Glass bowl cleaning

hawse

Well-Known Member
Not sure this is the best forum, but I do use medically, and prefer to smoke...

For those of you who use bubblers, bongs etc. with flower, I'm looking for a better way to keep the glass bowl I use clean between each load. I usually do not use a screen, my bubbler has a nice dry ash catcher, although I do use them from time to time depending on if I have some. But my real problem is that I like to keep the resin buildup as low as possible on the glass between each load, for health reasons, and to keep taste and smoothness as good as it can be. But I've gone through a million different things to scrape the black gunk off the sides - safety pins, pipe cleaners, wooden skewers, various metal things like paper clips and what not. The longer you go between cleaning it properly, the worse it gets.

So what do you all use? It seems like pipe cleaners just smear it around, and the flatness of the thing you're using to scrape will only get some of the gunk. Thanks!

Oh, edit: I'm really curious mostly about the sides of the bowl, I'm good with brushes and what not for the cylindrical smaller parts.
 

Bigjim34

Well-Known Member
I use rubbing alcohol and salt in a baggie to clean mine works great when things get built up a bit and it is really quick. For smaller things like my glass blunt and little one hitter I keep a bucket with alcohol in it and just drop them in till I want to use them again. Haven’t had any issues so far with doing it like this. I use to buy cleaners years ago when I was a teen but the salt and rubbing alcohol works just as good
 

Boatguy

Well-Known Member
Any high proof alcohol will work. Cheap vodka always did a good job on my old glass bong.
 

hawse

Well-Known Member
Nice glass, that dark green is awesome... Do you sell pieces or have a site where you sell?
Also, looks like I'll just stick with ISO and salt as well. I like the idea of keeping a little glass of it to store the bowl in overnight... Thanks all.
 

cobyda

Member
Resolution Gel is the best stuff for cleaning your pieces. More effective than alcohol and it's reusable so it's less expensive. Comes in a recyclable and resealable pouch that allows you to just drop your bowl and/or downstem in and let it soak. This helps save plastic bags from the planet
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Caustic soda/lye. Tbsp in a mason jar of hot water and leave sit overnight. Like f'n new. May damage designs painted on the surface but won't harm colours in the glass itself.

If cleaned regularly an hour should do the trick and when dumped down the drain will help keep the pipes clean down there too. Lye can usually be found in small quantities at drug stores or at hardware stores. Drain-O would work in a pinch and has some foaming action that may help it work better.

Will eat aluminum but not steel. Shouldn't hurt silicon rubber parts.

Time to do my little water pipe again.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
i second the salt and rubbing alcohol.. % rubbing alcohol not so important but i found sometimes coarse salt is better than fine salt. The idea is that the salt scrubs the resin and releases it off into the alcohol. Once the alcohol is around this resin it wont re-stick. If washing this down a drain use cold water it will prevent crap from sticking. Sometimes if the piece is easy to hold i will fill it up and plug the holes and shake which is risky. some people just use a zip lock and shake i can clean a nasty bowl in 10-15 mins make it look new doing this. In between scrubs flush cold water through
 

IrocZ

Well-Known Member
My thought, based on what I interpret the OP is asking, is to get some individually wrapped alcohol wipes. If he's cleaning it out after every bowl or two, alcohol swab will keep the res from building up. Still have to do regular cleaning, but it will keep the inside of the bowl clean in between deeper cleanings.

Isopropyl Alcohol and Salt works flawlessly for regular cleaning
 
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