Undoubtedly a charcoal filter is the best way to keep your bong clean. Literally one month of use with the filter and my bong has less junk on it than 1 nights use without the filter. But rubbin alcohol is a favorite cleaner of mine, but i do have a few spots that wont get clean, I really wanna try grunge off to see if it can get my glass to "first hit" clean again.
Clean your bong before you get high.....avoid that awkward trip to the ER with bong resin and blood dripping from the mini vagina you now have on your hand
I used to use Fruit Fresh (Vitamin C powder) to acidify the bongwater enough to prevent mold in the cork fittings of my homemades and limit the build-up on the sides. It is colorless, virtually odorless and the water can be left in their until the next use with little ill effect on the taste. Using acids and bases to remove the build-up is not a process of solvation however, but phase transfer. Such treatment has delicate pH levels and the required acid/base is very dependant on the chemical composition of the resin. I'm unaware of any existing analysis of such composition, so I could not suggest an appropriate chemical to use. As for solvents being in the water during use, limonene (orange oil) would be the most effective and is completely natural. Inhaling large amounts may cause some throat irritation though. I would imagine tearing up bits of orange rind into the water would be an easy way to keep the gunk loose and the taste fresh. Orange extract would be easier and cleaner. To the critics' circle: Matt covers some interesting subjects and makes good points. What bothers me (and likely many other "nay-sayers") is his arrogance over his writing ability. It's nothing more than a blog, not "Premium writing" as his avatar suggests; merely an entertaining read with a little research to back it up here and there. And yes, I am jealous that he has his own editorial section on the site. However I am more jealous that he has the time and discipline to post to it regularly. I feel like I could produce a decent blog of the same or higher caliber, I just haven't applied myself to do so. In what I've read of his, the info is relative and fairly accurate so, as a "professional pothead", I consider it worth reading.
my bong hasn't been clean in a while....so theres resin build up inside my bong...and the color changed to a grimy orangy-yellow...it smells like resin and when i add new water that taste jus wont go away....how do i clean it and get rid of all that gunk?
Buy Morton's Ice Cream Salt (any brand will do but it's just the one I prefer and can be found anywhere including K-Mart and Wal-Mart) and rubbing alcohol (the higher percentage the better). Pour the ice cream salt into the bong (sorta like diffuser beads), and pour enough rubbing alcohol to moisten the ice cream salt and proceed to shake your bong repeatedly so that the ice cream salt rubs along the inside of the bong. Rinse with water and repeat until all the resin is removed. After a few of these your glass will be looking brand new. This technique can be applied to any smoking glass piece and I have never run into a problem with it damaging a bong, even over an extensive period of time. Enjoy.
yay im the 420th post in the matt mernagh cronicles section. oh, and the lemon juice really works i squeezed a couple from my tree into my bong and its still clean after a few sessions =]
Regarding the use of rubbing alcohol in cleaning, I would be concerned about leftover rubbing alcohol residue being left in the bong. Then you could possibly be inhaling rubbing alcohol vapors which might be carcinogenic.
a very thorough rinse will remove any alcohol from you glass (warm water) and im still partial to scraping my bowls rather than using alcohol to clean em, you take all the fun out that way
I have used isopro alcho (rubbing alcho) for YEARS!! with my glass pipes I just let them soak for 24 hours and rinse. let dry and YOUR DONE!! rubbing alcho evaps VERY quickly and a thourough rinse is all Ive ever needed. For my bongs I do the same thing, but I also just shake it after the soak, It just takes a little longer cause they tend to be bigger and have more nooks and cranies to clean. You can buy a BIG bottle for like $1.98. Ill clean my peices 3-4 times with just one botle. Im gunna have to try the Ice Cream salt! Seems like it would work GREAT!!! Fantastic Idea A-Geezy
Not that it would make a very noticable difference or anything, but isn't THC solluable in acidic juices? I remember reading a guide on making iced tea and adding cannabis to it (Hashmouf's thread i believe) in which he said leaving cannabis in lemon/lime juice for about 45-60 min allows the THC to absorb into the lemon/lime juice. As stated before, i doubt this would reduce the potency in your ganja when applying 10 drops of lemon juice into your bong but i thought it would be worth to point out. Keep toking and take care GC
Good suggestion. But I don't think any loss would be noticed unless the bong rip sat in the acidic water for a long time (e.g. 45-60 mins). A stoner with that kind of patience is a saint! lol The only way THC would be solubized into an aqueous acid would be by bonding with it, which would require an acid much stronger than acetic. I wouldn't worry about an additive to keep the glass clean during use, the most important thing is that the hit is enjoyable.
It's always a good idea to clean your bong,and the number ONE place to clean is the stem.If it gets cloged then when you try to take a hit,the flame will just sit above the bowl and not dip down making for alot less smoke and in all wasteing a bowl..the smoother the air way is the better.i been making homemade bongs for awhile,shit happen,just clean it,don't be a douch bag