How do I best clean my bong?

vapviking

Old & In the Way
Go to the local gprcery/hardware store and buy 'cleaning benzine'
That sounds awful.
No doubt it would work.
Also a good paint thinner and and a de-greaser, I wouldn't use it for this purpose.
Use iso alcohol if you can. Try to be sure it's not got perfumes in it (like rubbing alcohol usually does).
So, yeah, find the 91% or better, 99%.

PBW as mentioned above, works great on glass.
 

Pukka

Well-Known Member
Well, it depends. You can use high proof alcohol with or without coarse salt. You can use additive free soap (I like Dr Bonners Peppermint) and the hottest tap water you can get. You can use PBW. You can buy any of a dozen commercially available bong cleaners. Ultrasonic cleaners work if you have access to one big enough. Several commercial paint thinner's/dissolver's work. Finially, if you have access to a large enough pot you can simmer your piece in water on the stove.

I have used all of the above in one way or another over the years. Currently I use an ultrasonic cleaner w/PBW for small stuff and a combo of hotter than hell water with Dr Bonners and an ISO final rinse. Bottle brushes in various sizes are useful too.
 

Pukka

Well-Known Member
Iso, kosher salt, and waterpik for cleaning, white vinegar for a quick rinse. Don't use soap unless you mind tasting it. ; )
Ohhh, waterpik, sounds interesting, must try out.

As for soap, that's why I use Dr Bonners. Only taste might be a bit of peppermint, and there just isn't any other taste. I also didn't mention that I run our water heater on the hot side so my idea of hot water may be excessive to some.
 

Hippie

Well-Known Member
I mostly just use a bendy brush with hot water and washing up liquid to clean my globe
And throw in a couple of denture cleaning tabs and a spoonful of oxyclean stuff to keep the bubbles going when it needs the full soak
 

Piecho

Well-Known Member
ISO or any other 80%+ alcohol foodsafe. Salt is good idea. I use foil and wires to plug both end ot the glass and mix it couple times. You can use coffee filter to collect the cleaning liquid and reuse it for the same purpose.
 

Reekwind

Member
This is an ancient recipe that cleans all glass really well and especially works wonders for cyclers and other glassware you can't clean mechanically, and the best part is you probably have the ingredients in your kitchen already :)

Boiling water, lemon juice, baking soda, and salt.

The cleaning process:

1. Boil 0.5-1 liter of water
2. Rinse the bong with boiling water - repeat until the glass is too hot to comfortably touch (use gloves)
3. Pour out the water
4. Add baking soda and lemon juice, this creates a chemical reaction that makes up the ''soap'' in the recipe
5. Shake, shake, shake
6. Pour out half of the ''soap''
7. Add boiling water
8. Shake
9. Repeat step 6,7, and 8
10. Pour out all of the diluted ''soap''
11. Add boiling water
12. Shake
13. Repeat step 10, 11, and 12 until all of the ''soap'' is rinsed out
14. Add salt and boiling water
15. Shake
16. Rinse with cold water
17. Behold the crystal clear glass

Hot water is very important for this recipe to work properly, not necessarily boiling water but it must be above 80°C at all times.

If you've neglected regular cleaning for a long time, you can fill your bong with lemon juice and baking soda, shake well and place the bong in a bowl filled with boiling water, wait 10 minutes and then do the above cleaning regime.

This recipe will clean off the gunk as well as the pesky white incrustations that alcohol can't remove :peace:
 

Madri-Gal

Child Of The Revolution
ISO and salt. In a zip lock bag for small items, or ISO in a plastic tub I have for soaking. Larger pieces get plugged with silicone plugs for this purpose, after filling with ISO and salt. Shake, dump ISO into soaking tub to reuse.
For daily maintenance, I rinse with very hot water, and sometimes Dawn dish soap gets used if I want to suffer through the extra rinsing.
Or, I use an Ultrasonic Cleaner. Got mine from Harbour Freight.
Plugs, brushes, and a rubber mat to line the sink have been helpful.
I've tried cleaning solutions from different brands, but prefer ISO and salt or soundwaves.
 
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