How To Use & Clean Bong: Everything you need to know

Bongs have been used for centuries in many cultures, and they are a popular choice among smokers due to their ability to provide a smooth and potent smoking experience. They come in various designs and shapes, and this water pipe smoking device uses water to filter and cool smoke before it is inhaled. In this article, experts of WestCoastSupply online dispensary have prepared all the necessary info on how to use a bong and how to clean a bong to make sure it can last longer and get the best experience from using a bong for cannabis consumption.

What is bong?

A bong, also known as a water pipe or hookah, is a smoking device, where water cools down the smoke, making it less harsh on the throat and lungs. Bongs have been around for centuries, and it’s still not quite clear where they originated from, the first mentions of bongs are found in Africa, Middle East, and Thailand. 

They are commonly used to smoke tobacco, marijuana, and other herbs, and many cannabis users turn to bongs to improve their smoking experience since they provide more smooth yet potent effects. But before you decide to order a bong, it would be better for you to learn about the anatomy of it, check different types, and figure out how to use it to find the best bong to provide the best effects to you because it’s pretty easy to get confused with a wide range of different bongs on the market.

The Parts Of A Bong

In order to use this device the right way, it’s necessary to know all the bong parts. Usually, there are only six parts of a bong, and its anatomy is not that complicated, so let’s go through the main bong parts names and their usage:

1. Bowl: The dried herbs or tobacco are placed there. It is typically located at the top of the bong.

2. Downstem: The downstem is the tube that connects the bowl to the water chamber.

3. Water chamber: The smoke is filtered and cooled there. It is located at the bottom of the bong and is filled with water to process the smoke.

4. Mouthpiece: It’s a part at the top of the bong where the user inhales the smoke.

5. Percolator: it breaks up the smoke into smaller bubbles to increase the surface area of the smoke, providing a quicker cool down.

6. Ice Pinch: A small indentation in the neck of the bong that holds ice to cool the smoke.

Keep in mind that other parts of bong have a place to be as well, it all depends on the bong type.

What Types Of Bongs Are There?

Nowadays, it’s not a problem to find the most suitable bong since the variety of bong types on the market is quite impressive. You can find different bong types like straight-tube bongs, beaker-shaped bongs, percolator bongs, and more. Also, the shape of a bong is not the only factor worth considering while looking for the best bong,  you should also rely on the material because bongs can be made of glass, acrylic, silicone, ceramic, and even bamboo. Different types of bong have their unique features and benefits, and the choice of which one to use can depend on personal preference and the type of smoking experience desired.

How Does A Bong Work?

Now that we know the anatomy of a bong and different types, we can figure out “how does a bong work?”. Let’s start with water bong work: the smoke is created by heating dry herbs or tobacco in a bowl, which is then placed at the top of the bong. As the cannabis user inhales through the mouthpiece, the smoke is pulled through the water in the chamber of the bong, which cools and filters the smoke. The cooled and filtered smoke then rises through the stem and into the user’s lungs. Also, there are gravity bongs, they can be handmade or purchased as well. As for the gravity bong work, the smoke is inhaled through the mouthpiece as the chamber is slowly turned over to release the smoke.

How To Use A Water Bong: Step-by-step instructions 

To learn how to use a bong, there’s no need for you to go through a ton of articles, it’s not that hard. A traditional water bong works by using water to filter and cool smoke before it is inhaled. When the bowl with cannabis is lit, smoke is drawn through the stem and into the water in the chamber. The water filters and cools down the smoke, making it easier and more pleasant to inhale through the mouthpiece. That’s why bong use is so popular, especially among advanced cannabis users.

1. Fill Your Bong With The Correct Amount Of Water

When using a water bong, you need to fill the base with water first. Make sure you don’t use hot water in a bong since it can be damaging to your lungs and make the glass crack. The best option is to use frozen bong water to cool down the smoke before inhaling, and the water should be enough to submerge the downstem.

2. Grind up your weed

The next step is to grind up your weed. This step is necessary for a more smooth and pleasant experience, and using ground cannabis is easier to pack in the bowl. You can use a special grinder for that, but if you don’t have one, you can just do that with your hands to reach the proper consistency.

3. Put a screen in the bowl

Some bongs require a screen to be placed in the bowl. This prevents the weed from falling into the water and clogging the stem. So if you have a bong screen, you need to make sure that it’s placed in a bowl. It depends on a bong, but using a bong bowl screen can provide you with a better experience while smoking a bong.

4. Fill the bowl with weed

Once you have placed the screen in the bowl, you need to fill your bong with weed. You just place your ground cannabis in a bowl piece for bong. Make sure to pack it tightly but not too tightly, and you can use a bong bowl holder before placing the bowl on your bong.

5. Take the bong in your hand

Now that you’ve done the previous steps, you can start your smoking bong experience. Just hold the bong in one hand and place your mouth on the mouthpiece, and make sure that all the joints on the bong are attached the right way, so nothing will fall apart while smoking.

6. Cover the carb hole

You may have a carb on a bong to remove the smoke out of the chamber, and if your bong has a carb hole, cover it with your finger before lighting the bowl until the smoke fills the chamber. Also, there are bongs that have a slider, and you just need to cover that hole with it.

7. Light Up & Take A Hit

To hit a bong, you need to take a lighter and carefully light the bowl with your ground cannabis. Then, inhale smoke through the mouthpiece, and as you inhale, the smoke will travel through the stem and into the water, where it will be filtered and cooled before entering your lungs. There you have it, you’ve learned how to hit a bong.

8: Exhale and Don’t Hold In Smoke

Now you just need to exhale the smoke, and you shouldn’t hold it in. It can be hard for smoking weed beginners, and holding in smoke for too long can be harmful to your health. You can start coughing, and that’s fine, it happens to many people when they’re just at the beginning of their journey.

How to Clean a Bong

Regular cleaning can help to keep the bong functioning properly, improve the taste of the smoke, and maintain the overall appearance of the bong. You should clean the bong for a better smoking experience, because there’s dirty bong water, left plant material, and so on. It’s not that hard to find the best way to clean a bong for you, you can just clean your bong with water, but it’s better to use special products for that.

• Using rubbing alcohol and coarse salt is among the most popular ways to clean a bong, and you just need to mix them in a bong after emptying it.

• To figure out how to clean a bong bowl, you need to consider all the parts of it, like the bowl itself and a bowl screen, and make sure there’s no cannabis left.

• You can use a brush to properly clean crab hole and other parts of a bong, focusing on the areas with the most buildup.

• Rinse the bong with water to remove the alcohol and salt mixture, and repeat it until the bong is clean.

• Dry the bong with a towel or let it air dry. 

As for the handmade bong water bottle – it’s not reusable, so it would be a good idea for you to throw it away because there can be damaging toxins, and it’s better to turn to glass or silicone bongs instead of acrylic or hand-made ones.

Tips for Having a Clean Bong

Tip 1: Never let your water sit 

One of the most important things you can do to keep your bong clean is to change the water after every use. Old water can become stale and harbor bacteria, which can affect the taste of your smoke and make it less pleasant to inhale. Freshwater can help to keep the smoke tasting clean and pure, and using a dirty bong with cloudy water can be quite unappealing, so you need to make sure that you change the water in your bong before every next use, and it’s better to do right after smoking.

Tip 2: Keep your bong out of sunlight

Direct sunlight can cause the material of your bong to become brittle and discolored over time. To keep your bong in good condition, store it in a cool, dark place where it will not be exposed to sunlight. Also, it can cause the plastic or acrylic parts of a bong to warp or soften, making it difficult to use or potentially damaging the bong. It’s better to use silicone bongs in that case, but you need to think about the proper storage anyway, no matter what material it’s made of.

Tip 3: Use Salt and Bong Cleaning Products for cleaning

You should clean your bong regularly, and it’s better to use proper cleaning products for that to make sure that there’s no plant material, dirty water, and other remaining. It’s essential if you want to keep your bong in good condition. One of the best ways to clean your bong is to use a combination of salt and alcohol or special bong cleaning products. These products are designed specifically to remove resin and other built-up debris from your bong, leaving it looking brand new. However, alcohol and salt can leave you with a similar result.

Summary 

 

Using a bong can provide a great experience for cannabis users, leaving a smooth and pleasant effect for cannabis veterans and novice cannabis smokers as well. But it’s necessary to keep in mind that such a device should be properly maintained and cleaned for a better experience and longer functioning. There are many types of bongs, but in general, they’re made the same way, enhancing the experience from smoking cannabis. Also, there are a few factors to consider when storing a bong, and they can extend the lifespan of your bong. If you’ve managed to find the best type of bong, been using it the right way, cleaning it after every use, and storing your bong properly, then your bong will serve you for a few years, and you’ll be more than satisfied with its condition over time for sure.

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