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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow
Categories
Health
Medicines and Drugs
Recreational Drugs
Smoking
Pipe Smoking
How to Clean Your Bong with Household Items Download Article Plus, how to keep your bong clean and avoid stains Reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann
Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Approved
Download Article
Doing a Basic Cleaning
|
Cleaning Tough Areas and Stains
|
Taking Care of Your Bong
|
Tips
|
Warnings
|
Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann. Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann are the founders of Everneat, an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service based in New York City and in Connecticut. They are also the founders of Clean Code, a DIY 100% natural cleaning product line. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 85% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,664,444 times.
Nothing ruins the taste of a good smoke like a dirty bong. Fortunately, there are some pretty easy and reliable ways to clean your bong both generally and extensively. To make and keep your bong clean, do a basic cleaning, get those tough areas and stains, and take good care of your bong.
Best Way to Clean Bongs
Empty your bong and take the pieces apart, then give them all a rinse in warm water. Add some coarse salt and rubbing alcohol (90% or stronger) into the base of the bong and plug up all the holes. Shake the bong for 5 minutes for the best results, then rinse and repeat until fully clean (if needed).
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Doing a Basic Cleaning
Download Article
1 Gather supplies. Before cleaning your bong, you'll need to round up some supplies, including: a sink or basin; coarse salt, rice, or baking soda; rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or another cleaner; clean water; and latex gloves.[1]XResearch source
Glass cleaners work great as well. You could use Aqua Glass Works Cleaner or Wellcann Glass Cleaner.
You can also buy cleaning solutions specifically made for bongs from Headshop. Options include Pink Formula.
2 Empty the bong and rinse and fill it with warm water. While wearing your latex gloves, empty out your bong as well as you can. Pour out old bong water and remove any spent herb. Then give it a good rinse with warm water to remove any remaining solid particles. Finally, fill the bong part way with some of the warm water you're using. Advertisement
3 Disassemble your bong. Take it apart so that the individual pieces can be cleaned. Remove all movable parts, including the pipe and mouthpiece. As you take your bong apart, check for any damage such as chips or cracks. You'll need to replace any damaged pieces before using your bong again.[2]XResearch source
4 Add coarse salt and rubbing alcohol to your bong. Next, you'll need to add an abrasive and a cleaner into the base of the bong so that they can work together to clean the inside. Coarse salt and isopropyl alcohol typically work best for this, but you can also use vinegar and rice or baking soda. The stronger the rubbing alcohol, the better. Ideally, you would use one over 90%.
Alternatively, you can use something like Formula 420, in which case skip the salt. Pour it in and proceed as normal.
5 Plug the holes and shake it up. Use your hands, fingers, and thumbs to plug or block the open holes of the bong so that your abrasive and cleaner don't cause a big mess. Shake it for about five minutes to get the best possible result.
6 Rinse and repeat. Empty the cleaning solution into a sink and rinse it out completely with clean water. Repeat the cleaning process as many times as you need to, but once is usually enough.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Cleaning Tough Areas and Stains
Download Article
1 Presoak your bong in warm water and dish soap. If your bong is especially dirty, it might be best to soak it in a sink, basin, or bathtub full of warm water and just a squirt of dish soap. Let your bong soak for about an hour or two before you start the cleaning process.[3]XResearch source
Be very conservative with the dish soap. If you use too much, your bong might produce an unpleasant soapy aftertaste the next several times you smoke.
2 Soak small pieces in plastic bags. Put all of the small pieces of your bong into resealable bags with about a tablespoon of coarse salt. Fill the resealable bag with enough rubbing alcohol to completely submerge the pieces. Shake the bags for a few seconds and then let the pieces soak for several minutes. Then, rinse them off with clean water.[4]XResearch source
3 Use a cotton swab or pipe cleaner. Use either plastic cotton swabs or pipe cleaners to scrub around the nooks and crannies of your bong, where resin and water stains are harder to reach and remove. Dip them in a little bit of rubbing alcohol before scrubbing.
4 Get rid of water stains with lemon juice. To easily remove water stains in your bong, put some warm water and lemon juice in the base and swish it around. Then, rinse your bong out with cold water.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Taking Care of Your Bong
Download Article
1 Use filtered water in your bong. The minerals in tap water and unfiltered spring water can cause water stains to form in your bong. To prevent this, always use filtered water when you smoke. It's also a good idea to use filtered water when cleaning your bong, or at least rinse it with filtered water after cleaning.
2 Change out the water in your bong daily. If you change out your bong water each day, your bong will stay much cleaner. When old water sits in your bong, mold can form. This is pretty gross on its own, but mold also means mold stains, which can make cleaning your bong a more extensive process.[5]XResearch source
3 Clean your bong once a week. This is another way to keep mold from forming and ultimately avoid getting mold stains. Try to do at least a brief cleaning weekly to keep your bong squeaky clean.[6]XResearch source
4 Store your bong in a bong bag or hard case. Since your bong is made of glass, it's susceptible to cracking and breaking if you aren't careful. When storing and traveling with your bong, consider keeping it in a protective bag or case to keep anything from happening to it.
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Tips
Also try using baby bottle brushes, nipple brushes, or cotton swabs to get resin out of hard-to-reach places. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
Best way to clean a downstem is with a fairly sturdy straw, like a McDonald's straw. Scrape the straw off the insides of the downstem and push all the resin out the bottom, then just toss the straw because you can get another one as they are highly accessible.
Old toothbrushes are fantastic for this and amazingly resistant to alcohol and many other solvents.
Don't use salt on glass as it scratches it (I learned from personal experience).
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Be careful if you're cleaning it in a sink. The resin can coat the sink and it can be hard to clean. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 2
Most cleaners are flammable, so never use them when you're smoking. Thanks Helpful 139 Not Helpful 89
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Things You'll Need
Latex gloves
Clean water
Plastic resealable bags
Cleaner: Isopropyl alcohol, vinegar, or Formula 420
Abrasive: coarse salt, uncooked rice, or baking soda
Dish towel
Pipe cleaners or plastic cotton swabs
Liquid dish soap
Bowl, basin, or sink large enough to submerge all parts
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Reviewed by: Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann House Cleaning Professionals This article was reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann. Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann are the founders of Everneat, an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service based in New York City and in Connecticut. They are also the founders of Clean Code, a DIY 100% natural cleaning product line. This article has been viewed 2,664,444 times. 62 votes - 85% Co-authors: 66Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 2,664,444 Categories: Pipe SmokingArticle SummaryX
To clean a bong, start by emptying it and rinsing it out with warm water to remove any solid particles. Once the old bong water and any spent herb is gone, fill the bong part way with some warm water. Next, take your bong apart and add an abrasive, like coarse salt or rice, and a cleaner, like isopropyl alcohol or vinegar, to the base of your bong. Then, plug the holes and shake it, allowing the abrasive and cleaner to scrub away any grime. After 5 minutes, rinse the bong out and repeat the cleaning process if necessary. To learn how to clean stains on your bong, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Jay
Apr 18, 2016
"So simple! See so many terrible "bong cleaners" on the market that are ridiculously over priced and don't work nearly as well. Don't waste your money people, this is the way! Successfully done 2 down pipes, 5 bowls and a bong today, having 99.9% makes it easy."..." more
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Did this article help you?
Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Reviewed by: Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann House Cleaning Professionals Co-authors: 66Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 2,664,44485% of readers found this article helpful. 62 votes - 85% Click a star to add your vote
Jay
Apr 18, 2016
"So simple! See so many terrible "bong cleaners" on the market that are ridiculously over priced and don't work nearly as well. Don't waste your money people, this is the way! Successfully done 2 down pipes, 5 bowls and a bong today, having 99.9% makes it easy."..." more
Bhejan Umsholozie Van-op-die-plaas
Sep 8, 2016
"I used some Handy Andy and boiling water and soaked it for about 20 minutes. Repeated the process using a pen insert and rinsed it with boiling water. Then I smoked one last little crumb section."..." more
Beau Watson
Apr 13, 2016
"I love this website, it really helps, but now I have that "shake shake shake senora, shake your body line" song stuck in my head, ha ha. Definitely playing that song when I do this."..." more
Anonymous
Feb 16, 2020
"I learned more than I thought I would! Very thorough and helpful, with easy instructions."
Anonymous
Jan 22, 2017
"I understand everything; love how you guys explain everything so plain but clear." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Plus, how to keep your bong clean and avoid stains Reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann 
The Best Way to Clean Your Tobacco or Glass Pipe 
Simple Ways to Clean a Clogged Pipe Screen (and Weed Pipes Too) 
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Reviewed by: Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann House Cleaning Professionals This article was reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann. Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann are the founders of Everneat, an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service based in New York City and in Connecticut. They are also the founders of Clean Code, a DIY 100% natural cleaning product line. This article has been viewed 2,664,444 times. 62 votes - 85% Co-authors: 66 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 2,664,444 Categories: Pipe Smoking Article SummaryX
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1 Gather supplies. Before cleaning your bong, you'll need to round up some supplies, including: a sink or basin; coarse salt, rice, or baking soda; rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or another cleaner; clean water; and latex gloves.[1] 
2 Empty the bong and rinse and fill it with warm water. While wearing your latex gloves, empty out your bong as well as you can. Pour out old bong water and remove any spent herb. Then give it a good rinse with warm water to remove any remaining solid particles. Finally, fill the bong part way with some of the warm water you're using. Advertisement 
3 Disassemble your bong. Take it apart so that the individual pieces can be cleaned. Remove all movable parts, including the pipe and mouthpiece. As you take your bong apart, check for any damage such as chips or cracks. You'll need to replace any damaged pieces before using your bong again.[2] 
4 Add coarse salt and rubbing alcohol to your bong. Next, you'll need to add an abrasive and a cleaner into the base of the bong so that they can work together to clean the inside. Coarse salt and isopropyl alcohol typically work best for this, but you can also use vinegar and rice or baking soda. The stronger the rubbing alcohol, the better. Ideally, you would use one over 90%. 
5 Plug the holes and shake it up. Use your hands, fingers, and thumbs to plug or block the open holes of the bong so that your abrasive and cleaner don't cause a big mess. Shake it for about five minutes to get the best possible result. 
6 Rinse and repeat. Empty the cleaning solution into a sink and rinse it out completely with clean water. Repeat the cleaning process as many times as you need to, but once is usually enough. Advertisement 
1 Presoak your bong in warm water and dish soap. If your bong is especially dirty, it might be best to soak it in a sink, basin, or bathtub full of warm water and just a squirt of dish soap. Let your bong soak for about an hour or two before you start the cleaning process.[3] 
2 Soak small pieces in plastic bags. Put all of the small pieces of your bong into resealable bags with about a tablespoon of coarse salt. Fill the resealable bag with enough rubbing alcohol to completely submerge the pieces. Shake the bags for a few seconds and then let the pieces soak for several minutes. Then, rinse them off with clean water.[4] 
3 Use a cotton swab or pipe cleaner. Use either plastic cotton swabs or pipe cleaners to scrub around the nooks and crannies of your bong, where resin and water stains are harder to reach and remove. Dip them in a little bit of rubbing alcohol before scrubbing. 
4 Get rid of water stains with lemon juice. To easily remove water stains in your bong, put some warm water and lemon juice in the base and swish it around. Then, rinse your bong out with cold water. Advertisement 
1 Use filtered water in your bong. The minerals in tap water and unfiltered spring water can cause water stains to form in your bong. To prevent this, always use filtered water when you smoke. It's also a good idea to use filtered water when cleaning your bong, or at least rinse it with filtered water after cleaning. 
2 Change out the water in your bong daily. If you change out your bong water each day, your bong will stay much cleaner. When old water sits in your bong, mold can form. This is pretty gross on its own, but mold also means mold stains, which can make cleaning your bong a more extensive process.[5] 
3 Clean your bong once a week. This is another way to keep mold from forming and ultimately avoid getting mold stains. Try to do at least a brief cleaning weekly to keep your bong squeaky clean.[6] 
4 Store your bong in a bong bag or hard case. Since your bong is made of glass, it's susceptible to cracking and breaking if you aren't careful. When storing and traveling with your bong, consider keeping it in a protective bag or case to keep anything from happening to it. Advertisement 
Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.