It’s very important for you to learn how to clean your hookah. A clean hookah does not add any extra odors or flavors to your tobacco smoke and makes the experience much more enjoyable. In this article, we’ll explain in detail how to clean your hookah thoroughly so that you can get the crisp, clean smoke that you desire.
The reason why many people prefer Hookah is because it has zero tobacco content in it and comes in different flavors due to which it is universally acclaimed by one and all, which is why it is so popular having originated from Arab countries where it is impossible to do without a hookah shop in the vicinity but when it comes to cleaning process, one shouldn’t be careless at all.
Step 1: Assemble Your Supplies.
You’ll need several things for this procedure. First, you’ll need about half a cup of lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice will remove buildup inside of the stem and in the base. You will also need 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda. This will help you remove odors from your hookah. In addition, you will need a stem cleaner and base cleaner. These are two items that likely came with your hookah when you bought it, but you can easily find cheap ones online. Last but not least you will need a clear sink and some aluminum foil.
Here is a quick list:
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice
- 2 or 3 tablespoons of backing soda
- Stem and base cleaner
- Sink
- Aluminum foil
Step 2: The Hose.
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The first thing you need to do is remove the hose from your hookah and blow through the mouthpiece to remove any remaining smoke. If you have a plastic or rubber hose, you can run water through it to remove any residue, but you should skip this step if your hose is made of a different material so as not to damage it.
Step 3: Take apart your hookah and wash the smaller pieces.
Taking special care to keep track of all the pieces, remove the relief valves, grommets, bowl, and tray. Take pictures of the assembly if you think you will need the extra help to put everything back in place. Dump the ash from the tray into the sink under running warm water and scoop the tobacco from the bowl with aluminum foil. Scrub the relief valves, grommets, bowl, and tray with your fingers under running warm water, but do not use soap. Remove the stem and run warm water through it. Finally, pour the water out of the base into the sink and rinse this with warm water as well.
Step 4: Clean the stem.
Run warm water through the stem. You may need to cup your hand at one end and direct the water into the stem, and this is fine because you will not need to run water constantly through it while scrubbing. Insert the stem brush and use it to scrub the inside of the stem vigorously, rinsing several times during this process. You may need to turn the stem around and scrub the other side if your stem is particularly long.
Plug one end of the stem with your finger and pour several tablespoons of lemon juice into the other end. Insert the stem brush and tilt the stem to cover the brush in the lemon juice, and then scrub vigorously again. After this is finished, add several teaspoons of baking soda and scrub again. Rinse with warm water and stand the stem upright to let it dry. It’s usually best to let your stem dry overnight so that you are not trapping moisture inside when you reassemble your hookah.
Step 5: Clean the base and reassemble the hookah.
Make sure that your base has been allowed to come to room temperature. If your base is ice cold and you run hot water through it, it could shatter. Instead, pour lukewarm water into your room temperature base and slowly increase the temperature until the water is the hottest it can be.
Add several tablespoons of lemon juice to the base along with several teaspoons of baking soda. The specific measurements do not matter, but try to use more lemon juice than baking soda as this will give the mixture a fluid consistency. Use the base cleaner and scrub the base, removing as much residue as you can. Then add a little water and shake vigorously.
Empty the base and fill it with hot water to the top. Let this sit overnight and shake it again vigorously in the morning. Rinse the base again and let it dry thoroughly before reassembling your hookah.
Now that you know how to clean your hookah properly, you can have the great taste of your favorite tobacco without the added flavors and odors from a dirty hookah. The process doesn’t take long and your guests will appreciate the enhanced experience as much as you will.
