How Often Should You Change Bong Water?
The answer to this question is easy. You should have high hygiene standards and replace the water in your bong regularly. The water in your glass device is there to cool down the smoke that goes in, plus it acts as a filter that removes a significant part of harmful particles released with cannabis combustion. The longer water stays in the bong, the more impurities it contains.
Bongs are a standard piece of equipment among recreational cannabis users. The design of bongs enables for a much smoother smoke, as water inside the bong cools down the heat. The cooling effect of water significantly reduces lung irritation that’s associated with smoking.
Water also filters some of the impurities released with burning the buds, preventing a lot of harmful particles from going into the lung. Therefore, routinely changing the water in the bong is more than recommended in order to have a better smoking experience.
Clean Bong Water = Cleaner Smoke
The equation is simple. Regardless of the size or the shape of the bong, each type has at least one compartment where the water is. And that water is good to stay clean. Fresh water is more effective at filtering all the different toxins and irritants found in smoke. So, it’s important to keep hygiene levels high for your bong water.
There’s a good deal of evidence that attests to the filtering qualities of water. As mentioned, bong water retains leftover toxic and cancer-causing compounds that release with the burning of cannabis. Most of these toxins accumulate together in tar and find their way into the lungs when you smoke.
Cannabis smoke is not that different from tobacco smoke, at least in terms of some chemical content. Both smokes contain a similar class of hazardous compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (the same compounds are found in stuff like gasoline or crude oil). While water will not remove all of it, it will capture a significant portion.
Research has also shown that water in water pipes can retain around 90% of phenols, which are dangerous cardiovascular toxins usually found in tobacco. Water filtering both cannabis and tobacco smoke can also help remove other impure compounds (acrolein and acetaldehyde) known to attack the main defense cells of the lung. Smoke reduces the ability of defensive cells to kill foreign bodies such as bacteria, and with that the ability of the lung to resist infection.
Besides cleaner smoke, there are a few other benefits when you routinely change the water in the bong. When there is no tar and other leftover particles in the bong and the water it contains, there is less unpleasant smell. With a clean device, you can experience more of the full taste and flavor spectrum from each weed bud that you combust and inhale with the bong.
When the water in the bong is changed regularly, and in particular when you use chlorine-free water, it also makes the bong last longer. It doesn’t hurt to practice this simple hygiene tip. And finally, don’t believe those false sayings that water that stays in your beloved glassware contains more THC. It just does not. It’s just stinky water.
Also read on Soft Secrets:
- Is It OK to Put Alcohol in a Bong?
S
Stephen Andrews
