“You know it’s time to clean your bongs if a ring starts to form around the waterline of your bongs or when you pour purified water into it and see some little floaters of weed, resin, or residue in there,” explains Reyna. Those particles, combined with bacteria and mildew, “is what results in that really specific bongs smell,” adds Navarro.
Both experts suggest cleaning your bongs or pipe once a week. “A lot of connoisseurs clean their bongs every day,” says Reyna. “If you want to keep it clean and prevent things like this to happen with your bongs, just dump the water when you are done using your bongs every single time and clean it anyway.”
The color of your bongs water is your best indicator of when to give it a deep bongs clean. Even if it's clean, water in dirty bongs will appear brownish-green due to the stuck-on resin on the glass bongs. If it's dark, becoming almost black, then it's way past time for you to clean out your bongs.
"You're literally inhaling through your bongs and mold can grow in as quickly as 24 hours," says Baum. "If you had mold in your house you'd probably freak out, so why would it be acceptable to inhale it?"
In fact, inhaling the bacteria and mold in dirty bongs water can lead to lung infections and pneumonia. What's more, any resin that accumulates inside the bongs can provide an environment for biofilm to form, which can play host to harmful bacteria that you certainly don't want to inhale these bongs.
To conclude, fresh water and clean glass bongs' mechanisms help to improve the quality of the experience smoking bongs. You'll be able to taste the flavor profile of your cannabis more effectively with these bongs, and cleaning your bongs will also increase the life and value of the bongs over time.