SILICONE
Silicone bongs, pipes and other smoking accessories make toking on-the-go a reality. You can go farther than ever before, as long as you’ve got. Enough herb stashed for the voyage. If you are adventurous, glass may simply not be cut out for your lifestyle.
Whether you’re going on a hike, camping or simply on the move, seshing on the road with glass can take away from the experience.
The constant paranoia that your bong, rig or pipe will break into a million pieces as it rolls around your bag is enough to destroy the best part about getting high, which is that general sense of peace that washes over you at first toke.
Silicone, on the other hand, is extremely travel-friendly, strong yet flexible, stain resistant and easy to clean. It’s simply made to take hit after hit without losing its shape, or shattering like glass. However, many people wonder if silicone is safe to smoke from. Here’s what we know.
Is a silicone bong safe?
Silicone bongs are perfectly safe to smoke from if made from food-grade silicone. Food grade silicone is a rubber-like material made mostly from silica (sand) that’s been approved by the FDA. This kind of silicone is safe for cooking, baking and smoking from, as in the case of bongs. It’s commonly used for making baking molds for candies and cakes. Since food-grade silicone is inert, it cannot leach into foods even under high heat.
Are silicone bongs easy to clean?
Silicone bongs are notorious for being easy to clean when compared to their glass counterparts. They are even dishwasher safe, although we recommend other methods for the longevity of your bong.
How to clean a silicone bong
You can use a specialty cleaner, isopropyl alcohol, a salt water mixture or even place the bong in the dishwasher directly but here are our recommended methods in order of preference.
- If you are looking for one of the most natural methods to clean a bong, using a saltwater mixture should be tough enough on grime without being too abrasive. Just add in a few drops of dish soap into the mixture, shake vigorously and let your bong soak for at least two hours before rinsing off.
- Speciality 420 cleaners are another great way to go. Some are made specifically for silicone so they’ll clean your piece with ultimate ease.
- Rubbing alcohol is commonly used for glass bongs but can be used for silicone as well. If you choose to use rubbing alcohol though, it’s essential that you follow up with a mixture of warm water and soap and rinse thoroughly. You wouldn’t want to smoke a bong with any residual isopropyl alcohol. It would be a highly unpleasant experience that’s equally bad for your lungs.
- Food grade silicone is dishwasher safe. Throwing your bong in the dishwasher is by far the easiest method but we recommend washing by hand to avoid it getting warped.
- Boiling your bong is another option but really should be a last resort. It’s the method that’s most likely to warp your piece and ruin the print. If all else fails though, you can definitely give it a try!
Best silicone bongs for sale
Silicone bongs come in all shapes and sizes. More elaborate pieces may even feature an ice pinch, ash catcher, glass percolators and chambers. Here are some of the most popular designs in our online bong shop.
How to clean a silicone pipe
Cleaning a silicone pipe is much like cleaning a silicone bong. You can use one of the methods aforementioned but instead of letting it soak in your sink, place the mixture and your silicone pipe in a Ziplock bag. A mixture of hot water, a dash of dish soap and either isopropyl alcohol or apple cider vinegar should work. Let the pipe soak for at least two hours or overnight for a deep clean.
How to clean silicone pipe with vinegar
As mentioned, combine hot water, a few drops of dish soap and vinegar into a Ziplock bag and let it soak for two hours minimum. Make sure to rinse it off thoroughly before use.
How to clean a silicone pipe with glass bowl
After dismantling your pipe and removing the glass bowl from the silicone, follow the same Ziplock bag method mentioned above. Another option is to place the silicone in the freezer and wash the glass bowl separately with warm water and soap. The ash and sticky residue should be much easier to remove now. Gently bend the silicone pipe and you’ll notice the residue crack off. Follow with a rinse in hot water and a dash of dish soap.
Boiling a silicone pipe
It might come as a surprise but you actually can boil a silicone pipe. Food grade silicone is made to withstand temperatures as high as 600 F°. Since boiling water reaches 212 F° tops which is nowhere close, your pipe should be able to take the heat. That said, we don’t recommend doing this because you might ruin the print or even change the bong’s shape. There are many other alternatives out there that are kinder to your daily driver.
Here’s what you should know if you want to give it a try anyways. Simply fill a pot with water, stick your dirty pipe in it and bring the water to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and let it sit until the water cools and it’s safe to extract the pipe. Be careful so you don’t burn any fingers!
How to smoke wax out of a silicone pipe
We don’t recommend smoking dabs from a pipe because they will not vaporize evenly, and deliver a much harsher hit. But if you’re up to the challenge, grab an ice cold drink and follow these tips.
You’ll need dry herb along with your wax for this to work. If you try to smoke a dab on its own, it will liquefy and get pulled through the bottom. Instead, place your dab on top of the ground herb which serves as a cushion that helps the wax stay in place and vaporize while the flower burns underneath it. Start small because dry smoking delivers a high that packs a different kind of punch altogether.
Popular silicone smoking pipes
While silicone pipes tend to be more limited in style, they definitely make up for it in design. Whether you go with a sherlock or the more classic silicone spoon pipe, there are so many prints, shapes and cute designs to choose from. Below are just some of the most popular styles available in our online headshop.
- Silicone naked lady pipe
- Pineapple keychain pipe
- Silicone mushroom pipe
- Cat glow in the dark pipe
- Silicone alien pipe
Are silicone pipes better than glass?
In terms of taste, many prefer glass over silicone. However, silicone pipes do have many clear advantages over glass. They are much more durable, travel-friendly and tend to be easier to clean. After all, their flexibility and stain resistant non-stick coating makes it easier to get to tough spots and remove stains with ease.
Where would we be without silicon?
It sounds silly at first glance but silicon is a fascinating material that has transformed industries and stoner culture as we know it. Silicon which is used in electronics, solar panels and even high powered lasers is the naturally occurring chemical element from which synthetic silicone is derived.
And man-made silicone of course is not exclusive to bongs, pipes or those cute baking molds used to make your weed leaf shaped chocolate edibles. Consider silicone dab mats, concentrate containers, debowler ashtrays and nectar collectors, for instance. The world of smoking accessories would be far less interesting if it weren’t for silicone, that’s for certain.