Learn How Should You Clean a Glass Pipe
Glass pipes have been a simple and economical alternative to smoking apparatuses for a long time now, and in many cases, it even rivals the classic joint.
But one thing that can ensure glass pipes continue to reign supreme is by keeping them clean.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about how to clean glass pipes and the supplies you’ll need.
Gather the Supplies
Before you go ahead and give clean a glass pipe, you need to get some items ready:
- Salt
- Rubbing alcohol
- Hot water
- ZipLoc bags
- Hand towels
- Brush or pipe cleaner
1) Disassemble the Glass Pipe
Glass pipes are usually one piece but there are other complicated versions that come with more bits.
Don’t try to disassemble it if it’s one piece – you can just move to step two.
If you have a more complicated pipe, disassemble it in preparation for the next step.
2) Rinse with Hot Water
Hot water is a great way to start the cleaning process.
When you use hot running water, the pressure dislodges some of the resin that comes after repeated use. The heat of the water dissolves the bonds that keep the resin and other contaminants in place.
3) Place Glass Pipe In A Plastic Bag
After rinsing the glass pipe in hot running water, keep it in the ZipLoc bag. You could keep it in a container as long as you don’t shake too hard when cleaning it.
4) Submerge the Glass Pipe
Pour in around ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol with one tablespoon of salt. If you have a larger glass pipe, you can add a bit more of both.
Rubbing alcohol is acidic, which helps break down and remove the sticky resin that builds up inside glass pipes. Salt works with the acid to improve the scrubbing power of the solution.
If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, you can use vinegar, which is also mild in acidity.
5) Shake it
Seal the bag and shake it vigorously. The alcohol and salt will move through all the tiny crevices in the pipe and break down the resin that’s gathered there.
You might have to shake for around three to five minutes to fully dislodge everything.
For better effect, you can let your glass pipe soak in the solution for some time, around 15 minutes, and then come back to it later to shake it some more.
This is perfect for those pipes that haven’t been cleaned in a long time and have layers of resin built up.
6) Rinse with Hot Water
Remove the pipe from the bag and empty out the liquids. Rinse the glass pipe with some hot water to remove any residual resin, the alcohol and the salt.
You can use the brush to get to those hard-to-reach places. Rinse again with hot water and let everything air dry properly before you use it again.
7) Repeat
This is an optional step but if it’s been a while since you last cleaned your glass pipe, maybe a few weeks or some months, it’s better if you repeat the whole process.
After some time, the alcohol, salt and hot water should remove all resin and reveal and sparkling glass piece underneath.
Why Should You Clean Your Pipe Regularly?
Because it’s not good to smoke from a dirty pipe. It’s as simple as that. The taste is bad, it’s not good for your lungs, and it ruins whatever substance you’re trying to smoke.
Bacteria
This is one of the biggest reasons for cleaning your pipe regularly. All sorts of bacteria start to grow inside a dirty pipe merely hours after use.
Inhaling bacteria is never a good thing, so clean your pipe regularly. Get the water to be as hot as you can; you can use gloves
Smell
One of the earliest signs that says you need to clean your pipe is when you start to smell foul odors.
It comes from the bacteria and in addition to being bad for you, the smell starts to get unbearable after a while.
You can avoid the foul stench by keeping your glass pipe clean.
Taste
A lot of stoners praise the taste of their favorite strain when they smoke it but you might not get that taste anymore if your pipe isn’t cleaned often.
Due to the resin, slime, and bacteria, you start to get a different flavor altogether and that is never good.
It’s like eating a rotten tomato and that’s something you never want when smoking out of a glass pipe. The longer your pipe stays uncleaned, the worse it will get.
In Summary
It doesn’t have to be a major hassle to clean your glass pipe. The more regular you are with your cleaning, the easier it gets to clean your glass pipe. You don’t even need top-grade chemicals to do it.
Just some hot water, vinegar and salt should do the trick. Make sure you clean it as often as you smoke it or you’ll come across some bad tastes and smells.