If your pipe has wooden parts to it, avoid getting the wood wet as it can swell, warp, and split if exposed to too much water. Use caution with hot objects to avoid accidental burns. As the parts heat up, the resin will liquify and can be gently wiped away. If your piece includes ceramic or titanium pieces, besides using the cleaning solutions like Formula 710 on these parts, you can also try heating them up to remove the stuck-on resin. Make sure all parts (most importantly the bowl piece) are rinsed thoroughly before using again, as cleaning solution stuck in the middle of your perc can greatly affect flavor. The best way to clean percolators is to fill the bottom of the water pipe with the cleaning solution, shake it vigorously, cover the top with your hand or use Res Caps and flip it upside-down so all of the solution drips through, and then shake vigorously again until all of the solution has come through to the top. If your water pipe includes percolators, getting a cleaning solution to reach every part may be tricky. Then, let it dry completely before your next smoking session. After the residue has loosened, simply rinse your piece with water until all of the cleaning solution has been removed. Your glass may get slippery while cleaning as well, so you can put a mat or a soft plastic tub in the sink to prevent breakage if you accidentally drop it. Some of the solution may slosh out during cleaning, so it’s best to clean over a sink or somewhere else that you don’t mind spills.

If your pipe has a downstem or other removable parts, make sure to separate those into a small plastic bag with cleaning solution before cleaning the rest of the pipe. You can let it soak for awhile depending on how much residue is on your glass, or you can get right to swishing.

Use a 2:1 alcohol to salt ratio to create a gritty enough solution to scrape the residue off of the glass. You can try the tried and true water pipe cleaner and bong cleaner like Formula 420 cleaner, or you can use a simple isopropyl alcohol and salt solution if you happen to have those ingredients lying around the house. To deep clean the really stuck-on gunk on the inside of your pipe, you’re going to need an abrasive cleaning solution.

Cleaning a water pipe can be intimidating at first, so here are a few tips from the experts on how to properly clean your glass. Not only do you want to preserve the aesthetics of your piece, but a clean pipe always produces the purest flavor for each and every session. You’ve most likely dropped a big chunk of change on the perfect water pipe, so you’ll probably want to keep it looking amazing for more than just the very first session. One of the most important aspects of owning a rad piece of glass is keeping it clean and pristine.

How to properly clean out a glass pipe