How to Clean a Silicone Bong - The Easy Way

Okay, so you’re looking at your silicone bong and thinking: how will I clean this one without destroying the living daylights out of it? It’s natural for us to scratch our heads when faced with such a dilemma because we’re used to cleaning glass bongs. One of the major selling points of a silicone bong is that it’s relatively easy to maintain and clean. Here’s how to clean a silicone bong easily, so you don’t have to bear with a stinky, dirty bong on your next sesh.

Cleaning a silicone bong using soap and water

One of the best things that you’ll love about silicone bongs is their durability and flexibility. You can squeeze and poke them with almost any kind of brush you can think of, and you don’t have to worry about getting a chip or two off of the bong. When cleaning a silicone bong with this method, you will need:

• A baby bottle brush


• Your favorite liquid dishwasher soap


• Running water

The best time to clean a bong using this method is almost immediately after use. The resin is still soft, and you only have to deal with a thin buildup. To start cleaning your silicone bong, here’s what you have to do:

1. Take out the herb slide and put it aside on a secure, safe place. Preferably on top of a thick hand towel or cloth to keep it from rolling over.


2. Dump out the used bong water in the sink and let hot water run through the bong for a couple of minutes. Shake the bong to help loosen up the resin.


3. Take your liquid soap and pour a generous amount around the inside of the smoke chamber as well as the base.


4. Push the bottle brush inside the silicone bong and scrub the bong firmly but not too hard. Make sure to reach inside the deepest part of the bong to clear out the resin.


5. Don’t be afraid to twist and bend your silicone bong as you clean it to ensure that the brush reaches hard-to-reach areas.


6. You can also clean the joint using the same brush. However, do this very carefully. You don’t want to cause a tear on the joint.


7. If your bong comes with a silicone downstem, you can use pipe cleaners to scrub the inside thoroughly.


8. Rinse off the soap and residue thoroughly with warm water.


9. Lay upside down on a dish rack to dry. Make sure there are no other plates beneath the bong in case you weren’t able to get rid of the smell of the resin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-fJQU7P4iQ

How to clean a silicone bong using your freezer

This method is perfect for those who are too tired at the end of a good session to clean their bong. The procedure is pretty simple.

1. Set your fridge on the coldest setting for an hour before popping in the in bong.


2. Take out the glass slide or downstem. Rinse the bong thoroughly with warm water to take out any ash and other residue.


3. Shake out the water so that it’s wet but not holding in too much water that will solidify into a block of ice. What you need is a good film of water to coat around the inner walls of the bong.


4. Freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight.


5. Take out the bong and crunch it like there’s no tomorrow. Depending on the water content, you may need to exert a little bit of effort to take out the frozen residue.


6. Keep crunching until you get all of the icicles out.


7. Tap the silicone bong to empty the contents.

Some say are not getting any success with this kind of method. It’s probably either there’s not enough water inside the bong to create a good icy film. Or perhaps, the freezer was not cold enough to freeze the water quickly before it settles either on the sides or the bottom of the silicone bong.

Get an EYCE Silicone Bong

Cleaning a silicone bong in dishwasher

If all else fails, and you have a tight schedule ahead, you can clean your silicone bong inside a dishwasher. To do this:

1. Take out any fragile piece from your bong and set it aside. If you have a silicone downstem with a metal bowl, just detach it from the silicone bong, and set is beside the water pipe inside the dishwasher.


2. Put water temperature on medium-high to high, depending on how old your dishwasher is.


3. Let the dishwasher run a 2-5 minute cycle, depending on how dirty your bong is.


4. Let the silicone bong and downstem cool down before taking it out of the dishwasher.

An important tip you have to consider: do this with caution. Both dishwasher and silicone manufacturers do not recommend this at all even if there are a number of smokers who actually do this. For one, the resin inside the bong will harm the walls and tubes of your dishwasher. Depending on how dirty your bong is, the residue is going to spread and stick inside the walls and pipes of your dishwasher. It’s like a plague of resin got the best of your dishwasher. Your plates are also going to end up smelling like resin as well. As for your bong, the heat of the water, as well as the rough cycling, can cause the silicone to warp or even fade too fast.

How about using regular iso + salt?

Iso and salt can do wonders to a glass bong. For a silicone bong, even it’s a medical-grade one, not so much. It can, and will clean your silicone bong, but it will also damage the coating as well as the material. The strong alcohol will eventually cause the silicone bong to fade and cause the coating to peel. If you want to use this method, you’ll need:

• 90%-99% isopropyl alcohol


• Coarse sea or kosher salt


• A large Ziploc bag for your bong


• Silicone bong caps, rubber stoppers, or paper towels to plug the joint and the mouthpiece.

Here’s what you need to do to clean your bong with iso and salt:

1. Remove any breakable piece from the bong and place it in a separate Ziploc bag.


2. Pour enough isopropyl alcohol to cover the parts. Add in salt.


3. Shake for 5 minutes or until you get all the residue out.


4. As for the bong, pour alcohol carefully inside the mouthpiece until half-way the base. Don’t let the alcohol drip outside the bong to protect the silicone coating.


5. Add in a generous amount of salt, just enough to scrub inside the silicone bong.


6. Use the caps, stoppers, or paper towel to plug the openings.


7. Shake your bong for 5-15 minutes until you get all the gunk out.


8. Since the silicone bong is opaque, you can test the cleanliness by pouring out the iso and salt solution in a non-reactive basin. Check for the murkiness of the solution then pour it back in. Once you see no change in the color, or you’re good to go.


9. Pour out the iso and salt in the sink and rinse the bong thoroughly with warm water. Keep washing until you no longer smell even a hint of alcohol inside the bong.

Cleaning a silicone bong is not at all that complicated. Because of its durable and rugged design, you don’t have to treat it like a baby just to clean it. It does need regular cleaning compared to glass bongs, but the maintenance is well worth it. You’ll have a bong that will last you for ages, giving you hours and hours of smoking pleasure.

If you want a silicone bong that is easier to clean, get one that has detachable parts. One silicone bong we can recommend is the EYCE Silicone Bong that has a removable base that also acts as a storage compartment for your herbs. Another one is the Ooze Sax High-Grade Silicone Bong with a Quartz Bowl. You can take out the mouthpiece from the body, making it easier for you to check both water level and cleanliness. Big Daddy Smoke has you covered if you're looking for Silicone Bongs for Sale.

We hope that this will give you the confidence to clean a silicone bong. If you have questions about silicone bong cleaning, please do share them with us in the comment section. Let’s help each other out on maintaining this lovely piece of smoking equipment.