It’s possible to find yourself wanting to use your bong, but have no water on-hand to add to it. There are some simple alternatives, such as Gatorade, wine, fruit juice, soda,
flavored water, and snow. These are surprising substitutions that can make cleaning out your bong a little more difficult but will definitely work nonetheless. However, there are also some things you should never put in your favorite bong. Here are four items you should never add to your bong.
Hard Liquor
Putting alcohol in your bong is basically the same thing as huffing it. Some people attribute the feeling to the horrible nose-burning sensation you get when you accidentally inhale pool water.
Not only does it feel and taste terrible, but it’s also extremely toxic and can even be lethal in high quantities. Inhaling alcohol vapors will get you drunk very fast because it goes straight to your brain and bloodstream, but this means it can also damage the brain and cause serious addiction much faster than drinking it. And because the alcohol bypasses the digestive system, you won’t get sick when you’ve ingested too much, which increases the risk of alcohol poisoning. Aside from the dangers, alcohol absorbs any chemicals in the substances you mix it with, so contrary to what some people think, adding it to your herbs will not intensify your high.
Raw Eggs
Do a quick search and you’ll find several YouTubers who have tried this. Pretty much all with disastrous results. First of all, the mess is disgusting. But aside from that, it makes the smoke a thick and yellow mystery substance that clearly should not be inhaled. It also seems like most agree that it tastes terrible.
Second-Hand Bong Water
Some people think that keeping your bong water in a jug to use over and over will simply enhance your experience, kind of like fermenting. But it’s a really bad idea. The longer that water sits, the more time it has for harmful bacteria to grow in it. After only 24 hours, a substance called a biofilm starts to form. Biofilm can harbor dangerous pathogens such as Strep and E Coli, as well as the black mold. Obviously, inhaling these substances will kill your buzz and possibly wreck your health.
Tomato Juice
Most juices are okay for your bong— apple, orange, cranberry are all fine to use, but some people have tried to use tomato juice and reported disastrous results. Not only does it make cleaning it out incredibly difficult, but it will also probably make you sick to your stomach after your first hit. Stick to thinner liquids for substitutions for water.
Keep Your Bong Clean!
Bongs are hard enough to keep clean and bacteria-free without adding thick, sugary or sticky substances to them. Change your bong water (or other safe liquid) with every use and wash it out daily. If you own a plastic bong, be aware that it’s a mildly porous material so it will hang on to odors no matter how much you change your water. It will need to be washed well, possibly every time you use it. Other things you can use are rubbing alcohol, salt, and water to clean it out and remove bacteria.
People like to experiment with their bongs, and it can be a fun thing to do. But if you’ve invested in a quality product like the ones made by illadelph glass, you’ll want to be extra careful in preserving its character. Water is always the best and safest choice, but other liquids like soda water and cranberry juice are perfectly fine, and even help keep your bong cleaner. When experimenting and trying out new things, just make sure that you are only using safe ingredients and steering clear from things that may ruin your bong, and harm you, as well.
