The upkeep and maintenance of weed paraphernalia from your wholesale head shop depends on who you are as an individual, largely influenced by your personal hygiene and grooming habits. You may only clean your custom bong every couple of weeks or more often if the water gets smelling funky. If you look upon changing bong water as a chore, you may be in for some bad news.

You don’t have to be OCD about this, but cleaning your bongs and pipes is essential. Keep this in mind: these are smoking implements responsible for filtering elements that are ingested in your body, and bettering or ruining your experience. Regarding bong water, some people insist that switching out the water daily is what you should get in the habit of doing, even if it seems excessive.

Dirty bong water could result in lung infections, particularly if you use the bong regularly. This water can quickly grow biofilm, which is rife with bacteria, yeast, and numerous other little creatures only visible with a microscope. Then there’s this: If your customized bong tips over and some of the water spills onto any fabric, it’s almost impossible to get rid of the smell. Don’t go there.

For those who enjoy marijuana casually — those can go days or weeks without using a bong — it’s crucial to empty out your rig after every use and to scrub it with boiled water. If you’re not going to use it again anytime soon, let it dry fully before storing it away in a safe, warm place where there are limited chances of developing mildew.

If you use your bong every day, that’s awesome, but we recommend changing out the water every 24 hours, unless you’re going through more than a quarter ounce daily. It’s also important to wash your custom bong every two weeks with alcohol and salt to avoid resin buildup and remove other crap that won’t fade away with soap and hot water.

But we get it. You’re not the kind of person who pays attention and won’t necessarily know when you should give it a fast rinse. Here’s the money shot: Avoid water that’s dim, contains resin, appears moldy, or smells bad. If any of those things happen, you’re most likely in for a gross hit. Eww.

What Does Fresh Bong Water Do?

The most important function of the water in your customized bong is it works as a filter. When we burn cannabis, we alter the chemical composition of the plant, converting THCA (a non-intoxicating acid) into THC, the cannabinoid that provides a refreshing high. But the act of burning also results in hundreds of secondary potentially carcinogenic and toxic compounds which can be grouped together under the umbrella category of “tar”.

Top Reasons to Regularly Change Your Bong Water

Up until now, we’ve danced around the specific reasons why you should regularly change bong water. Besides the fact that dirty water is gross and could make you or someone else puke your guts out, here are real reasons to change bong water:

• Better filtration: If you use a bong but let the water sit, the irritants and toxins congeal, invisible at first. That detritus increases with each use, and the fluid physics lowers its ability to filter.
• Smoother taste: The dirty and stale water is a cesspool of carbon ash and tars. They’ll change the flavor and cannabinoid influences of the cannabis strain that you spent good money purchasing.
• Increased bong longevity: Dirty water clogs pipes, percolators, and other components. The bong’s a mechanical device that can be victimized by wear and tear, but fresh water ensures longer life over many uses.
• Conserving your stash: You will burn less dry herb assuming the bong water is fresh. With clean water and a clean custom bong, you’ll not use as much of the “fuel” cannabis to achieve the desired effect. It remains an efficient way to consume cannabis.
• Fewer health risks: Dirty bong water is a wild west breeding ground of potentially dangerous bacteria and mold. Dirty water is a clear sign that you’re not taking your cleaning chores seriously. Basically, your bong becomes a veritable petri dish for asthma, bronchitis, lung congestion, pneumonia, and other conditions. Other potential nasty conditions include Aspergillus, Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli, Flavobacterium, Giardia lamblia, Hepatitis A, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus.
• Authentic scent: Bad water has an odor all its own, and it’s not pleasant. It’s nature’s way of telling you to stay back. Because aroma is critical to your cannabis experience, you’ll want a clean water experience, too. Cannabis veterans always choose strains that are pleasing in smell and taste. Changing that aroma is a big disappointment for anyone who spends cash at a wholesale head shop.
• Just a better overall experience: Fresh bong water means you can share your bong, without anyone getting grossed out.
• Avoid Mold: The warm, wet insides of a bong left sitting in water are an invitation for fungi and mold. More frequent use without regular cleaning means the bong water is at risk of the growth of pathogens. Any sign of mold is a signal you've been gulping polluted air.
• Eliminate Resin: Just scrape it out and get it over with. Resin can be dangerous. It’s loaded with carbon and mold.

Finally, clean your bong water to prevent biofilm. Unless you use fresh bong water regularly, a biofilm will cover up all surfaces. Such a cloudy film is proof of contamination and contributes to more pollution as it offers a surface to which parasites and germs can attach and flourish on.