Cleaning Advice

[shesmokes]

Hey all, I'm just wondering if anyone has a preferred method for cleaning their hookahs and all the various components (metal, base, hose, bowls etc).

I've heard and tried lemon juice, dish soap, baking soda. My next effort is with vinegar.

Just wondering if anyone has any cleaning tips they'd like to share.

[dizzbizz]

I use scolding hot water and dish soap. Vinegar for my hoses, also with hot water.

[ezxen]

[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1290688062' post='489454']
I use scolding hot water and dish soap. [s]Vinegar[/s] for my hoses, also with hot water.
[/quote]
[color="#808000"]This ^[/color]

[noodle]

[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1290688062' post='489454']
I use scolding hot water and dish soap. Vinegar for my hoses, also with hot water.
[/quote]

So if I nag my hookah, it'll get clean?

[jorlyfish]

I use lemon juice and baking soda for the base. I haven't cleaned my hose yet now that I think of it... Still pretty new though.

[mustang67n]

Same as above.. hot water + soap. I don't have a washable hose so I just blow through it.


question though. I have an old hookah I acquired but it sat with water in it for a while and now has a little bit of mold in the base. I would like to get rid of the mold.. anyone know a chemical/ cleaning agent that can easily break down the mold? '
I'm not going to smoke the hookah, just want it clean to use it as decoration and maybe down the line see if i can get any money out of it.

[jorlyfish]

[quote name='mustang67n' timestamp='1290742600' post='489496']
Same as above.. hot water + soap. I don't have a washable hose so I just blow through it.


question though. I have an old hookah I acquired but it sat with water in it for a while and now has a little bit of mold in the base. I would like to get rid of the mold.. anyone know a chemical/ cleaning agent that can easily break down the mold? '
I'm not going to smoke the hookah, just want it clean to use it as decoration and maybe down the line see if i can get any money out of it.
[/quote]

I had something growing at one point in my hookah. Only thing that got it out was a brush... I don't think the cleaning solution would matter much though.

[mustang67n]

yeah.. thats what I figured.. time to get a good long brush ... maybe somethin with a flexible handle so I can hit ever side

[Reynart]

[quote name='mustang67n' timestamp='1290905659' post='489618']
yeah.. thats what I figured.. time to get a good long brush ... maybe somethin with a flexible handle so I can hit ever side
[/quote]

Vinegar can kill mold. Also direct sunlight prevents mold and in some cases can aid in killing it, so while you let the base dry after cleaning make sure its in sunlight. But yea, even if you kill it, properly scrubbing it would be best. Just hit up Walmart for some cheap cleaning brushes.

[otherleweb]

hi,there,new here,and I'd like help u bit.
why not trying to searching some cleaning product,like some surfactant(NO touching yr eyes,skin)

thks
webby:lamsey_woot3:

[magick777]

[quote name='noodle' timestamp='1290712019' post='489472']
[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1290688062' post='489454']
I use scolding hot water and dish soap. Vinegar for my hoses, also with hot water.
[/quote]
So if I nag my hookah, it'll get clean?
[/quote]


LOL... nice to know I'm not the only pedant around here... beat me to it! :-)

Personally, I use nothing but plain, cold water. Oh, and a brush. Bowls sometimes go through the dishwasher at 70 degrees. Ghosting is (subjectively) very slight, not noticeable at all once I have the new flavour up and running. I wouldn't let washing up liquid anywhere near my pipes... now *that* is a smell / taste you really can't get rid of. So the basis of my (subjective) advice is "do less and put up with it", I don't find it causes me a problem. If I *had* to use something stronger than plain, cold water, it would likely be winemakers' cleaner/steriliser on the vase and stem, Wouldn't run it through hoses though.

[Stuie]

Stems & Bases & Trays - Hot Water & Dawn & Stem brush.
Hoses - Hot Water & Lemon Juice
Bowls - Boil them once a month wipe clean with sponge

[Coyote]

This might be helpful for the base. Its delicate to it won't scratch but powerful enough for a good scrub (if you have nasty mold in it, gross): [url="http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524892571831&pfx=pfx_shopcompare&cid=shopping3&mr:trackingCode=0639F032-DCCE-DE11-974B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA"]http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524892571831&pfx=pfx_shopcompare&cid=shopping3&mr:trackingCode=0639F032-DCCE-DE11-974B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA[/url]

[NUBBS]

After every smoke I clean the shank and tray with hot water. Then the bowl with hot water and a scotchbrite pad. The jar is typically glass and I know most places that clean glass that fluctuates temperature (coffee pots) use ice water, so I just use cold tap water a couple time.

Then once a month, I use vinegar in everything. Let it sit in the jar a little while, then scrub it with I brush. (I also use vinegar on a papper towel to get water spots off my truck windows, so I know it works) same goes for the stem. Then I use the hose like a big straw and put vinegar in it, about half or less of the hose so you can swish it around. Then the handle opening is just the right size to put the kitchen hose spigot in, and rinse it out real well, then hang dry.

[ndc]

I had mold in a vase that re-appeared after brush cleaning the first time, so I killed it with bleach and lacquer thinner.

[noodle]

[quote name='ndc' timestamp='1299387331' post='500419']
I had mold in a vase that re-appeared after brush cleaning the first time, so I killed it with bleach and lacquer thinner.
[/quote]

Using laquer thinner to get rid of mold seems rather harsh. Bleach should be enough.

[drozdoff]

[quote name='Stuie' timestamp='1294883418' post='494215']
Stems & Bases & Trays - Hot Water & Dawn & Stem brush.
Hoses - Hot Water & Lemon Juice
[/quote]

How often?

[MichaelLCP]

I wash my hookah after every use. Soap and hot water. Hoses I wash every month or so... Once again. With hot water.

[method]

[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1303663614' post='506740']
I wash my hookah after every use. Soap and hot water. Hoses I wash every month or so... Once again. With hot water.
[/quote]

in my opinion soap is a bad idea , especially if ur hookah isnt one piece ... i can understand using soap once every few months , but for every use , ull probobly have remainings of it somewhere - just check the bubbles in ur vase when u smoke ;-)

[cotsi95]

[quote name='method' timestamp='1303816738' post='506871']
[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1303663614' post='506740']
I wash my hookah after every use. Soap and hot water. Hoses I wash every month or so... Once again. With hot water.
[/quote]

in my opinion soap is a bad idea , especially if ur hookah isnt one piece ... i can understand using soap once every few months , but for every use , ull probobly have remainings of it somewhere - just check the bubbles in ur vase when u smoke ;-)
[/quote]

Were not putting soap in there and leaving it lol. You use hot water and rinse it a few times. You dont get any soap residue.

[MichaelLCP]

[quote name='cotsi95' timestamp='1303851039' post='506910']
[quote name='method' timestamp='1303816738' post='506871']
[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1303663614' post='506740']
I wash my hookah after every use. Soap and hot water. Hoses I wash every month or so... Once again. With hot water.
[/quote]

in my opinion soap is a bad idea , especially if ur hookah isnt one piece ... i can understand using soap once every few months , but for every use , ull probobly have remainings of it somewhere - just check the bubbles in ur vase when u smoke ;-)
[/quote]

Were not putting soap in there and leaving it lol. You use hot water and rinse it a few times. You dont get any soap residue.



[/quote]

Yeah I scrub everything with soap and rinse everything. I don't let anything sit. I like my hookah clean when I smoke it. Is that weird?

[method]

[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1303859291' post='506931']
[quote name='cotsi95' timestamp='1303851039' post='506910']
[quote name='method' timestamp='1303816738' post='506871']
[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1303663614' post='506740']
I wash my hookah after every use. Soap and hot water. Hoses I wash every month or so... Once again. With hot water.
[/quote]

in my opinion soap is a bad idea , especially if ur hookah isnt one piece ... i can understand using soap once every few months , but for every use , ull probobly have remainings of it somewhere - just check the bubbles in ur vase when u smoke ;-)
[/quote]

Were not putting soap in there and leaving it lol. You use hot water and rinse it a few times. You dont get any soap residue.



[/quote]

Yeah I scrub everything with soap and rinse everything. I don't let anything sit. I like my hookah clean when I smoke it. Is that weird?
[/quote]

cotsi - of course ur washing it out , i didnt mean anything else .

MichaelLC - its not weird , i just dont think its necessary to use soap each time , plus theres more chance ull have some tiny bit of remainings which will show up on the next smoke , and trust me , its disgusting :-)

[method]

all in all , my advice is not to use soap after each smoking session .


based on experience and (my) logic .


good day [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/drinks.gif[/img]

[Jesse]

DO NOT use scalding hot water in the base. I made a newbie mistake and it cracked a vase. Had to glue the cracks to get it to leak. May even have to put lacquer on mine as it still has a tiny bit of water still leaking.

[MichaelLCP]

[quote name='Jesse' timestamp='1303942406' post='507077']
DO NOT use scalding hot water in the base. I made a newbie mistake and it cracked a vase. Had to glue the cracks to get it to leak. May even have to put lacquer on mine as it still has a tiny bit of water still leaking.
[/quote]

You can use hot water. Just make sure your vase isn't cold. Sudden rapid heat change is what causes cracking. Like when people crack there windshields. They try to get the ice off using scalding water. Not a good idea.