How To Clean a Bubbler
Best Way to Clean a Bubbler
Cleaning is perhaps one of the most important parts of owning any type of pipe, bubbler, bong, etc. Without proper maintenance any bubbler, regardless of the material it’s made of, is going to begin to clog, taste terrible, and generally cease to function. That being said, there really is no good replacement to simply making sure to keep the bubbler clean by a good soak and scrub combo. Make sure that the bubbler is getting a good soak before beginning to scrub and there will be more gunk and resin coming off with less effort.
There are a couple of different methods of cleaning product that can be used as well. These range from simple soap and water, boiling, vinegar, and commercially available cleaners, such as 420 Cleaner. Depending on what someone’s preferences are, these will all be better than others. Some certainly require more active, mechanical cleaning than others as well. Each is a proven method, however, of cleaning a bubbler. There are also some things like rags, gloves, etc that can prove rather useful when cleaning. Particularly to avoid smelly hands and messes around the sink or house.
Step-by-Step Bubbler Cleaning Guide
There are a couple of intuitive but important steps that should be taken when cleaning a bubbler. Below, they are listed in chronological order:
- First, make sure that all the proper cleaning materials have been gathered. Needless to say, it is probably a good idea to make sure that all the cleaner materials are around as well as things such as rags, gloves, bowls, etc. are available to make sure that the mess isn’t too large.
- Next, make sure that the bubbler is devoid of old water or any residual herb. This will only make the cleaning process nastier.
- Next, begin to pour the cleaner into the bubbler – the water chamber as well as the mouthpiece and bowl piece. In order to get the best clean it is advised that the cleaner is put inside all of the various holes in order to ensure that all areas of the bubbler are properly reached.
- Once the bubbler has been filled with the cleaner, place it in some sort of bag or container that can be filled partially with additional cleaner. Proceed to shake it about and allow the cleaning agent to flow into and out of the bubbler. This will also make sure the entire surface is coated and touched by the cleaning agent.
- Next, begin to manually clean the really dirty areas. These are often found near the bowl piece and along the inside of the pipe leading to the mouthpiece. While the water chamber certainly needs cleaning and disinfecting, the bulk of the resin will be located along the areas most contact by the herb and smoke.
- Essentially, rinse and repeat until the bubbler is squeaky clean. This can take more or less times depending on how often maintenance is performed. Most importantly, make sure to take the bubbler and thoroughly rinse it to remove all traces of the cleaner. Otherwise, this can affect the taste or even be unhealthy depending on the substance used.
Bubbler Pipe Cleaners
There are commercially available cleaners at smoke shops and online head shops. Get yourself some 420 Cleaner or use home-remedy solutions like rubbing alcohol, vinegar and salt, water, etc. All of these options will have pros and cons associated with them and cost differently. However, the choice will ultimately come down to preference.
How to Clean a Bubbler with Vinegar
Cleaning with vinegar and salt (for some friction and grit) will result in a nice, natural clean feeling. Folks often enjoy using vinegar and salt because as an edible household combo it feels much safer and cleaner than using commercial cleaners or products like rubbing alcohol. This is certainly not a bad way to get a cleaner bubbler and will not affect taste or smell as long as properly rinsed. Because vinegar is not a hazard to ingest and can be purchased cheaply in bulk it is a popular way to clean a bubbler and other smoking pipes too.
How to Clean a Bubbler with Boiling Water
Some folks prefer to use boiling water to get the resin out of a bubbler. This superheats the resin into a liquid state much like when it originally is formed after burning the herb. However, despite being a cheap and efficient method, take great caution. Glass can break under extreme heat and the transition from super hot water to anything much cooler will also cause shattering. Use extreme caution.
How to Clean a Glass Bubbler
Much like cleaning any other type of bubbler a glass bubbler simply requires extra care. For example, the idea of boiling glass is one that, while efficient and cheap, requires caution. However, a nice bonus to glass is that it is translucent and usually easier to determine whether or not it is sufficiently clean. Hand blown glass is also one of the most popular materials for bubblers so cleaners are certainly designed around them.
How to Clean a Silicone Bubbler
Much like glass except its unbreakable and not translucent. Some are able to be taken apart and bendable and so potentially easier to clean. Otherwise, follow the same procedures but add an extra rinse just to make sure everything is cleaned out – both resin and cleaning agent.
How to Clean Resin out of a Bubbler
Because of all the nooks and crannies in a bubbler, just make sure to be cautious that all the resin is gone. Some are tougher than others. Get some pipe cleaners and other bendable tools to help make sure all the spots are reached.
Where to Buy Bubblers and Bubbler Cleaners
Bubblers can be found almost anywhere. Smoke shops and online stores carry them in large numbers because they’re so popular. Remember that vapevetstore.com has a large variety of bubblers and that all orders placed in the USA always ship FREE!