I recently started using a new glass cleaner called Bling and I just thought I'd share with the rest of the bong owning community how incredible it is. It will clean the dirtiest of bongs in seconds. It's incredibly cheap too, it was like $15 for the bottle. It's a great investment and I just thought I'd share. Here is what the bottle looks like: Google Image Result for http://toohotglass.com/images/products/bling16c.jpg
Meh it's preference, and money isn't an issue for me. I like how the cleaner deodorizes the piece. To each his own.
Dollar Store brand oxy clean works great. Rinses clean, leaves no residue, and 1 buck gets you at least 12 uses. Just soak your piece (never takes more than an hour), rinse with hot water and voila: clean, sparkly and deodorized. Oh and you don't even have to shake it.
C'mon, guys. Sometimes iso + salt just can't get the job done, especially if you need a quick clean before an unexpected session. Thanks for the feedback on this Bling product, OP.
There's also Mean Green, like Simple Green's big brother. I lifted a bottle from my old job and it works twice as good as SG.
You're all right, those cleaning products do work... But beware, don't make the same mistake I made. I let it soak with the outer label exposed, and now have a generic bong lol.
i always used to use iso and salt until someone at my lhs (dementia) told me it was bad for the glass and labels and that i should only use brand name cleaners.. so reluctantly i got some randys cleaner for 7 bucks and wow does it works well. I can tell it works better because my pieces look significantly shinier and it only takes 3 or so shakes before the piece is brand new again. definitely better than the other brands like bling and 420 that i would use before iso and salt. but i doubt iso and salt is bad for your glass.. i just like using this stuff for its easy cleaning and scent. btw, id get your cleaner from a different head shop. where I'm from, I've never seen that stuff go for more than $9.
I'm the most anal person in the world about my glass being clean. I use a ton of salt and 91% alcohol. Sometimes I dilute the alcohol with warm water if the residue is bad. It'll make the salt create a thick sludge... I've never had a problem getting off grimy stains. With my zob inline, I'll stick a towel down the tube and twist to get out interior stains.