Short answer
Use 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt. Pour 1 tablespoon of salt into the rig. Add 1/4 cup of alcohol. Plug the mouthpiece and the joint with stoppers or your palms. Shake for 30 to 60 seconds. Dump the mix. Rinse with warm water three times. Repeat for dried reclaim. The whole job takes about 5 minutes.
What you need
- Isopropyl alcohol at 91% or 99%. The 70% version is 30% water and works slower.
- Coarse salt: kosher salt, Epsom salt, or rock salt. Fine table salt clumps and leaves grit in the neck.
- Two stoppers or rubber plugs sized to the mouthpiece and the joint.
- Warm tap water for the rinse.
- Cotton swabs and a small glass jar for banger cleaning.
Steps
- Empty the rig. Dump the water and loose reclaim into a waste jar.
- Add salt first, then alcohol. Use roughly 1 part salt to 3 parts alcohol.
- Plug both openings. Shake for 30 to 60 seconds. The salt scrubs the inside walls.
- Let the rig sit 10 minutes if residue is dried to the glass.
- Dump the solution. Rinse with warm water three times.
- Air dry upside down on a paper towel.
Heavy reclaim
Reclaim bonds to glass. Warm 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol in a sealed jar placed in hot tap water for 5 minutes. Pour the warm alcohol into the rig. Soak overnight. Shake in the morning. Reclaim softens near 140 F.
Quartz bangers
Swab the banger with a dry cotton swab after each dab. Wait until the quartz drops to about 200 F, then swab with 91% alcohol. Do not dunk a hot banger into alcohol. Thermal shock cracks quartz, and alcohol vapor near a hot nail can ignite. Soak the banger in alcohol for 30 minutes to lift burnt spots.
Titanium and ceramic nails
Titanium: heat the nail until residue turns to ash, then brush it off. Ceramic: soak in alcohol. Do not torch ceramic. It cracks.
Shortcut tools
Ultrasonic cleaners with warm water and 2 drops of dish soap lift residue from small parts in 3 to 5 minutes. Resealable cleaning caps let you shake alcohol inside a rig without plugs. Both cut the time. They cost about $15 to $40.
What not to do
- Do not use acetone, bleach, or nail polish remover. They leave residue you then inhale.
- Do not pour boiling water into cold glass.
- Do not shake a rig with alcohol near a flame, a torch, or a hot nail.
- Do not use abrasive pads on quartz. Scratches trap resin.
How often
Change the water each session. Do a full alcohol clean every 3 to 7 days for daily use. A dirty rig changes flavor and restricts airflow.