Gentle Cleaning: Dish soap is formulated to be gentle on materials like glass. It can effectively remove surface dirt, light resin build-up, and odors without the risk of scratching or damaging your pipe.
Add some dish soap -dawn- and it'll help clean faster, but also keep it from coagulating later in the pipes when rinsed out.
Dawn Ultra dish soap is designed primarily for washing dishes and cutting grease, so it can help clean your pipes to some extent by breaking down fatty substances and food residues. However, it is not a specialized drain cleaner.
I find Dawn dish soap cleans a bong better, faster, and easier than all the bong cleaning products on the market. Just some Dawn and some hot water.
Instead of a pity party, it's time for a pipe cleaning party! You will want to measure 3:1 for the alcohol and salt ratios which means 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol to 1/3 cup of salt. Or you can eye it and fill a bag or container full of isopropyl alcohol and pour enough salt to get into the grooves of your glass.
Instead, try soaking your pipe in a combination of salt and vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar work well, too. Or try combining a teaspoon of salt and baking soda with water.
Pour four tablespoons of washing soda or bicarbonate of soda into the drain, then pour in half a cup of vinegar essence and, after a short time (when you can no longer hear any fizzing sound), flush with hot water.
Vinegar & Rice
This approach can be used with any glassware, and many of the steps are the same as when you're using alcohol and coarse salt. Because vinegar is mildly acidic, and rice is hard & coarse, together they act as a cleaning solution that loosens resin build-up in your bong and bowl. Magic!
A lot of DIY tutorials recommend using dish soap to clean your windows, but it's not the best idea. Dish detergent can leave a greasy film on the windows, which will attract more dirt after cleaning. It is also hard to rinse off and often it leaves annoying streaks.
The warm, humid environment inside the bong encourages mold growth, especially if the water is left stagnant for long. Therefore, regular cleaning and replacing the water can help prevent mold from taking hold.
The Environmental Working Group gave Dawn a 'D' grade because of it containing methylisothiazolinone, which is a "High Concern: acute aquatic toxicity; Some Concern: skin irritation/allergies/damage". Sounds delightful, right? Dawn also contains 1 4-dioxane which is considered a groundwater contaminant.
The answer is yes, bar soap can contribute to drain clogs over time. As soap scum builds up in your pipes, it can trap hair, food particles, and other debris, leading to slow drains or even complete blockages.
You can also use it to clean your drains in the bathroom sink and bathtub, as well as your kitchen sink. However, can it be used to unclog drains? The answer is yes! Dawn dish soap is a great product for unclogging and cleaning your drains because it contains chemicals that break down grease and oil.
Make sure to clean your pipe after every smoke. This includes forcefully blowing through your pipe stem.
The best method is to use specialized bong cleaning solutions like Rez Relief—they're specifically designed to kill mold and dissolve biofilm without leaving any residue. When in a pinch, you can use a mixture of isopropyl alcohol (91% or higher) and salt, but it may require more scrubbing and soaking time.
Dawn as a substitute glass cleaner
One of the most effective ways to clean glass is dish soap – it's what professional window cleaners use when cleaning exterior windows. Dish soap can remove stuck-on dirt and cuts any hazy build-up. It also works well on cloudy mirrors.
The best window cleaning solution is a simple blend with basic ingredients you likely already have. The most common professional window cleaning solution recipe is filtered or distilled water and dish soap.
A mild detergent is typically a hand dish washing soap that only contains surfactants that dissolve dirt and grease as opposed to a soap that also contains builders, which would be classified as a moderately strong detergent.
Soap and water method: Mild dish soap and warm water is a safe and effective method to clean silicone. Remove any small pieces and set them aside. Rinse out your bong with hot water, then add a generous amount of dish soap to the inside of your bong. Use a bottle brush to scrub away any resin from hard-to-reach areas.
Alcohol is far from the only way to get your glass clean, though, and you don't need expensive bong cleaners sold at smoke shops. White vinegar and coarse salt create a safe pipe-cleaning mixture and should get the job done after a little more vigorous work than if you used alcohol.
Pour 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol into the bong and add some coarse salt, such as Epsom or rock salt, as an abrasive. Shake your piece for about five minutes, then rinse with water and soap. Vinegar and rice will also work, but Navarro and Reyna prefer the former method.
Take warm, soapy water when done and rinse it out. Clean it well, get rid of anything leftover with pipe cleaners or paperclips. Try using a cotton swab if necessary. After washing the pipe, give it a final rinse with hot water and you're good to go.
Experts recommend regular users to clean their pipes once weekly, or at least when they start to notice resin buildup. The most popular method is to fill the pipe with coarse salt and isopropyl alcohol, plug up the holes with your fingers, and give it a good shake to dislodge stuck resin and particles.
Aside from stopping contagious diseases, cleaning your glass pipe may also prevent or lessen carcinogens. Even if you smoke, your actions could do less harm to your lungs. That's right, regularly cleaning your bong can be healthy. Additionally, getting rid of the ash will improve the flavor of your herbs.