Stay Ahead of the Grime: Keeping Your Bong Cleaner 2024
Let’s talk about a task no one enjoys: cleaning your bong.
When you’re smoking from a bong, you’re basically inviting resin and ash particles to party in the water chamber. As time goes by, that resin starts setting up camp along the bong chamber’s walls, grabbing onto any passing ash particles.
Before you know it, your pristine bong water has turned into a murky brown mess in just a few days. This doesn’t have to be the case as we have not one but five ways to keep your glass clean up to 20 times longer!
Key Takeaways:
- Use a double filtration system to catch ash and eliminate resin
- Use an ash catcher to catch ash
- Change your bong water after every use
- Use a stainless steel bong screen
How to Keep Your Bong Clean Longer
To keep your bong cleaner for longer, focus on tackling the culprits of grime: ash and resin. The best approach is to use a double filtration system. This not only traps ash, tar, and resin effectively but also guarantees only clean smoke flows into your bong, maintaining your bong's cleanliness.
Next, we’ll dive into the double filtration system and share additional tips and stoner hacks for maintaining the cleanliness of your water pipe. Bongs are a healthier option for smoking compared to joints and dry pipes, so it's important to keep good bong hygiene to maximize your bong's efficiency.
Use a double filtration for ash and resin
Double up to keep it clean! A double filtration system isn’t just affordable, saving you time and money in the long run; it’s your bong’s best friend for staying spotless. Simply swap your bowl for this add-on and watch as resin and ash get caught before they can gunk up your bong’s water chamber.
Curious about how it all works? Let’s take a quick look.
When you light your cannabis the smoke and ash will first go into the water filtration system as shown in the image above. Any flower debris or ash particles will be caught here in this chamber instead of going into your bong’s water chamber.
This prevents a whole host of potential bacterial growth from entering your bong and keeps your bong water crystal clear for much longer.
Next, the smoke passes through a carbon-activated filter which catches all that sticky resin preventing it from collecting on the surface of your bong and clogging up your bong's percolator. This filter also prevents resin from entering your lungs which helps prevent coughing and phlegm build up from residual smoking.
And just like that, the smoke enters your bong leaving all the mess inside of the Ash Catcher +. The result is a much cleaner bong for much longer!
Water, the unsung hero of bong hygiene
Water in the bong is sort of like milk in your fridge; you wouldn’t want it sitting there for too long, right? Make it a habit to change the water after every use. This simple step is a game-changer, fending off grimy residue that loves to linger on the surface level of the bong water.
Not only does it prevent grime and resin build-up, but it also keeps each bong rip tasting terpene rich and pure. Fresh water means pure flavor, making each session a cleaner experience for both your bong and your taste buds.
Screen your greens: A small step with big results
Ever heard of bong screens? Picture little stainless steel screens that sit snug at the bottom of your bowl. These tiny heroes can save you a ton of cleaning time by keeping ash and herb particles out of your bong water.
Many of these screens are flexible so you can mold them to the shape of your bong’s bowl and place your dry herb on top of the screen. Best of all they usually come in bulk, are affordable, and can be replaced after every few bong rips.
Ashcatcher: trap the ash, skip the mess
An ash catcher is another popular option for preserving your bong’s pristine quality. A standard ash catcher works as a single filtration system catching any ash, loose flower particles, and minimal resin inside of the ash catcher’s water chamber.
Typically ash catchers are made entirely from borosilicate glass and just like a bong, they are tricky to clean as you have to clean the entire ash catcher which usually doesn’t have large openings for detailing.
Standard ash catchers also do not provide the second layer of the filtration system which is the carbon-activated filter. Without this filter system, plenty of resin will still get through the ash catcher and travel into your bong’s water chamber producing a build-up of resin in the downstem and walls of your bong.
Pro-tip: If you are going to use an ash catcher, I recommend the ash catcher plus as it provides the basic functions of an ash catcher plus the carbon activating resin system. On top of that, it also has a detachable water base making it much easier to clean than a standard glass ash catcher. This is by far the best way to keep your water pipe sparkling clean for much longer.
How ice keeps your bong sparkling
Dropping a few ice cubes into your bong doesn’t just make for a cool, smooth hit; it also helps reduce that sticky resin residue that gets caught in the neck of the bong. Cleaning the neck of the bong is always a hassle as we have to cover the mouthpiece and flip the bong upside down, shaking the bong cleaning formula or Isopropyl alcohol into the neck.
If your bong has an ice pinch, I recommend using ice cubes to catch the resin as the smoke goes up the neck. As the ice melts, it gently washes down the sides, taking the gunk down with it. After a simple water swap, your bong’s as good as new!
Beyond aesthetics: The benefits of a clean bong
While it’s tempting to delay cleaning your bong until it’s visibly dirty and smelly, being proactive keeps it more than just visually appealing. Maintaining your glass bong’s hygiene not only enhances its cleanliness but also safeguards against water-related issues and preserves the integrity of terpenes and flavonoids whether you are smoking or dabbing.
The risks of neglected bong water
When bong water sits too long with leftover herb particles in stagnant water, it becomes a playground for bacteria and fungi. On top of that mold can grow inside of your bong water chambers and that’s the last thing you want to inhale. Maintaining a clean water chamber for your bong isn’t just about appearance, it’s also important for your health.
The impact of clean bong water on taste
Ever notice a harsh taste when you take a bong rip? That’s dirty water masking the true flavors of your chosen strain. Each strain is rich in its unique cultivar profile of flavonoids and terpenes, which you’re missing out with a grimy bong. Keep that bong water clean and your rips will be smooth and flavorful.
Final thoughts
Maintaining a clean bong can feel like a huge chore, especially for frequent smokers who might find themselves cleaning it daily. Larger bongs mean more bong cleaning solution, more alcohol, and more scrubbing. However, a double filtration system, like the ash catcher plus, is the best and most proactive way to filter out ash, resin, and tar from your bong’s natural ecosystem. This means less frequent and easier cleaning, with no hefty resin build-ups to tackle.
