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Hookah cleaning: How to easily clean your stem and hookah base!

Cleaning your hookah is a very important issue. The individual parts of the hookah become damp and deposits can build up in the parts. Especially if you do not clean the hookah immediately after smoking and it has been standing for a while, it is necessary to clean the hookah before you smoke again!

But cleaning your hookah should not be neglected if you don't want an unpleasant aftertaste when smoking. Only if you clean the hookah on a regular basis can you ensure that you get exactly the taste you want.

In addition to the taste, hygiene is of course also an important aspect that speaks in favor of regular cleaning of the hookah. It is also much nicer if the hookah looks like it did on the first day than if the hookah shows its age because it is never cleaned.

Not sure how to clean your hookah? We'll explain it to you step by step! All you need are a few small tools, all of which are available for a few euros. You'll also need a few tips on how to use the tools perfectly, but of course you can get them from us for free!

@mozeshisha So bekommst du deine Shisha wieder sauber!✨ Shisha Must-Haves Part 1 #moze ♬ Originalton - Moze Shisha

Cleaning your hookah: How to get your hookah base sparkling clean!

To clean the hookah base, add stainless steel balls and hot water to the glass container. For stubborn stains, we recommend adding a little washing-up liquid or baking soda. Gently rotate the bowl to reach all areas.
The hookah bowl is usually the first part of the hookah to get dirty. Especially if you don't clean the glass base directly after smoking, the bowl quickly has a thin layer of dirt on the inside and it is immediately obvious where the water has been filled.



This is mainly because a bit of tobacco almost always ends up in the glass base, dirtying the water. But even if you empty the hookah base immediately after the session, these impurities in the water tend to accumulate quickly, as a bit of hookah tobacco or molasses often falls into it while smoking.

But don't worry: There are many tools available, especially for cleaning the base, that can help you with hookah cleaning! We'll explain how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Emptying the used water

If you still have used water in your hookah glass base, you should first empty it. After that, you can start the actual cleaning process.

Pouring out used water
Pour used water into the sink

Step 2: Adding cleaner to the hookah base

First, you should fill the hookah base with a hookah cleaner. These cleaners are available from various brands and in different variants. We have both powder and liquid hookah cleaners available in our Hookah Online Shop.

Adding cleaner to the base
Add cleaner to the glass base

Both variants work wonders if you follow this guide. For stubborn dirt, we recommend the powder! Both forms of the cleaner are very economical. The spray cleaner contains 300 ml per bottle, which is roughly equivalent to 400 sprays. The cleaning powder has a content of 0.15 kg, which is sufficient for about 30-40 base cleaning sessions.

Tip: If you don't have hookah cleaner, you can also use denture cleaning tabs. However, the chance that you have these at home is similarly low, we think.

Step 3: Adding lukewarm water to the glass base with the cleaner

After adding the cleaner to your base, you should fill it with lukewarm water. It's best to fill it halfway first so that you can swirl the base a bit to mix the hookah cleaner with the water. Once you've done that, fill the hookah base with lukewarm water all the way to the top and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.

Adding lukewarm water
Fill the base with lukewarm water

Step 4: Using the hookah base brush!

Next, pour out a bit of the water from the hookah (about 20% should be discarded). Now you can insert your hookah base brush into the base and scrub as many areas of the bowl as possible. The hookah glass base brushes are flexible, so you should be able to reach all areas on most base.

Base brush
The base brush removes deposits
Tip: If your base has a shape that makes it difficult to reach all areas with the cleaning brush, be sure to check out hookah cleaning balls. With these, you can also get your glass sparkling clean in such cases.

Step 5: Rinse thoroughly!

Rinse multiple times with water. You should do this until the added water no longer foams. This way, you'll know that there are no more residues of the cleaner left in the base! Finally, you can dry it with a cloth. Now your base should shine again, and you can start smoking your hookah again!

Drying the base
Dry the base with a cloth. This prevents water spots.

Cleaning the Hookah Stem

What is often neglected is the hookah stem and mouthpiece. The reason for this is relatively clear: You can't see the dirt inside the stainless steel or aluminum because you can't see through it like with the glass base of the hookah! However, it's important to regularly clean the metal parts, and we'll show you how to do that as well!

Step 1: Distribute the cleaner

For the hookah stem parts, spray cleaner for hookahs works best. You can simply spray it into the pipes. Make sure to rotate the pipes while spraying the cleaner so that it is applied to the entire inner surface. If you don't have spray cleaner but have cleaning powder, you can also prepare a water bath with the powder dissolved in it and place all the parts in it.

Applying cleaner
Spray a cleaner onto the individual parts

Step 2: Let it sit

In the next step, place the individual parts in the sink or on a cloth. If you have used cleaning powder, you can simply let the parts soak in the water bath. Now, wait for 5-10 minutes to allow the cleaner to attack the deposits on the metal surface and loosen them.

Letting the cleaner sit
Allow the cleaner to sit

Step 3: Use a hookah stem brush

After the cleaner has soaked for a while, take your hookah stem brush, with which you can thoroughly scrub the inside of the pipes. Do this until you have completely removed the dirt.

Using a brush
Clean the individual parts with a brush

Step 4: Rinse the parts

To remove the cleaner from the parts, simply rinse the parts under the sink again. When no more foam is created in the water, you're done, and you can use your hookah again!

Cleaning the Hookah Bowl - Here's How!

The hookah tobacco often leaves black stains in the bowl after smoking, which can become stubborn. If these stains bother you because they don't look nice or because they affect the taste due to the residue, we'll explain what to do.

Getting Rid of Stubborn Dirt in the Hookah Bowl

There are special wire brushes for the hookah bowl. These are equipped with brass wire, which is softer than stainless steel or regular steel. This provides the perfect hardness to scrub away stubborn dirt without damaging the glaze of the bowl. If the dirt cannot be removed with the brush alone, try soaking the bowl in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes before scrubbing.

Cleaning the bowl
Clean the black rim with a soft brass brush

We recommend rinsing the bowl with water after each session to prevent such stubborn dirt from forming in the first place.

Tip: Always make sure the hookah bowl is cooled down when washing it with water, especially if you have a glazed bowl. Otherwise, rapid temperature changes from hot to cold can cause tension cracks in the glaze of the bowl!

Keeping All Parts of the Hookah Clean: Our Cleaning Kit!

If the cleanliness of your hookah is important to you, we recommend a package with all the tools for cleaning so that it can be done quickly and easily. We have prepared a bundle in the shop that includes all the necessary items, and you can also save a bit! The cleaning set includes:

  • 1x Hookah Base Cleaning Brush
  • 1x Hookah Hose Cleaning Brush
  • 1x HMD Wire Brush
  • 1x AO Koka Clean Powder
  • 1x Hookah Stem Cleaning Brush

The regular price of the items in the set is 31.90 euros. In the bundle, you can get it for 24.90 euros. So, you save 7 euros when you buy everything together!

Moze

Cleaning Set

The Hose Is Often Neglected

Many hookah smokers neglect cleaning the hose, but it is essential. You will realize this, especially when you cut open an old and frequently used hookah hose to see the inside! Many customers are not aware that there are special brushes for this part of the hookah, which make cleaning super easy.

Cleaning the HMD

Cleaning your smokebox or HMD is also very important. If you don't clean the smokebox regularly, it can lead to a distorted taste due to the tobacco residues sticking to the HMD.

How Often Should You Clean a Hookah?

How often you should clean your hookah depends on how sensitive you are. In any case, we would recommend changing the water after 2-3 days and running water through all the parts at least once. A thorough cleaning with the tools described in the article should be done every 1-2 weeks to disinfect all the parts.

Tip: If you're not going to smoke for an extended period, such as being on vacation, you should pour the water out of the base and not leave it standing for too long. Otherwise, unpleasant odors may develop!
Author-Bild

Moritz
CEO

Moritz is the founder of Moze and the brains behind all Moze products.