7 Steps on How to Clean a Bong - & A Better Way | Weeday

In our last article, we emphasized the importance of cleaning your bong, and now it's time to explain how to get started. Clean bongs are a joy to look at, but cleaning one can be as intimidating as tidying your room. You know you have to do it, but you may feel overwhelmed by where and how to begin the process. This feeling can discourage you from ever cleaning your bong again, but the process can be quite simple, just like cleaning your room.

There is no single answer to how to clean a bong. Some choose to use vinegar, while others prefer the traditional method of alcohol and salt. Some even use toothpaste or boiling water. Rather than exploring every method, we'll first guide you through the traditional way of cleaning a bong. After that, we will introduce a new and easier way of cleaning bongs. Now, let's go through the steps of transforming your dirty bong into a clean one!

WHAT'S THE MOST COMMON WAY FOR CLEANING BONGS?

The most common method on how to clean a bong is of course, using the salt and alcohol combination. Alcohol disinfects the bong in a hygienic way, while the salt acts as a scrub for the resins and ashes stuck inside the bong. Shaking the bong vigorously and for a long time with alcohol alone can get the job done, but adding salt can save time and effort. Here's how to do it:

BONG CLEANING SUPPLIES: WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Before getting started, make sure you have the following:

1. A dirty bong
2. Isopropyl Alcohol (>90% recommended)
3. Coarse salt
4. A sink your mother/significant other would not be mad at for being dirty
5. Pair of gloves (latex preferred)
6. Zip-lock cleaning pouch
7. Chopsticks
8. Q-tips
9. Cleaning caps for bong (if available)

As you can see, the path to a clean bong may seem complicated, but once it's clean, you'll notice the difference. Once you have everything ready, let's move on to the steps for cleaning a bong.

1) Pour out the dirty bong water and disassemble the bong

Your once-clean bong is now unhygienic and needs a thorough cleaning. Put on the gloves to avoid touching anything dirty. Pour out any dirty bong water and carefully disassemble the bong. The downstem and bowl can be vulnerable to chips and dents, so gently disassemble them to avoid damage. Breaking either of these bong parts can be heartbreaking and inconvenient as you'll need to buy a new set. Fortunately, our Weeday modular bong sets include two of each part for added convenience.

2) Rinse each part of the bong with water

Each part of the bong (the bong, downstem, and bowl) should be thoroughly rinsed with water to remove any stains that can be easily eliminated. By doing this, the alcohol and salt can focus on cleansing the stubborn, sticky parts of the bong instead of removing stains that can be washed away. Hot water can make rinsing more effective, so turn the lever all the way when necessary.

3) Pour the alcohol and salt inside the bong, and shake

Fill the base of the bong with isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt. It is optimal to fill the bong up to at least half of the base. The ratio of alcohol and salt is recommended to be 2:1 for maximum effect. If you have plugs or caps for your bong, it is recommended you use them because alcohol and salt are typically not the best mix to touch your skin. The latex gloves in the preparation above are specifically for this purpose, so put them on if you haven’t yet. If you are still concerned about contact, hold a pair of hand towels for the stem insertion and mouthpiece. Shake the bong. More force will be needed to shake the bong if the stains have been left uncleaned for a long time and are hard to get rid of. Keep shaking for about 5 minutes.

Isopropyl alcohol isn’t exactly a household item you’d typically find - It is a type of alcohol much more critical than ethanol alcohol, i.e. drinking alcohol, and will bring much more pain than a hangover if accidentally absorbed. So try to refrain from any unnecessary contact with the substance.

4) Rinse & repeat

Sweating already? You are getting there. After the firm shake, the bong will still be dirty depending on how dirty the bong was prior. You may need to repeat the process to completely make it spotless. If you’ve shaken enough, throw away the alcohol and salt, apply again (2:1 alcohol salt ratio), and give it another shake. Eventually, the bong will be clean, and once it is, rinse it with water so that the alcohol, salt, and the remaining particles inside are completely wiped out. This certainly is the hardest part of how to clean a bong, as the repeated process of shaking will eventually make you tired and want to give up.

5) Downstem & bowl

You are almost there, but the tutorial on how to clean a bong isn’t done yet. The parts of the bong need cleansing too. Downstems and bowls are far smaller than the bong itself and are harder to clean because of it. Nothing is impossible though; even the dirtiest of downstems and bowls can be cleaned thoroughly if you are determined. Before the cleaning begins, rinsing and removing any stains, just like the first part of cleaning the bong, could be helpful. 

• For the bowl, use a Q-tip to gently rub off the resins stuck at the bottom insert. You may need more than one Q-tip to completely remove the resin, but this will help in the later cleansing process as the removed resins will not interfere while cleaning. Always be gentle with your bowl. The bowl’s insertion part can be very fragile and easily fracture. In search of a sturdier option? Discover our Weeday borosilicate glass bowls, designed for durability and offered in a convenient set of two.
• For the downstem, the same method of wiping stains with Q-tips applies, but the length of the stem could be a pain to clean. In this case, a pair of wooden chopsticks can be your surprising friend. Rinse the downstem first, and use gentle force to scrape off the stains inside out. The stains on the stem are a lot less sticky than those of the bowl, so a gentle push with your chopsticks will peel off the stains with no problem. If the stains are not removed, applying alcohol on the chopsticks can make the process easier. However, the downstem can be very fragile and easily fracture.  If you unfortunately break yours, explore our premium quality downstems for a durable and reliable replacement. 

6) Downstem & bowl thorough cleansing

Just because the stains are removed doesn’t mean the parts are now completely clean. Just like cleaning the bong, the bowl and downstem will need thorough cleaning as well. Put the downstem and the bowl inside the leak-proof cleaning pouch and fill it with salt and alcohol. Give a little shake so that the alcohol and salt can be applied to the surface of the parts, and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. Sometimes putting both the stem and bowl in one bag can damage either or both from clashing with each other. If you are concerned about the damage, it is best you put the parts separately. Once done, take them out of the ziplock cleaning pouch and dry them with paper towels. If you want to be extra clean, soaking them in hot water for an extra 5-10 minutes will complete the job. If you have gone through all these steps, you might just be able to find the clean bong you were looking for.

7) Other substances for cleaning a bong

Isopropyl alcohol and salt aren’t the only substances used for cleaning. Some prefer cleaning their dirty bongs with just boiling water, while others would prefer unconventional methods like vinegar or baking soda. The general steps for how to clean your bong remain consistent, except you replace the isopropyl alcohol with the above-mentioned substances. Some have gone as far as using Tide Pods or toothpaste (not recommended by us, please don’t try this at home), but if you have come this far, you will realize that no matter what you clean your bong with, the process is always going to be long, dirty, and daunting.

THE PROBLEMS OF HOW TO CLEAN A BONG

Despite the daunting process, a clean bong eventually brings more good than bad. But the process can worsen depending on the variables. Depending on the material of your bong, the isopropyl alcohol can damage the bong. Some bongs of certain materials like acrylic can easily be damaged by the alcohol contact. And even after you finish the process of cleaning a bong, the mess that you will inevitably see post-cleaning will discourage you from cleaning your accessory ever again. 

Another challenge of cleaning a bong is the shape of the accessory itself. Most glass bongs aren't built with cleaning ease in mind. The water chamber base is often difficult, if not impossible, to access with standard cleaning tools. This is a problem for users who are sensitive about their hygiene, as they will never be able to see the clean bong of their ultimate satisfaction.

To summarize:

1. The post-cleaning sight is a mess and you never want to clean your bong again

2. Isopropyl can be damaging to some materials

3. Traditional bong designs make it hard for users to clean thoroughly

The time-consuming, ineffective method of traditional cleaning has been tolerated for years because there never really was an alternative. So what do we do? Are we going to just let go of hygiene and force our lungs to take one for the team, praying we never contract any type of disease?

THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN YOUR BONG, AND MORE

As part of the community, we complained about cleaning our bongs all the time and finally realized that it was time to make some changes to the market. Weeday bong brings a new paradigm of smoking accessories that is also stylish and convenient for your hygiene and experience. Take a look at this short video:

SO, WHAT MAKES A WEEDAY BONG SUPER EASY TO CLEAN?

Weeday Bong is a detachable bong designed to meet the needs of users concerned about health and hygiene. Its modular design simplifies both water refilling and thorough cleaning of each bong part. Say goodbye to the hassles and messes of traditional cleaning methods that can dirty your clothes, bathroom, or even yourself. 

Seeing a nicely designed, clean and stainless bong is a sight to behold, and it’s even better when they are accompanied with style. Weeday’s high quality silicones serve purpose in not only protecting the bong, but also by adding personality for the users. With expressive colors and differentiated design, Weeday keeps an arm’s length from those generic, all-look-the-same bongs, and enables its users to express their colors. These silicones enable not only the form, but also the functionality by enabling easier carriage and preventing unforeseen damages. Such design and personality can easily be ruined when it is filled with dirt and ash, another reason why the bong should stay clean.

So, for the people who are tired of cleaning their bongs:

1. Weeday bongs are detachable and therefore easy to clean

2. The detachability provides a more efficient process of cleaning

3. Weeday bong is not just a accessory, but an expression of who you are

BE HEALTHY AND CREATIVE

Even if you’ve never used a bong before, your instincts will automatically tell you that smoking from a dirty bong isn’t an ideal experience. The purpose of Weeday is to let you keep the fresh experience, healthier lifestyle and express yourself freely and naturally. We believe that through such innovation and culture, we can bring our community a step closer to the mainstream. We live in a world where Cannabis is becoming a form of lifestyle rather than a taboo. It’s time we bring a more sophisticated culture while we are on the way. Clean your bong daily for your health, design your bong expressively for your creativity. Use Weeday and make ourselves the norm of today.