Quick answer
Empty the rig, pour in 91% isopropyl alcohol with a spoonful of coarse salt, plug every opening, and shake for 30 to 60 seconds. Rinse with warm water until the glass runs clear, then let it air dry. Warm the rig with tap water before you start and heavy reclaim comes out much faster.
What you need
- 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol
- Coarse salt, rock salt, or uncooked rice
- Two rubber stoppers or silicone plugs
- Cotton swabs and a paper towel
- Warm tap water
- Nitrile gloves
- An open window or a fan
Step-by-step cleaning
- Pour out any old water and loose reclaim into a sealed container.
- Remove the banger, nail, carb cap, and any drop-down or adapter.
- Run warm tap water through the rig for 20 seconds to warm the glass.
- Add one to two tablespoons of coarse salt through the joint.
- Pour in alcohol until the liquid covers the residue line.
- Insert stoppers in the mouthpiece and the joint.
- Shake the rig for 30 to 60 seconds with firm back-and-forth motions.
- Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes if the buildup is thick or dark.
- Shake again, then pour the alcohol out through a fine strainer if you save reclaim.
- Rinse the glass with warm water three times, shaking between rinses.
- Wipe stubborn spots with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
- Set the rig upside down on a towel and let it air dry completely.
Cleaning the quartz banger
Never torch a dirty banger to burn off residue. Heat drives carbon into the quartz and leaves opaque gray clouding that will not come back. Soak the banger in alcohol for 15 minutes, scrub the inside with a swab, and rinse. A dry q-tip after every dab keeps it clear far longer than any deep clean.
Tough spots
White chalky rings mean hard water, not resin. Fill the rig with white vinegar and let it sit overnight, then rinse. For percolators with narrow slits, work in two or three soak-and-shake cycles instead of one long soak. Reclaim stuck inside a recycler often needs the rig laid on its side so the alcohol reaches the upper chamber.
How often to clean
Change the water daily. Rinse the banger after every session, since that takes 10 seconds and saves the most work later. Do a full salt and alcohol wash every 5 to 10 dabs if flavor matters to you, and at least weekly for any rig in regular rotation. Resin buildup does not just look bad, it dulls the taste of every dab that follows.
Safety notes
Isopropyl alcohol is flammable. Clean with the rig off, away from a torch, and never heat the alcohol or microwave it. Work near an open window because alcohol vapor builds in small rooms. Do not pour boiling water into cold glass or cold water into warm glass, since thermal shock cracks bongs. Throw spent alcohol in a sealed container, not down the drain.