If your bong water looks like iced coffee and your hits taste like burnt popcorn, it’s time to clean your gear. A dirty bong doesn’t just smell bad — it kills your flavour, clogs your airflow, and turns a great sesh into a chore.
In this guide, The Bong Baron walks you through the right way to clean your bong step by step — whether it’s glass, acrylic, or silicone — so your sesh is always smooth, tasty, and fresh.
Why Clean Your Bong at All?
Let’s start with the basics — because trust us, we’ve all been there.
A dirty bong:
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Makes your weed taste like mouldy boot water
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Clogs your downstem and restricts airflow
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Builds up bacteria, tar, and resin
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Shortens the life of your glass
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Leaves you with coughing fits instead of good times
If you care about smoothness, flavour, and hygiene, you should be cleaning your bong regularly. And no — just changing the water doesn’t count.
How Often Should You Clean a Bong?
It depends how often you smoke. Here's a general rule:
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1 gram a day or less: Everyday
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More then a gram a day: At least twice a day
The moment your water starts changing colour or your glass gets cloudy, it’s time.
Remember, if you change the water frequently, you will rarely need to give it a deep clean or scrub. Just flush with hot water regularly.
What You’ll Need
Your bong needs a flush with hot water at least once a day, this is what I call a light clean. Every now and then though you will also need to do a deep clean, using cleaners, solvents or brushes to remove the build up of tar.
You don’t need fancy gadgets to deep clean your bong — just a few basics:
Essentials:
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Isopropyl alcohol (preferably 91% or higher)
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Coarse salt (Epsom or rock salt)
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Rubber stoppers or bong plugs (or paper towels + cling wrap)
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Pipe cleaners or cotton buds
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Warm water
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Old toothbrush (optional)
No iso on hand? Keep reading — we’ve got alternatives below.
Step-by-Step: How to Clean a Glass Bong
Step 1: Empty and Rinse
Dump out the old water and rinse the bong with hot water to loosen up any gunk. Be careful — too hot too fast can crack cheap glass.
Step 2: Add Alcohol and Salt
Pour a generous amount of isopropyl alcohol into the base, followed by a handful of coarse salt. The salt acts as a scrubber, and the alcohol breaks down resin.
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Don’t forget to add the mix to the downstem and cone piece too (use ziplock bags if needed).
Step 3: Plug It and Shake It
Seal all holes with stoppers or wrap them with paper towel and rubber bands. Now shake it like it owes you money.
Give it a good 2–5 minute shake depending on how dirty it is.
Step 4: Rinse Thoroughly
Pour out the alcohol/salt mix and rinse everything with warm water — several times. Make sure there’s no smell or residue left.
Step 5: Detail the Hard Bits
Use pipe cleaners or a cotton bud to scrub:
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Inside the downstem
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Around the cone piece
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Under the ice notches (if your bong has them)
An old toothbrush works well on tough spots.
How to Clean a Silicone Bong
Silicone bongs are easier to clean — and almost indestructible.
Method 1:
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Remove any glass parts
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Toss the silicone into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes
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Use tongs to lift it out, rinse, and it’s good to go
Method 2:
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Use dish soap and warm water, shake thoroughly
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For deep cleans, some silicone bongs are dishwasher safe
No Isopropyl? Try These Alternatives
If you’re out of iso, try:
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White vinegar + bicarb soda
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Boiling water (for silicone or basic acrylic)
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Lemon juice + coarse salt
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Dedicated bong cleaners (check our store if you need a good one)
Just avoid harsh household chemicals — especially bleach. You’re not trying to ruin your lungs.
Maintenance Tips to Stay Fresher for Longer
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Change your bong water daily
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Give it a hot rinse after each session
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Keep alcohol wipes or pipe cleaners handy for touch-ups
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Never let it sit dirty overnight — resin hardens fast
Clean bongs = better flavour, smoother hits, and longer-lasting glass. Simple as that.
Conclusion: Treat Your Bong Right, and It’ll Treat You Right
There’s no secret to bong care — just a little attention, a bottle of iso, and a few minutes every couple of days. You’ll notice the difference from the very first rip.
Want more cleaning tips, product recs, and sesh-saving hacks?
Head back to How to Clean Your Bongs and Dab Rigs Properly for the full guide.
