When was the last time you set about cleaning your hookah? If you can't remember, it's probably already been too long. If you don't regularly clean your hookah, odds are every time you want to try out a new flavor of shisha, it all ends up tasting the same. Or maybe you've been excited to try a unique apple flavor with your friends, but you can't get the taste of mint out of your mouth from the session you had three weeks ago. The best way to keep your hookah in peak condition for maximum enjoyment is to regularly clean and maintain it. Understanding how to clean a hookah can increase the quality of your sessions and improve your knowledge of how it works. In this article, we'll go over the best way to clean a hookah part by part and discuss some of the best tools for the job.
Free Smoke Vape & Smoke Shop recommends you perform this thorough cleaning at least once per month, but you can do a more basic cleaning after every session.
The Benefit of Keeping Your Hookah Clean
It's common for hookah smokers to constantly look for ways to improve the quality of their smoking sessions. The single best thing you can do for your hookah to make every session consistent is to engage in cleaning your hookah regularly. When your hookah is spotless, you'll receive pure flavor from your shisha rather than unwanted outside aromas or tastes from past sessions. There are also health benefits from learning how to clean your hookah. With a clean stem, base and hose, you won't be breathing in "dirty" smoke contaminated from mold, used-up water or rust particles.
What You'll Need to Clean Your Hookah
Before you start your thorough hookah maintenance, you'll first need to collect some cleaning supplies. Hookah cleaning brushes are easy to find at most smoke shops or online and are designed specifically for the dimensions of a hookah. Usually, you can purchase a pack of brushes that include different sizes for the specific parts of your hookah.
You can also purchase hookah cleaning solutions specially formulated to break up the buildup of old shisha present in an unkempt hookah. These cleaners are gentle and won't leave a harmful residue that can cause damage to your lungs after a cleaning. If you don't want to purchase a specific cleaner, you can also use lemon juice as a natural cleaning agent to good effect.
However, we at Free Smoke Vape & Smoke Shop recommend simply using hot water. Hot water works excellent to dislodge the sticky buildup of shisha that can form in the stem and base. Combined with hookah cleaning brushes, it's by far one of the best ways to clean a hookah without having to make further purchases. However, we must note that when you use hot water, you have to stick with using it throughout your entire cleaning session. If you switch from hot water to cold suddenly, you can easily crack the glass of your hookah because of the abrupt temperature shift. If you use hot water, use only hot water.
How to Clean the Different Sections of Your Hookah
The first big step in learning how to clean hookah is disassembly. Believe it or not, a person will often purchase a hookah and never take it apart. However, disassembling your hookah for maintenance can help you understand how each piece goes together and how the different parts work. This aids with cleaning your hookah and can help you troubleshoot any problems you may have in the future.
How to Clean A Hookah Stem
The hookah stem is the part of your hookah that descends from the bowl to the base. To clean a hookah stem, you can start by running hot water through it for at least a full minute. Typically, a pack of hookah cleaning brushes will contain a specific hookah pipe cleaner. Wet your cleaner and then push it into an open end of the stem, working it back and forth at 6-10 inches of the stem at a time until the entire length of the pipe is thoroughly cleaned. If the stem happens to be longer than the brush, you can repeat this method on the opposite opening of the pipe to ensure you get the whole thing. Run more hot water through the entire stem and repeat this process once more for an excellent deep clean of your hookah stem.
If you happen to look into your stem after your thorough scrubbing and still see remnants of accumulated shisha juice, it may be time to replace your hookah pipe cleaner. After some time and many vigorous cleanings, hookah cleaning brushes can become dirty themselves, and the bristles can become less effective.
How to Clean A Hookah Hose
The hookah hose is the part from which you inhale smoke. When understanding how to clean a hookah hose, please note that hoses are not all the same. In fact, most hookah hoses are not washable. You should never run water through a hookah hose or use a hookah cleaning brush as most hoses contain a metal coil inside, which is vulnerable to damage, corrosion and rust. To clean your hose, you can hang it in a cool, dry area after each session to let it air out as much as possible.
Some hookah hoses are advertised as being washable, but really all you can do is rinse it out with hot water before hanging it to dry. These are typically lined with plastic to protect the parts of the hookah hose that can corrode. You should never put these hoses in a dishwasher or clothing washer. The exterior of washable hoses is not designed to withstand these rough conditions – only the plastic interior is made to handle any moisture.
How to Clean A Hookah Base
The hookah base is the part of your hookah which is filled with water. This part of your hookah can become the dirtiest, especially if you let old water sit in the base for too long – the water vapor may cause mold to build up around the water lines. To clean your hookah base, simply use a vase brush and hot water to scrub the base as clean as you can get it. Ensure that you scrub every crevice of the hookah base with your brush and that there are no lingering substances left within. It's also best to swirl hot water around the base to loosen up the tough-to-reach particles. Once you finish, you can leave it out to air dry.
The base is where most people use a hookah cleaning solution or lemon juice mixed with hot water that leaves only a mild taste that is hardly noticeable when you pack in a flavorful bowl of shisha. It is possible to clean this part of your hookah with dishwashing soap, but most people tend to stray away from this method because of the strong, distinctive taste it can leave behind if not rinsed thoroughly enough.
How to Clean A Hookah Bowl
It's best to clean your hookah bowl after every session to ensure any leftover shisha won't affect the taste of a new flavor. You can do this by giving it a good rinse and letting it air dry. Learning how to clean your hookah bowl more thoroughly is simple. You can gently scrub the bowl with a hookah cleaning brush to avoid ruining the glaze or finish of your bowl. You can also scrub the inside of the main shaft, as this part typically collects the bulk of the shisha juices.
How to Clean Your Additional Parts
There is more to cleaning hookah than just the main parts. Hookahs come with many small and intricate parts that allow you to attach the bigger ones. These include:
- Rubber Grommets & Adapters: These pieces help keep your hookah sealed together and allow the smoke to flow – making them critical for the quality of your hookah session. To clean these pieces, simply soak them in hot water or mild soap to wash. Then give them a rinse and allow them to dry before reassembling completely. You can also use a hookah cleaning brush for more thorough cleaning.
- Purge Valve: The purge valve is an exit-only valve that can be used to clear any smoke trapped in the hookah base. In hookah maintenance, the purge valve is where the most buildup can occur and is the most challenging to clean. Disassemble this piece completely using a brush to remove any oxidation or rust.
Shop Free Smoke Vape & Smoke Shop For Hookahs & Hookah Accessories
Now that you understand how to clean a hookah, you're ready to start enjoying quality sessions full of robust flavors and thick, clean smoke. If you started cleaning your hookah and have realized a hookah part is far beyond cleaning and needs a replacement, visit Free Smoke Vape & Smoke Shop today. We carry the best in premium hookahs, replacement parts, accessories and high-grade shisha for maximum enjoyment. If you have any questions about our hookah products, feel free to check out our blog.
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