Dear Mother,

Since my own mom was always the one keeping our house super clean, I'm hoping you might have some tips to help me out. I use my pipe until it's pretty junked up and then it's hell to clean. Do you have any suggestions for cleaning glass pieces so it's like smoking out of them for the first time?

— Definitely Dirty  

 

Dear Dirty Boy,

First of all, in my house, it is well known that cleaning is NOT only Mother's job. Everyone pitches in. So, before we delve into the nitty gritty of cleaning out anything: get off your butt, give your mom a call, and thank her for allowing you to grow up in a clean household while you clearly did not lift a finger.

Now, let's get down to business. Clean pieces are essential. As you use your glass pieces over and over and over again, they will get clogged up with resin. This results in two thing: a poor smoking experience (you can't really enjoy the subtleties of your cannabis if you're smoking it through layers of marijuana past, plus it can be harsh on your throat), and a hard time cleaning it. Thankfully, Mother is here with some tried and true cleaning methods.

While there are different types of cleaning supplies and potions out there, my favorite method is quick, easy, and super affordable. In fact, you might just even have what you need already in your kitchen.

I would use a kitchen sink versus a bathroom sink, only because a metal sink is easier to clean afterwards than a porcelain one. If your kitchen sink is some new fangled chi-chi kind, then you're just going to have to give it a little extra elbow grease afterward. Here's what to do:

  1. Run some hot tap water through your piece to start loosening up the gunked up resin. Then carefully shake all the water out.
  2. Take some baking soda and spoon it into the bowl of your piece.
  3. Very slowly, add a little bit of hot water to the bowl. You don't want to overfill and lose all your baking soda. Instead, aim to try and push the baking soda into the stem.
  4. Before the water runs all the way out the mouthpiece, pick up your piece, plug up all holes with your fingers/hand and carefully shake it up. Baking soda is a mild abrasive so it will help cut through the sticky resin left behind without ruining your glass. It also won't leave behind any residue, strong odor or taste. I've heard some folks like to use sea salt, which is definitely an option, but I find that baking soda works better.
  5. Rinse thoroughly with clean, hot water.

**You may need to repeat steps 3-5 a few times depending on how long you've gone between cleanings.

I have seen this method take completely dull-looking, clogged up, stained pieces and bring them back to looking like they just came off of the store shelf. So make sure to stock up on some extra baking soda the next time you're at the store! As an added bonus, baking soda works great to shine up counters and wipe down bathrooms. Because, unless you're still living with your mama dear letter writer, you better be cleaning up after yourself!

-Mother