Just Got My Hookah For My Bday And Have A Lot Of Questions

[ctsmo]

just turned 18 and my parents got me a hookah from spain. i bought al ajamy double apple as my first flavor. i cleaned my house with water by putting water from one end and then putting my thumb on both ends and swishing the water in the hose. disgusting stuff came out and i let it dry for about 4-5 hrs till i started. i was wondering if i cleaned the hose incorrectly and what how should i clean it as i just did the water thing again and blew out and still nasty stuff is coming out and the water is still brown? also how should i clean everything else?

thanks Edited March 28, 2007 by ctsmo

[zachslusser]

the problem more than likely like 95% that the hose isnt washable. In which case ...DONT USE IT !!! i know it sucks but it would be safer to wait and get a new hose first. make sure to get a washable one or just dont wash them

[Gaara]

Just get a brush and clean everything (especially the stem).

As for the hose, do what do with you do with the water and thumb except a couple of times. I keep doing it until clear water comes out of it. Then I blow into the hose so that it's completely water free. Edited March 28, 2007 by Gaara

[BravoKilo]

Take a look at Step 11 here...
http://www.hookahkings.com/hookah_setup.htm

It's the way that I clean my hoses and it works great. Amazed at some of the nastiness that comes out if you go a few sessions w/o cleaning (at least w/ my hoses)

[aldonb1]

yep what gaara said, then just make sure you hang dry it... get all that water out.... rusting hose coils = bad

[ctsmo]

yep what gaara said, then just make sure you hang dry it... get all that water out.... rusting hose coils = bad

how do i know if my hose is rusted? the hose is pretty short so if i go to a store will it be easy to find a replacement? cause i rather just buy a new hose if i can. will it be safe do use that hose again? Edited March 28, 2007 by ctsmo

[aldonb1]

im pretty sure its safe to use again. a lot of ppl seem to exaggerate it. but if u start tasting metal or anything like that... haha i'd just toss it.

[Gaara]

yep what gaara said, then just make sure you hang dry it... get all that water out.... rusting hose coils = bad

how do i know if my hose is rusted? the hose is pretty short so if i go to a store will it be easy to find a replacement? cause i rather just buy a new hose if i can. will it be safe do use that hose again?

Put a light and look through it. Most of the time though, it can look regular and fuck up the flavor. Just wash it down with water until clear water comes out of it IMO. Maybe someone with more experience can help you.

[ctsmo]

i washed it down with water then brown water started coming out like 1 hr later. if i use a rusted hose is that bad for my health or does that just mess with the flavor.

[Gaara]

i washed it down with water then brown water started coming out like 1 hr later. if i use a rusted hose is that bad for my health or does that just mess with the flavor.

Most likely mess up the flavor. Don't think it'll have much effects on health unless it's really rusted.

[ctsmo]

just looked at my hose with a bright light and saw wood shavings blocking half of the hose. so should for certain now go out and buy a new hose. do washable ones cost more? also if i buy a non washable one how am i supposed to clean it?
appreciate all the help

[cafesaden]

seriously just go to home depot/lowes/any hardware store and pick up 20 feet of clear vinyl tubing. 3/8 is the correct size. slap the grommet that went to the hose you have now and call it a day. rust free, completely washable, easy to clean, and about 3-4 bucks for 20 feet of it.

or you can buy a MYA washable hose, use it for 6 months then dissect it and realize that it isn't really washable. and smoking out of a hose that is rusted is not good for your health because most likely the rust on the coils is surface rust and isn't hard to inhale particles.

[The fabulous Ian]

When I clean my hose, the standard MYA that came with my QT, I get a mix of hot soapy water and bleach (1 capfull of bleach to a gallon of water is more than enough. It's what we use in restaurants to clean contaminated cutting boards.) and do what you're doing with it.. Once the initial soap goes through I do the same trick with clean water until it runs clear. Blow through it to get mose of the water out and then hang it dry. I just loop mine once over the refrigerator door handle with paper-towels underneath. I've done it that way for months., and I haven't seen any sign of rust or buildup.

[hookahmike]

+1 on the clear vinyl hose, or if you're up to it, look for TYGON (R-1000 or R-3603 Best vinyl tubing you can get. Get in 3/8 ID 1/2" OD tubing.
Here is an example (the black stuff is stiff so ignore it)

seriously just go to home depot/lowes/any hardware store and pick up 20 feet of clear vinyl tubing. 3/8 is the correct size. slap the grommet that went to the hose you have now and call it a day. rust free, completely washable, easy to clean, and about 3-4 bucks for 20 feet of it.

or you can buy a MYA washable hose, use it for 6 months then dissect it and realize that it isn't really washable. and smoking out of a hose that is rusted is not good for your health because most likely the rust on the coils is surface rust and isn't hard to inhale particles.

[Allia22]

D

I know we're not to mention this but I took my Hookah to a friend's house and they smoked out of it. Completely messed up my Hookah for a short while. I had to clean everything. Just get a brush and clean everything (especially the stem).

As for the hose, do what do with you do with the water and thumb except a couple of times. I keep doing it until clear water comes out of it. Then I blow into the hose so that it's completely water free.

I find it's better to not cover the ends with your thumbs, it keeps the water from moving freely. Just fill your sink with water, use it as a long-ass straw (be careful you don't suck up too much, that's NASTY stuff) and lift one end of the hose up, then the other to let it swish around for a while. I do that for about 3 minutes, dump it out, do it again for another minute until what you dump out is clear, then I let it hang on the shower rod for about a week (yay having 2 hoses ) Edited March 28, 2007 by ghostofdavid

[ctsmo]

so if i buy a non washable one will i have to toss it after i clean it with water? about the clear tubing thing how do i smoke out of that. will i have to take the heads off my current hose and attach them on the clear tubing?

[kornkitten42]

for the tubing, i took my mya hose cut of the handles (it's a pain int he BUTT!) got all the metal and leather/vinyl wrap and all the plastic crap out of the wooden handles, and then put the new tubing in. and whala!

[Allia22]

for the tubing, i took my mya hose cut of the handles (it's a pain int he BUTT!) got all the metal and leather/vinyl wrap and all the plastic crap out of the wooden handles, and then put the new tubing in. and whala!

Hot glue holds this stuff together well? I used it in an emergency when my platforms fell off my boots at a convention; didn't hold for 5 minutes

[cypherkk]

Non-washable hoses: Don't wash them, pretty much ever. Use them irregularly for a couple of months then you will probably toss them Some of the nicer non-washables allow the stem and/or handle to come off of the hose to clean them... but don't wash the hose. Most people recommend one hose per flavor of non-washables, so as not to distort flavors.

washable hoses: For more regular use. Clean after each session, run water through it till water exiting is clear, then blow remaining water out, hang till drip dries. I recommend at least 2 washable hoses to use while the other is cleaning.

[cafesaden]

so if i buy a non washable one will i have to toss it after i clean it with water? about the clear tubing thing how do i smoke out of that. will i have to take the heads off my current hose and attach them on the clear tubing?

personally, I did not put any endings on my tubing. I just left it like it came, and cut it up into (2)10 foot hoses. Grab a buddy and stretch it hard for like 2 minutes to get it straight. Take the rubber grommet that came with your hookah for your "non-washable" hose and put it on one end of the tubing. It should fit just fine, maybe use a little electrical tape or other tape to make it a tighter fit. Personally, I don't see the need to put handles on it, but if you want to go through the trouble..

[ctsmo]

how do i smoke out of it if there is no head attached to the tubing? by any chance do you have any pics so that i can see how the completed hose looks like?

[Kingsofronin]

im pretty sure you can just suck out of the tube...

[unleashtheclown]

I have the khalil "tundura" hoses from hookahcompany. The ends on these hoses come off, so You can use them on the vinyl tubing or use the regular khalil hose. Its really easy to do, the most modification You would need is possibly some duct tape to get a tight seal.

[speel]

..... and throw the aljamy out and get something better

[ctsmo]

what brand should i get i just got what the guy gave me. i asked him for double apple and thats what he gave me. i was first going to get 5 star but then i remembered reading on here that not every batch tastes good. i dont know the coal that i got sucked. didnt last for more than 20 minutes and just broke. my bowl is pretty small so it didnt matter as the shisha was pretty much done.