By Luke Sumpter


Nothing beats smoking weed from a brand new bong or pipe. Your new glass piece glistening on the coffee table before you is a sight to behold. The first few hits are crisp, clear, and smooth. But it doesn't take long for this transparent work of art to transform into a tar-stained mess. We're all guilty of neglecting our smoking accessories from time to time. Using your pipe or bong for a few days in a row is no big deal, but things start to turn ugly in a matter of weeks.

It's easy to determine when a glass piece is ready for a clean. Silicone and wooden pieces are a different story. Users of the latter can remain blissfully ignorant until they receive a lungful of tarred smoke. In this article, we'll discuss why it's essential to keep your smoking apparatus shiny and clean. Then, we'll explore the best ways to clean them.

WHY KEEPING YOUR SMOKING ACCESSORIES CLEAN IS SO IMPORTANT

There's a bunch of reasons to keep your smoking gear clean at all times. Aesthetics are a major motivation, especially when it comes to glass. What's the point of investing in an intricate glass rig just to let it stew in ash and tar? Respect the artwork!

Regularly cleaning your smoking gear will also lead to better-tasting hits.

If you grow your own, you'll know how much time and effort is required to produce high-quality cannabis. It takes skill and patience to nurture a tasty terpene profile. Don't waste these exquisite tastes by smoking with a dirty bong or pipe.

A dirty bong won't just ruin the taste; the buildup of tar and resin will irritate your throat. Clean bongs offer buttery smooths hits that go down a treat. Overall, cleaner equipment makes for a more pleasant smoking experience.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CLEAN YOUR BONG, BOWL, OR PIPE?

How often you clean your smoking gear should depend on how frequently you use it. If you're blazing massive bowls every day, then tar and resin are going to build up fast. If you hit a pipe or bong once a week, it'll take longer for the residue to build up. With that said, leaving it dirty and unused isn't hygienic either.

The more often you clean your gear, the better. Give your bong or pipe a quick rinse after every smoking session to flush out some of the tar and resin. When the buildup starts getting severe, it's time to give your gear a proper clean.

WHAT IS YOUR PIPE OR BONG MADE OF?

Different materials require different cleaning methods. You run the risk of damaging your rig if you apply the wrong kind of cleaning agent or technique. Check out how to clean different materials below.

GLASS & METAL

Glass bongs and pipes are on the delicate end of the spectrum. Although they often look prettier, they're the most susceptible to damage. Glass pieces can be effectively cleaned using both alcohol and non-alcohol methods. However, you'll want to avoid boiling techniques. Metal pipes, on the other hand, are safe to boil.

WHAT IS YOUR PIPE OR BONG MADE OF?

SILICONE

Silicone bongs are the easiest to clean. These pieces are heat and cold-resistant and can handle (pretty much) anything you throw at them. You don't have to overthink things when cleaning a silicone bong or pipe.

WOOD

Wooden pipes can handle hot water, but harsh chemicals can damage them. High-proof alcohol can discolour wooden pipes and also leave behind residue. When cleaning a wooden piece, it's best to use softer agents such as vinegar.

HOW TO CLEAN A BONG, BOWL, OR PIPE

Now that you know what to avoid, let's get some cleaning done. Cleaning out your piece is an easy step-by-step process. To begin, you'll need to gather the following items. We'll discuss specific cleaners in each method.

EQUIPMENT

  • Cleaning brushes/pipe cleaners
  • Scraper/knife
  • Plastic tub
  • Cotton swabs
  • Ziplock bag
  • Micropore tape
Step 1

ALCOHOL-FREE METHODS

Alcohol-free methods are effective at removing ash, tar, and grime. These techniques use less-harsh chemicals and require stuff you can find in your kitchen at home.

VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA

  • Bong
  1. Use a cotton swab to clean out the residue from the bowl. You might need to use a scraper if things get too sticky.
  2. Rinse out your bong with lukewarm water over a sink.
  3. Remove the bowl and place it in a Ziplock bag. Add a teaspoon of baking soda, a splash of vinegar, and fill the bag halfway with lukewarm water.
  4. Shake the bag, then let it rest.
  5. Now, back to the bong. Empty a teaspoon of baking soda into the mouthpiece. Cover the mouthpiece with your hand and the downstem hole with micropore tape; shake vigorously.
  6. The baking soda will stick to the wet surface inside. Use a long cleaning brush to scrub the inside surfaces.
  7. Next, pour in a tablespoon of vinegar and fill up the chamber with lukewarm water.
  8. Cover the holes again and shake.
  9. Pour out the solution and rinse the bong with lukewarm water.
  10. Remove the bowl from the Ziplock bag and rinse under the tap. Use a cotton swab to remove any sticky remnants.
Step 1
  • Pipe
  1. Run a pipe cleaner through your piece a couple of times to remove any blockages.
  2. Fill up a container or jar with lukewarm water. Add a tablespoon of baking soda and an equal amount of vinegar.
  3. Place your pipe into the container and let it soak for five minutes.
  4. Remove the pipe and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
  5. Repeat step one.
How to Clean Your Bong, Bowl or Pipe

DISH SOAP

  1. Fill your sink with lukewarm water. Add a squirt of dish soap to create a bubbly solution.
  2. Use a cotton swab and scraper to remove residue from the bowl of your bong or pipe.
  3. Carefully place your piece into the water and let it soak for 20 minutes.
  4. Return to the sink armed with a cleaning brush or pipe cleaner.
  5. If you're cleaning a bong, use a brush to thoroughly scrub the inside surfaces clean. Use a pipe cleaner to clean out the ownstem.
  6. For pipes, run a pipe cleaner through the piece 3–4 times. Dunk your pipe into the water between each clean to flush out the stem.
  7. Empty the sink and rinse your piece with lukewarm water.
How to Clean Your Bong, Bowl or Pipe

BOILING WATER

Boiling water is an easy way to clean a piece. Remember, it's not suitable for thin glass pieces.

  1. Place your bong or pipe into an empty sink. Clean out the bowl with a cotton swab and scraper.
  2. Boil the kettle and fill up the bottom of the sink with boiling water.
  3. Let your piece sit for 20 minutes, or until the water has sufficiently cooled.
  4. Empty the sink.
  5. Use a pipe cleaner and brush to remove tar and residue.
  6. Rinse with lukewarm water.
How to Clean Your Bong, Bowl or Pipe

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL METHOD

Isopropyl alcohol is a harsh cleaning agent. Use gloves when you're dealing with it, and avoid using it on wooden pipes. It also helps to have some coarse salt at hand when using this method.

  • Bong
  1. Remove the bowl and clean it out with a cotton swab and scraper. Then, rinse it under the tap.
  2. Add a tablespoon of coarse salt, followed by a generous glug of isopropyl alcohol.
  3. Cover the downstem hole with micropore tape and the mouthpiece with a gloved hand. Shake vigorously for a total of five minutes.
  4. Empty the solution into the toilet and rinse the bong thoroughly with lukewarm water.
  5. Soak a tissue with isopropyl alcohol and wipe down the bowl and downstem.
  6. Soak a pipe cleaner with isopropyl alcohol and scrub the inside of the downstem. Rinse thoroughly.
How to Clean Your Bong, Bowl or Pipe
  • Pipe
  1. Use a cotton swab and pipe cleaner to remove residue from the bowl and the inside of the stem.
  2. Place your pipe into a Ziplock bag. Add a tablespoon of salt and enough isopropyl alcohol to cover the piece.
  3. Shake the bag for five minutes, then let sit for a further 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the piece and rinse thoroughly under lukewarm water.
  5. Scrub out the bowl and stem using a pipe cleaner and brush.
  6. Rinse thoroughly.
How to Clean Your Bong, Bowl or Pipe

CLEANING BONG STEMS AND OTHER HARD-TO-REACH PLACES

It's important to thoroughly clean bowls, downstems, and other hard-to-reach places. Although we mentioned it above, it's worth repeating; you might get caught out by hidden residue. Disassemble your piece (if possible) before cleaning, and go to work with a brush and pipe cleaners to make sure your pipe or bong will provide clean and smooth hits.

IS IT TIME FOR A SMOKE YET?

Once your piece has been rinsed and dried, it's ready for action! Investing a small amount of time into thoroughly cleaning your piece is well worth it. The next few hits are going to be so damn smooth. Going forward, try and clean your piece as regularly as you can. Cleaning your bong or pipe after one or two sessions is easy and only requires a small rinse. If you let it build up, then you'll have to get scrubbing again!

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: