There are several reasons why smoking from a dirty bong is not good. Even though we’ve all done it in college (and beyond), it’s critical that as we grow up, so do our habits.
As we get older, we pay greater attention to issues like hygiene and health. Apart from those two factors, there are several more reasons why maintaining our bongs clean is something that all of us should start doing as soon as possible.
But, before we go through some of the most effective strategies for keeping your bong clean, let’s go over a few important reasons why it’s critical to keep your smoking equipment clean.
Dangers of smoking out of a dirty bong
Smoking from a dirty bong is harmful to your health.
Did you know that a biofilm can form in as little as 24 hours? This biofilm is where dangerous microorganisms like yeast and bacteria breed.
When you smoke from a bong, the water is filled with resin and burnt herb, further polluting the biofilm formed by germs such as E. Coli, Streptococcus, and Flavobacterium.
Smoking from a filthy bong degrades the taste of cannabis.
By doing so, you are not only destroying the flavour (which gets rougher and more tarry), but you are also wasting your money. Instead of doing a substantial disservice to your smoking crew and yourself, clean out your bong first.
Often, debris and resin found within the bong’s critical components like the stem and bowl clog it up, significantly reducing its efficiency.
If you don’t clean your bong regularly, the residue will accumulate and be extremely difficult to remove.
Best bong cleaning techniques
People use a variety of approaches to keep their bongs clean. However, not all of these techniques are appropriate for every type of bong.
For example, cleaning silicone and glass bongs in the same manner, is not advisable.
Here’s everything you need to know about the most effective bong cleaning techniques:
Rubbing alcohol and salt for glass bongs
Most smokers use this well-known method to keep their bongs clean. It’s a dependable and low-cost approach, but it’s only suitable for ceramic and glass bongs.
Here’s what you must do:
- Disassemble the bong.
- Seal the holes (either with res caps or a plastic bag with a rubber band securing it in place over the hole), pour a layer of salt in it and add rubbing alcohol.
- Give it a good shake and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Repeat the shaking two or three more times.
- Use warm water to rinse it out.
Put the disassembled components in a Ziploc bag with the same alcohol and salt solution. Allow them to sit in it for at least 30 minutes.
If you want to go all-natural, consider using vinegar or lemon juice instead of alcohol.
Both will produce nearly the same results as alcohol, but they will take longer to complete. It’s ideal to let your equipment soak in the mixture overnight to get the most significant effects.
Vinegar is also effective when used with baking soda rather than salt. The nicest thing about this combination is that it doesn’t leave any bad smells behind, and it’s entirely safe and natural.
You may also eliminate the unpleasant water stains from your bong by combining lemon juice and water.
You may also add a couple of drops of lemon juice to the water while you’re smoking. The enzyme present in lemon juice will prevent sticky resin from developing.
Silicone bongs are the easiest to clean
Silicone and alcohol aren’t the greatest of friends. If you clean your bong with alcohol, you’ll most likely render it unusable. Alcohol severely deforms silicone’s chemical structure and irrevocably weakens it.
On the other hand, silicone bongs are the simplest to maintain since most of them can go in the dishwasher.
You should be concerned about whether or not your silicone bong contains the chemical BPA. Humans are not meant to consume this hazardous chemical, and if you put your bong in the dishwasher, it will activate the toxin and allow it to leach into the vessel itself.
As a result, if you’ve yet to purchase a bong and are seeking one made of silicone, make sure it’s BPA-free!
It’s also a good idea to wash the bong with warm water after being cleaned in the dishwasher.
Make a change for the better
Hopefully, we’ve shown you the importance of keeping your smoking equipment clean. As you can see, it doesn’t take much time or work to do, but the benefits are significant.
You may also clean your bong with 100% natural ingredients to ensure a safe marijuana smoking session after.
Treat yourself, your smoking buddies, your herbs, and your equipment with care. After all, they make the perfect smoking combo!