Why You Should Keep Your Bongs and Pipes Clean in These Trying Times

We are in a time where all the focus is on keeping germ free as far as possible. Now even more than ever, people are turning to marijuana to bring relief during this challenging time where most are confined to their homes. It is not weird to feel out-of-bounds when it comes to the constant news about the coronavirus. People are more prone to anxiety attacks, and for many, the best way to calm them down is to smoke a joint or bong. Germaphobe is often seen as a borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder. The constant cleaning of surfaces and door handles, to money and shopping carts is now required, though. And this does not exclude your cannabis equipment.

Healthy humans have an effective immune system. But when cannabis consumption comes from bongs, pipes, and vaporizers, people tend to be a titbit slack on cleaning it properly. Evidence shows that it is important to take care of your cannabis equipment regularly.

Reasons to Keep your Bong or pipe clean

Having a bong or a vaporizer is really very nice. The joyful experience of having a smoother hit than with a pipe is truly heaven. But when you start feeling awful rather than great when you use your bong, it is time to take out the cleaning gear. The more you smoke, the faster it will get dirty. Obviously! Over time, residue accumulates and changes the impact. The moment you see a blackness forming inside the glass bong, you know it is time. The dirties the water, the easier it becomes for bacteria to form. If you do not take care, it could lead to respiratory diseases. Something easy to avoid.

Wise not to Share a Bong or Pipe in these times

In 2019, Moose Labs published a report where they analyzed the amounts of harmful bacteria on shared pipes during social events. The groups were split into two. One group was given silicon mouthpieces, and the other group nothing. With an ATP monitoring system, the pipes were swabbed regularly in both groups. The results were astonishing. Where no precautions were taken, the bacteria levels were excessive. It almost had one and a half times more bacteria than a public toilet seat. Researchers said it was difficult to find a neutral object in daily life that was as contaminated as a cannabis pipe.

What are the Reasons you should clean your pipe?

Apart from being dirty, that is a true reason to clean it, there are other important reasons. They are:

The residue is Dangerous – When there is a constant build-up of residue, it sparks a combustion problem. A person could unwillingly burn his mouth or fingers.

Good Hygiene is preferable – Sharing a pipe is one of the most enjoyable experiences under cannabis smokers. Passing the pipe has been going on for a very long time. If the equipment is not kept clean though, it can spread bacteria, germs, and viruses. To avoid spreading the common flu, or worse, cold sores, keep it clean.

A clean pipe means fewer carcinogens – Besides from preventing infectious diseases, a clean pipe eliminates dangerous carcinogens. A cleaner bong is healthier. Removing the ash in the pipe also improves the taste of marijuana.

Less residue – The less residue there is, the smoother the hit will be. Each puff hardens the resin making it more difficult to clean. The biofilm it creates is resistant to antibiotics and makes it unhealthy and prone to diseases.

What Cleaning Precautions should be taken?

If you should decide to share your bong or pipe, it might be wise to use specially designed mouthpieces for bongs, joints, and vapes. It could help to decrease the spread of bacteria and germs, or at least the quantity of it. If you do not have these mouthpieces, it might be good to clean the equipment with vinegar, isopropyl alcohol, a dishwasher for bongs, and a lighter to burn mouthpieces.

Cleaning your bong

If you use your bong to medicate, you should at least do it each time after you used it. The first thing to do is to take the bong apart and rinse every part in hot water. Each piece should then be put in a container with rubbing alcohol and salt. The rubbing alcohol is very effective in removing sticky resin. The salt acts as a natural anti-bacterial. It should sit in the solution for at least 15 minutes. Rinse it afterward again in hot water. A q-tip could come in very handy to clean the mouthpiece.

Afterthoughts

For a very long time now, the camaraderie of passing the pipe is part of the cannabis culture. For just as long, no thought was given to the consequences of passing the pipe. But times have changed, and we are more aware of all the dangerous possibilities it can provide. When you medicate with cannabis, it is important to keep yourself safe. Prevention is definitely better than cure.

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