Source
r/hookah•
kilkor

Cleaning your hookah the easy way.

Oxyclean. This shit destroys everything when I have to clean all my homebrew equipment and it does the same with a hookah. I did a few searches through r/hookah to see if anyone had made a topic for this and didn't see it.

For bases just put a small bit in (about the equivalent of a couple caps from a soda bottle) and let it sit for 10-15 mins, then rinse a couple times. It gets rid of almost all the smell.

For bowls I like to get a little tupperware container and fill it with warm water and a cap-ful of oxyclean. Let the bowl sit for anywhere from 10 mins to an hour depending on how gnarly it is and how often you clean. If you have baked on shisha the oxyclean will soften it up and take most of it off. If you have baked on molasses/honey it will make it so scrubbing with a nice sponge is easier. You can throw all your grommets in with this as well.

For the large pieces you can improvise a container with some oxyclean to soak them in for 15 mins or so then rinse.

This stuff is seriously a no hassle way to clean your gear. You are cleaning your gear right? After every smoke session?

Posted Mar 7, 2011, 1:06 AM UTC

1829
ssjakenHates Al-Fakher•

Protip! Please heed. Get oxyclean "free" it is only the sodium carbonate. No fragrance or extra crap. This is safe for humans the smelly shit isn't. The free is all white no blue bits. I homebrew as well and the othershit in oxyclean versatile ( that's the regular stuff) reacts weird with bleach and star San.

Again do not use versatile. Only oxyclean free on hookahs.

6
kilkorOP•

ooo, didn't know there were two versions. I just normally stick to the no-fragrance off brand anyways, think it's labeled Sun Oxygen Cleaner or something like that.

2
FluoCantus•

Thanks! The only issue I have with this is that if you don't rinse it out perfectly you may be smoking soap, and that's no good. Oxyclean free sounds safer to use.

1
abadonn•

I've always just used vinegar or baking soda. (Don't use both at the same time)

3
kilkorOP•

Vinegar works some amazing wonders as well. It does really well with stains. I've never used baking soda.

1
FluoCantus•

This is great! I've never been able to get my hookah as clean as I want. I'll definitely give it a try!

2
Skibum04•

After every smoking session... um no. Once every week or two yes.

2
kilkorOP•

I used to be that way but then I found that carbon buildup on my bowl was getting to be too difficult to clean off and would impart flavors I didn't want anywhere near my smoke. Now I try to remember to soak it after every session, or at least doing it as the first step in prepping for a new smoke session.

3
Bossman1086•

I would not do this if you have a clay bowl. I'd be worried about the oxyclean being absorbed into the bowl...especially inside where it's not glazed. For the base, absolutely - as long as you rinse it really well. Not sure how this would be on the stem. I'd definitely say no on the hose and head, though.

2
kilkorOP•

I've been using it for a bit now and haven't had any odd tastes. In brewing I use it on plastic quite a bit and wouldn't think twice about using it to help clean a wooden spatula that's often used in brewing to stir grains. Talk about a material that can absorb water...

As long as you rinse appropriately you should be fine. Oxyclean rinses very easily and usually only takes 2 rinses to be completely clear. If you're absolutely paranoid about it then rinse more times.

In the end though, clean it how you want. Just wanted to offer this up as another method that does a bit more than the standard rinse with water.

1
Bossman1086•

Didn't mean to discount it completely. Just saying...I wouldn't do it in any of those more absorbant areas. For the base, it could be great - especially with those hard to reach nooks and whatnot.

1
kilkorOP•

yep yep, you brought up a good point. I tried looking around to see if anyone had any actual evidence that it was a bad idea to use on the clay but didn't find anything conclusive. Then I started thinking about the application in brewing and realized someone's used it on wood before and I figure that's about the same as clay absorption.

1
getsomeaweKM Chiller|Mya QT|Elmas 628|Fumo Tank•

Agreed. For clay bowls I found the best thing to do is just to boil them once a month. Gets all the build up off and cleans it up well.

1
firelionAl Fakher•

Just tried this on the hookah that I've neglected. It had some weird stuff going on down in the base. I let it soak in oxyclean & water for 10 minutes and it looks just like new. saved me from having to replace that thing cause it was so funky looking nobody would want to smoke out of that thing.

2
Atomic_MerpAF/Nakhla Lover•

Denture cleaner. Fill the base with some hot water and drop a couple in.

Also, bleach. Sounds terrible, but I have large hookahs, I fill with hot water, put about 1/4 a cap full of bleach in, swish around. Then rinse well and wash with normal dish soap. Makes the hookah base like brand new every time.

2
kilkorOP•

and... I'm wrong, yay.

0
abadonn•

I've always just used vinegar or baking soda. (Don't use both at the same time)

1
Ragingsquism•

VOLCANO!

7
Ragingsquism•

Thanks for the tip, I don't know why I didn't think of trying that earlier.

1
herpestrismegistus•

I'm a homebrewer, too. I've been meaning to ask this, but I didn't know if there were any other homebrewers in r/hookah who could answer my question. Do you suppose Starsan would work?

1
kilkorOP•

starsan leaves a bit of residue that isn't detrimental if ingested. I don't know about inhaling it though. I'd assume you could wash it all off, but that stuff is more stubborn than oxyclean. I can soak my hands in some starsan solution and then feel it on my hands for a while while I'm brewing/bottling.

1
retrospects•

I use 420 cleaner. works well for me.

1
retrospects•

I use 420 cleaner. works well for me.

0