Dope Spring Cleaning

‘Tis the season to freshen up your cannabis equipment.

Back in the day, cleaning your weed gear meant soaking a pipe or two, maybe a bong. But these days, the average cannabis consumer has multiple devices in their life. Spring-cleaning your weed tools might seem like a cliché, but I know that when the sun comes back I’ll see just how gross and in need of a scrub everything is. Plus, it makes my weed taste amazing again. Remember: Cleanliness is next to ganjaness in the season that comes in like a Snoop Lion and goes out like a Lamb’s Bread.

For small glass pipes, I recommend soaking in a baggie or plastic container with a lid. Fill it with isopropyl alcohol and a few tablespoons of salt. Make sure your glass piece is completely submerged. Gently swish your pipe around in the mix. The alcohol will liquefy the resin and the salt will lightly scrub the glass without scratching it. Let it soak for 15 minutes and swish again. Do this a few times. If your pipes are really funky, soak them overnight. When you’re ready, rinse your glass piece under hot running water until all the resin comes out. If it’s still super-dirty and another soak doesn’t do the trick, use pipe cleaners, Q-tips, and paper towels to get the last little bits.

With more substantial pieces of glass, such as large bongs or dab rigs, this soaking method can be difficult. It’s way better to avoid, if you can. Whatever device you use, change your water after every session and don’t ever let your pieces sit with dirty water. When using a bong, don’t “clear the bowl” by sucking the ashes into the water; instead, remove the bowl and tap the ashes out. Carefully wipe out your dab nail before it cools with a Q-tip after every hit. Use a cotton ball soaked in alcohol to clean the bottom of the nail where it touches the glass. These methods may sound overly fussy, but big pieces are notoriously hard to keep clean, and surprisingly easy to break. You will save yourself a lot of headaches with these simple additions to your smoking routine.

For vape-device fans, check the company’s website. Most have clear instructions readily available. In fact, some companies expect you to clean the heating element or cartridge regularly. If the mouthpiece comes off, you can run a pipe cleaner soaked in alcohol through it a few times to clear it out.

Take spring as an opportunity not only to freshen up your weed accessories, but also to take stock of all the goodies you might have stashed. Fish through winter coat pockets and old backpacks for half-smoked joints, lighters, or misplaced vape pens. Dig around in the back of kitchen cupboards for lost tinctures or half-eaten bags of edibles and check their expiration dates. Hunt down that sample of weed lube from the back of your nightstand drawer and text a friend with benefits.

Last but not least, give your cannabis corner some love and take a minute to clean and organize your weed zone. Throw away old empty packaging and broken pieces. Donate tools you never use to a stoner in need. You might even consider hitting some thrift stores for cool vintage boxes, trays, or jars to upgrade your storage.

stashbox@seattleweekly.com

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