How to clean a hookah hose is a source of much disagreement. It is a contentious issue. Some swear by warm water while others claim this will ruin your hose! Still others say that simply blowing through the hose will clean it while opponents of this method state that this is ineffective. So, what to do?
Well lets have a look at the problem and then the solution.
photo credit: puppinurss
Over time your hookah hose is going to build up a residue of ash and tar. It’s simply unavoidable. The result will be a hose that tastes of the previous bowls tobacco, ash or tar and just plain nasty. Extremely dirty pipes will result in chunks of detritus hitting the back of you throat when you inhale. In short, it’s not a situation you want.
So what’s the best way to clean your hookah hose?
Well first of all find out about what kind of material your hookah hose is made from. Most likely the interior will be made of cardboard or rubber, rubber being superior.
With a cardboard hose you have to accept that its life is finite. Unless you use your hookah hose very infrequently it’s not going to last you a lifetime. That said you can still clean it. First simply try blowing down it.
If that solves the problem, fantastic. Unfortunately it may not. Next try a vacuum cleaner at one end on high power. Again, if its problem solved, you’re welcome.
If your pipe is still not clean then you’ll have to step it up a notch. And unfortunately this notch may well be damaging to a cardboard hose. But what are the alternatives? Unfortunately there are none I am aware of and you need that hose clean.
What you’ll have to do is take your hookah hose to the bathroom and run luke-warm water through it until the water runs clean. Now, swing it and shake it around to get rid of excess water and hang it up to dry as quickly as possible. When it’s perfectly dry you will be able to enjoy a good smoke once more. But do note that you can’t do this too many times before the interior of your hose starts to collapse.
A rubber interior obviously won’t dissolve so this is much easier to clean. However if it is attached to the exterior of the hose with metal, you may well encourage rust. This is why it’s important to hang it to dry as quickly as possible. Running a hair dryer over it may also help depending on the design of your hookah hose.
So, is there an easier, safer way to clean a hookah hose?
Not really, no. I think you have to accept that most hookah hose have a shelf life, or you can invest a good quality washable hookah hose, like the one here, available for under 8 dollars and in a variety of colors.