildups for some, but I've never experienced this (my water must be relatively soft)
2 - I find an inch is always a good place to start, but it will vary with personal preference.
3 - I have combustion friends who leave their horrible, tarry, brown, ash filling, (I can't come up with enough bad adjectives) water in their (relatively) cheap bongs for a week or more
I tend to empty my piece after each session, but that's because I tend to put them away after use.
I have left water in a piece for up to a few days, but a nice rule of thumb I heard that I like to stick to now is
"If you had left a cup of water out for that long, would you drink it?" It kinda nicely sums up the subjectivity of the matter
4 - I use 99-100% ISO, Nothing else, cup open ends with my hands, and shake vigorously.
Pour the ISO back into the bottle (I re-use this ISO for a few months), And give the piece a water rinse.
Sometimes a piece will need another ISO rinse (not often).
Then I give it a rinse out with sugar soap. (No particular reason for the sugar soap, it just seems to work well)
Another water rinse and it's nice and sparkly

 

[StickyShisha2]

The only real advantage of distilled water is that it doesn't leave hard-water stains.

my tap water has a lot of chlorine in it. This is the reason i don't use tap

 

[Nycdeisel]

Tap has a lot of stuff. And thats IF your local supply ISNT fluoridated!!!


Anyway I figured this would be the perfect place to share my recent amazing discovery in glass cleaning.
SO a little backround. I always had bad mineral buildup(hard water stains) in my glass, then I made a few changes to my routine and would first soak Grunge Off in it, pour that out,rinse, pour in Dr Bronners liquid hemp castile soap and shake then rinse. this particular soap got rid of that problem, since it softens the water. it also made is look a lot cleaner! so im sure it made a big difference in how clean it was as well. Then I did those two steps followed by a quick shake with vinegar and then rinse with tap still and I would do a final rinse with purified water.

Distilled water is not a very good kind of water btw, many filters will produce better quality water just from your faucet . Im talking about a serious no joke filter, that actually removes the crap, especially if your city or town adds fluoride to the water.

off track, back to glass cleaning. I still was left in a place I didnt like, I had to use some nasty degreaser that I have no idea what is actually inside that bottle, and I am very cautious of toxic cleaning products all around the house and this was the one place I could not escape the toxic cleaners, until the other day...

I just poured in maybe twice the amount of soap I would have used after the GO soak and rinse, and shook it up for a few minutes, then rinsed out with HOT tap water. I usually pour in some more after rinsing the soap out the first time and do it again. Then I pour some filtered water in, shake it up, pour that out, and finally fill it once more with filtered water for use

 

[Tweak]

Distilled water is not a very good kind of water btw, many filters will produce better quality water just from your faucet . Im talking about a serious no joke filter, that actually removes the crap, especially if your city or town adds fluoride to the water.

There are only two types of common home water filters that I am aware of, carbon based and Reverse Osmosis. Distillation is completely alone in its ability to remove most of the dangerous bacteria and other micro-organisms. I guess if you start with tap water (pretreated with chlorine) and ran it through RO, there shouldn't be any bacteria?

From wikipedia: "Distillation involves boiling the water and then condensing the vapour into a clean container, leaving solid contaminants behind. Distillation produces very pure water. A white or yellowish mineral scale is left in the distillation apparatus, which requires regular cleaning. Distillation alone does not guarantee the absence of bacteria in drinking water unless containers are also sterilized."

Also I'd like to add that I also do what Fred does, I use refrigerated tap water, though without the filter. If you simply let water sit in your fridge for 24 hours, most of the chlorine and some other chemicals will dissipate out.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Yes, Chlorine will evaporate out of water if left in an open container. However many other contaminants that can not be filtered by most filters and its in all tap water.

Distillation actually makes the chemicals even MORE concentrated in the end product! Distilled water is truly inferior to Reverse Osmosis water(though with RO water you need to add the minerals back in but thats easy)


Anyway, this is about glass cleaning in here mostly. I discovered an amazing and SAFE way to effectively clean my glass, and I just thought you proud vaporists would like to know so you too can take advantage of this method.


If you use iso alcohol, you are using petroleum/coal product, with a lot of additives that are of course dangerous. If you use Simple Green, you are ingesting more toxins. and grunge Off is the same stuff. You have no clue whats in it. And never will.

I prefer to KNOW what I am coming into contact with on a regular basis, and to anyone else who feels the same, kudos to you and keep it up!

 

[Frederick McGuire]

That's a rather blanket statement NYC (that distilled water has more concentrated stuff), the only things that would end up more concentrated are things with boiling points lower than water, and so far as I can tell, they would only be more concentrated insofar as there are a few less things in the water, so the concentrations are going to raise slightly (unless there's a significant loss in the volume of water from start to finish).

I'm not familiar with reverse osmosis though, I'll have to look into that one.

What chemicals are you worried about in distilled water?

Afaik, ISO is considered a fairly mild/safe solvent, and I disagree with the thought that I'm ingesting it if I use it to clean my glass...
I will agree that there is some low level exposure simply by handling it to clean the piece, but it is thoroughly washed out of my pieces before I use them...

If you want to avoid certain chemicals, that's your perogative, but you make them sound worse than they actually seem to be to me...


I do like the sound of this soap though, do you have any more info on it?
I might replace my sugar soap with it

 

[Nycdeisel]

The soap is great. I use it for everything, it even agrees with my skin(have skin issues)!
this is the kind I am talking about, its a mild soap but is VERY concentrated and thats where it comes in for cleaning the pieces. Plus, its made with cannabis hemp!
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm
(the liquid kinds, of course)



and everything thats in tap water is what i worry about.

Btw, whatever goes on your skin goes into your bloodstream. That is a fact.
and that may seem like low level exposure, but look at it over a long period of time. Repeated low level exposure is still dangerous, and that applies to many things.

Have a good day

 

[Bouldorado]

There are only two types of common home water filters that I am aware of, carbon based and Reverse Osmosis. Distillation is completely alone in its ability to remove most of the dangerous bacteria and other micro-organisms. I guess if you start with tap water (pretreated with chlorine) and ran it through RO, there shouldn't be any bacteria?

.

Don't know if this is technically a filter, but it does seem to work. http://www.naturalactionwater.com/

Although I don't personally own one, I have a friend that does. I thought it was a gimmick for several months, but I've been at least partially convinced. Notable differences when compared to tap water, are the lack of hard water stains and better taste.

 

[Nycdeisel]

There is a lot of stuff in water that you cant taste FYI

Fluoride, for example...

 

[Tweak]

Distilled water is not a very good kind of water btw, many filters will produce better quality water just from your faucet .

Distillation actually makes the chemicals even MORE concentrated in the end product! Distilled water is truly inferior to Reverse Osmosis water

Hate to go off topic, but I guess it is still related because clean water = clean pipe.

As Fredrick mentions, these are rather blanket statements. Distillation and RO both have advantages and disadvantages, so I fell to see how one is truly inferior to another, especially without mentioning the use of the water.

Just one example is chlorine, where this compound is smaller than water molecules, so RO does not filter them out. You would still need to run it through a carbon filter.

Distillers remove sodium and other common minerals better than reverse osmosis. But they are not that good in removing volatile chemicals with low boiling point.

Both systems, however, produce very pure water that I'd say the difference is a "wash". For the purest water, either way, you would want to filter twice.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Multiple filters is definitely a good idea

 

[Elluzion]

Thanks everyone for the answers and advice! & Nyc, I LOVE Dr. Bronners magic castle soap , it is awesome. The only bathing products I use are actually baking soda and the castle soap. It is amazing stuff! I will definitely have to try it out on the glass.

In terms of the distilled vs. RO, etc.. I was under the impression that distilled and RO are pretty close in quality of water but both are missing the essential minerals that we need for our bodily structures and bones. but of course I am not an expert on the topic.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Distilled water is different on a molecular level.

Nice Yep its the only product I use on a regular basis, aside from coconut oil. Dr Bs makes some nice coconut oil FYI, the whole kernel one is best.

I put a good amount of soap into the glass to be sure it gets nice and clean, depending on the size of the piece you may use around a teaspoon of soap, but you can just eye it out

 

[t-dub]

This is what I am doing for my fritted disc. Right now what I like to do is stand my tube up in the sink, place the nozzle in the top, and turn on the hot water for a continual, low pressure, flush. Then, when the glass is nice and hot, I empty and put in some ISO, give it some dwell time and a little shake and out it goes and back under the facet for another flush out. Then its on to Simple Green IF I have been doing dabs, if not I just go right to the Hydrogen Peroxide for the finish wash and then do a final tap flush out. Once everything is diluted and flushed properly, I don't even bother to dry it. Just mix up my diffuser medium and pour it in and I am ready to go.

Edit: Diffuser medium = RezBlock, silver hydro-sol, and distilled water.

 

[Smokey]

Personally I was never concerned about the "purity" of the water, does it really matter? I mean, are these compounds volatile? do I draw them up in my whip and then in my lungs?
I only use tap water btw, it leaves a little mineral build up after several session, I usually change it every day, and once in a while clean my sphere with 95% food grade alcohol and salt. Then rinse with hot water and suddenly refresh the glass with cold water for the next session, I don't care if it's not dry on the inside.
When I need to get rid of the mineral buildups, usually every couple of months, I use a chemical product that does the job, and rinse with plenty of water.

 

[FLskwat]

related subject in the David Goldstein's Fritted Disc

 

[Nycdeisel]

Of course you will inhale stuff from the water. Chlorine, for one example.

And Simple Green is toxic I stopped using it a while ago, not that I know that GO is any better but TBH I have never seen any actual info on that concoction.

Tdub; What is "silver hydro-sol"?

 

[t-dub]

I use this to keep microbial growth to nil. Silver has been used for centuries to purify food and drink. "Born with a silver spoon in your mouth" also referred to the properties of health as well as wealth. The RezBlock uses fruit extracts, which contain sugar, so microbial growth needs to be addressed for me. Colloidal silver, specifically silver hydrosol (click pic for link) is an amazing thing really . . .

 

[Nycdeisel]

Very nice! I know about silver. I also know that many are advertised as TRUE COLLOIDAL SILVER actually isnt, and can cause health problems as well as a condition that turns your skin blue/green. I have been thinking that silver is something I should keep around, so if a member of my family or I becomes ill we dont need to take harmful antibiotic drugs.

 

[t-dub]

Very nice! I know about silver. I also know that many are advertised as TRUE COLLOIDAL SILVER actually isnt, and can cause health problems as well as a condition that turns your skin blue/green. I have been thinking that silver is something I should keep around, so if a member of my family or I becomes ill we dont need to take harmful antibiotic drugs.

Absolutely, 1000% CORRECT

 

[Nycdeisel]

Thanks for the link too, that is looking like a good silver product! The only other silver product i know wont cause those problems mentioned was Mesosilver, and im not even saying I know much about it at all from my very brief research. I looked at their comparison of the two but didnt get much info, I probably just need to do much more reading on this topic. Thanks again tdub