How To Clean A Bong

All is fun and games when owning a percolator bong until you have to clean it. Let’s face it, most of us put this part off as long as we can until we reach the ultimate breaking point and absolutely have to. Owning a percolator bong has its perks (pun intended), but cleaning it is not one of them. Luckily for you, a simple instructional how to clean a percolator bong can guide you through the process and make it a little less painful. Feel free to get high prior to starting and look forward to some freshly filtered bong rips post cleaning!

What is a percolator bong?

A percolator, or perc like most stoners call it, is not just a type of bong but is defined as a specific cooling and filtration system that occurs within a water pipe or water bong. Water pipes and water bongs have been around since the beginning of time for bongs, and have fully evolved where there are now different types of water bongs. Percolator bongs are now this intricately detailed setup that massively filters the smoke traveling through a bong combined with the water that not only filters each hit but also creates a nice smoke show! 

Percolator bongs are especially helpful in delivering the perfect bong rip because the more water and bubble filtration there is, the better a bong rip will be in producing a fat cloud of smoke ready to be inhaled. If a percolator bong has an ash catcher you’ll definitely see firsthand the amount of filtration a bong has. 

Types of percolators

There are many kinds of percolators that can be found in bongs. There can be as little as one, or as many as three or four percolators on any given bong depending on the build. So what are the different types of percolators and how are you supposed to know which are which? 

• Inline perc. An inline percolator is a horizontal tube that has several slits in it for filtration. The more slits, the more diffusion! One of the more simple percolators out there, inline percs are often accompanied by other percolators for extra diffusion. 
• Showerhead perc. Another common percolator is the showerhead perc, that almost looks like a UFO setup or at least a showerhead you’d find in your bathroom. A showerhead uses a large tube connected to the chamber and pulls smoke through another tube while simultaneously pushing down and out through the base slits that surround the tubes for maximum diffusion. 
• Tree perc. A common percolator like the showerhead perc is the tree perc, that is made up of many arms and slits that provide the filtration and diffusion of each hit. Similar to an inline perc, tree percs are vertical instead of horizontal. Tree percs might be common but it will create a lot of bubbles so while it might be basic it is more than functional. 
• Matrix perc. A matrix percolator looks similar to a UFO and can also look like a showerhead perc too if you don’t know the difference between the two. Matrix percs are usually located at the bottom of a bong in a cylindrical shape and offer a lot of diffusion making it a popular choice amongst percolators. 
• Honeycomb perc. Honeycomb percolators are not the most aesthetically pleasing but they do get the job done and fantastically! It is a thick perc with a ton of holes for massive filtration so while it might not be cute it is extremely effective and more durable than most percolators!
• Turbine percolator. Turbine percs are usually paired with other percs but steal the spotlight with its ability to create whirlpools and make your bong rips look bigger than they even are. Turbine percolators are more for show but when you’re in group smoke sesh and need to start stunting on some stoners, this is the perc that will do it. 
• Swiss perc. Resembling none other than Swiss cheese, a swiss percolator got its name from having many holes similar to Swiss. There is little to no drag as you inhale making it a very popular choice for percolators and a pretty quick fix for bongs that need a little more filtration than normal. 

Why should I clean my bong regularly?

To no surprise, the obvious reason for cleaning a percolator bong is that it will function at its best when cleared of built up resin and gunk. Just like regularly changing out your bong water, it is important that you are inhaling through a clean bong, therefore you should learn all the ways to clean a bong! It is not safe nor healthy to be smoking through dirty bongs and good hygiene is a total turn on to just about everybody. Who doesn’t love a clean glass bong? If you plan on smoking in a group, there’s no better way to impress your homies than showing you know how to clean a glass bong. Don’t you prefer to be known as the clean glass bongs friend than the dirty bong friend?

Best way to clean a bong: how to clean a bong with alcohol

Besides bong cleaning solutions, there are other simple materials you can use when figuring out how to clean a bong, especially a glass percolator bong. If you’re still trying to figure out the best way to clean a bong, try the following for starters. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Bong cleaning solution, like the Bong Aid Banger Cleaner or simply isopropyl alcohol will do. The higher the percentage in alcohol content the better and more effective it will be.
• Coarse salt (Morton’s salt or Epsom salts will do)
• Zip tie bags for every piece your percolator bong has
• Plastic Wrap
• Rubber Bands
• Paper towels and cotton swabs (helps with the nooks and crannies that are hard to normally get to)
• Bowl or bucket to mix cleaning solution into (should be big enough to fit your bong into)

How to clean a bong with alcohol

If you are using a bong cleaner, you don’t need the bowl to mix your cleaning solution but you might want it to place your bong into and avoid making a mess. Here are the steps to properly cleaning a percolator bong. Your bong is about to be completely refreshed and ready to roll when you are in just a few hours!

• How to clean bong: prepare alcohol as bong cleaning solution

When learning how to clean a bong bowl, combine about one cup of isopropyl alcohol and a handful of salt. You’ll want to be generous with the salt when learning how to clean bong with alcohol because that will lift the residue much more easily. There is no need to actually mix the solution since the salt will act as an exfoliant in removing the built up resin and debris. 

Insert your freshly made cleaning solution and pour into your bong and other separated pieces in the zip tie bags. 

How to clean bong: shake and seal your percolator bong

Once the cleaning solution is filled up in the bong, the manual cleaning process is pretty easy. You’ll want to give each piece a good shake - make sure to seal all open coverings with plastic wrap and rubber bands to avoid making a mess! Have some paper towels on deck just in case. The cleaning solution will start to react to one another and do its thing, essentially removing the build up and float with the solution. Making forward and backward shaking motions will help the solution to travel throughout the bong and pieces so the cleaning solution has an even coating throughout. Repeat this step but with the separate bong pieces that are divided into zip tie bags. Simply fill the bag with enough solution to cover each piece and start shaking.

How to clean bong: rinse out and wipe down your bong

Sometimes if there is a lot of resin built up in a glass percolator bong, the best cleaning process is to place it on the side and let the cleaning solution sit for an hour or two. A vigorous (yet sturdy) shaking should suffice if you maintain a proper cleaning schedule so once your bong is ready to be rinsed out, rinse out with warm water and wipe down with a paper towel. You might want to rinse with warm water a few times to let the passing warm water into crevices that it might not have reached before. You’ll want to use a few cotton swabs on the smaller parts of each bong to make sure you fully remove the alcohol-based cleaning solution. You have just completed cleaning a percolator bong and ready to go smoke a freshly cleaned bowl!

How to clean a bong without alcohol

If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand that can be used as a ways to clean a bong, feel free to continue learning how to clean a bong without alcohol. There are many other options for this cleaning process that can be used as a bong solution cleaner, like:

• White vinegar. If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand, white vinegar and salt will still do the trick in removing residue. Don’t have a salt mixture on you? If for some reason you don’t have salt or epsom salt but have baking soda instead, feel free to use that. Anything that has a texture similar to coarse salt  or baking soda can be used as a scrubbing agent will suffice. Using a pipe cleaner to get any stubborn corners and crammed areas will do the trick too.
• Hydrogen peroxide. You can use hydrogen peroxide when learning how to clean a bong without alcohol, but it is essential that you air out the bong for at least 12 hours before using as there can be toxins within hydrogen peroxide that can be detrimental to one’s health if inhaled. Hydrogen peroxide is more potent than rubbing alcohol so be aware of this when working with this type of solution.
• When you clean a glass bong it is usually not necessary to wait as long, but when using substitute cleaning agents to clean a bong, you’ll have to be aware of it taking a bit longer to be safe for use again. 
• Lemon Juice. Lemon juice is another excellent house cleaning agent so why not use it with a bong? Use this to freshen up any bad scents from the dirty bong water.
• Boiling water. This method is not so much recommended but since it is usually available it can be an option in a pinch. If you need to use boiling water to clean a bong, make sure it passes through the dirty bong completely so that residue can clear out. It is best to do swirling motions when applying hot water to a dirty bong, so that residue can lift from the crevices. The hot water method might not work as well as other methods and you must work quickly since the water is HOT! If using an acrylic bong or anything else other than durable heat proof glass, keep this in mind. Just make sure you are doing it in a deep sink or tub so that the disposable water can go down the drain immediately because fair warning: it will reek of bong water wherever you do this. Please note that the boiling water method should only be done when you clean glass bongs, avoid silicone and anything else that cannot handle extremely high temperatures of water. A pipe cleaner can also be used with this method as well and we suggest it to scrape off parts that won’t come off easily.

Best percolator bong cleaners

Now that you know how to clean a percolator bong, there is no excuse for you to not be taking a few hours out of the week to clean your beloved smoke accessories. If you use your bong everyday, cleaning your bong water more than once a week might be a good idea as well to avoid any extra build up. Regularly cleaning your bong not only delivers a higher quality smoking experience, it allows for clear pathways and airflow for fully filtered hits in every bong rip. Cleaning your bong also creates a good sense of routine for every stoner, because it will prompt you to clean your other smoking supplies and essentials as well. There are too many ways to get your stoner stuff brand spanking new so save the excuses and get to cleaning if you want to extend the longevity of your smoking accessories. There’s nothing like cleaning a bong after it’s been dirty and taking a fresh bong rip right after to reap the benefits of your hard work. If you’re in need of a new bong, check out the best bongs for sale to grab one and get in on the fun. Remember that a bong rip a day keeps the doctor away, but this only applies if your piece is fresh and looking fly. Now make your mama proud and you better scrub that bong to squeaky clean!