Keep Your Silicone Pipe Clean without Damaging it
Most people associate silicone with handy kitchen cooking tools, but this efficient material also makes for other great products, such as a tool for smoking.
Chillums, pipes, bongs, silicone nectar collectors, and a bunch of dab related products can all be crafted from silicone.
Smoking out of Silicone?
Silicone pipes have become a very popular way to enjoy smoking on the go.
If you are clumsy or just want to give it a whirl, silicone pipes are safe to smoke, and the non-stick surface it provides makes it less likely to break than glass, ceramic, and other fragile materials.
Silicone is also less likely to absorb and retain oils and residue leftover from smoke sessions, making it comparatively easier to clean vs a glass chillum pipe.
Different Methods to Clean Your Silicone Pipe
There are a few different methods for cleaning your silicone pipe, allowing you to experiment and choose the one that works best for you.
In this guide, we'll cover a few ways to get it done right:
- Dishwashing Soap and Water Method
- Putting the Silicone Pipe in the Dishwasher
- Freezing the Silicone Pipe
- What NOT to use to clean your the silicone pipe.
These are all effective, don’t take much effort, and provide you with a squeaky clean silicone pipe, that feels and smokes like the first day you brought it home.
The Dishwashing Soap and Water Method
Many cleaning methods for smoking accessories involve a simple water and soap application to get the basic work done, and silicone pipes are no exception.
However, cleaning silicone with liquid soap really does an incredible job when it comes to getting out the nasty, sticky stuff.
Make sure to choose a mild liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Dawn or Palmolive.
Here's our method how to clean silicone pipes:
- Mix one cup of really hot water with three drops of dishwashing detergent.
- Add two teaspoons of white or apple cider vinegar and mix well together.
- Place your silicone chillum pipe inside a Ziplock baggie or other storage container that can withstand the heat of the hot water. Baggies made for freezer storage work better than thin ones.
- Pour the cleaning solution in the container, making sure to use enough to cover the entire silicone pipe and any glass components.
- Seal the baggie or container and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how long it’s been since your last cleaning.
- Use cotton swabs or pipe cleaners to clean off any remaining bits of residue, including inside the silicone pipe and the glass or metal bowl piece.
- Rinse the entire pipe thoroughly with warm water and let it fully dry.
Can't wait to take a fresh hit?
Dry the exterior of the silicone pipe with paper towels and give a full out-breath through the pipe to blast out any remaining water.
If you want to, you could run a clean, dry cotton swab, or pipe cleaner through the interior parts to dry them, but we don't think it's necessary.
The Dishwasher Method
Using a dishwasher to clean your silicone pipe provides a real time-saving method.
This method works best if you have a dishwasher that works well, instead of an old clunker, but if you're pipe is super resinated, it might not be too smart.
- Ensure your dishwasher is completely empty.
- Place your pipe on a shelf and make sure to anchor it so it doesn’t bounce around in the dishwasher.
- Use something to hold the silicone pipe down, such as a zip tie, or put it in the basket that holds forks and knives.
- Add a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent and turn it on.
Once the cycle is complete, you'll be surprised at how clean it gets with literally zero effort!
The Freezer Method
This method works best when you have a truly nasty pipe that has either seen a lot of use or rarely gets cleaned.
Clean Your Silicone Pipe by Freezing It
- Rinse the pipe inside and out with water, and place it in the freezer without drying it off.
- Let it chill out there for a 3-4 hours, then remove it.
- Manipulate the pipe by squeezing and bending its shape to loosen the frozen resin. This will allow the residue to crack and break away.
- When you have enough resinated icee removed, rinse it out.
This method may take longer than others but can pay off for stubborn pipes.
Can I Use Isopropyl Alcohol and Salt?
For many pipes, bongs, dab rigs, nectar collectors, and other smoking accessories, the go-to cleaning method involves isopropyl alcohol and salt.
While that’s typically a great solution for cleaning a glass chillum or pipe, it doesn’t work for products made from silicone.
Cleaning agents such as isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and products with oil in them can damage the silicone.
They can cause the silicone to swell, and make your pipe bend out of shape, rendering it damaged or useless.
Just please don't do it, k?
Smoke Shop Cleaners May Damage Silicone Pipes
These can be expensive, especially compared to the thriftiness of using inexpensive products you probably already have at home to clean your pipe.
In addition, some of the bottled cleaners being sold don’t mention that they aren’t safe to use on all types of materials.
Many are solely meant for glass smoking accessories, and using them on silicone can cause damage, and even ruin your favorite pipe.
Cleaning products with strong chemicals usually wash away when rinsing out a glass or ceramic pipe, but this is not the case with silicone.
Silicone contains tiny air pockets that absorb the chemicals and result in degrading the material.
To us, it's just not worth the risk of ruining another silicone pipe.
Cleaned, Packed, and Ready to Light
Now you’ve got some solid and simple choices for cleaning your silicone pipe.
Find what works for you and make sure to get in a habit of regular cleanings, to enjoy the best smoke sessions.
When you have a silicone pipe that is clean, it really allows you to continue a mission of trying to enjoy life, every day.