How to Clean your Hookah Pipe

Hey Friends!

With gorgeous summer weather in full swing, you are probably putting that shisha to good use by now both indoors and outdoors. As with anything else though, you may start to notice that your shisha can get quite dirty over time. It should come as no surprise then that washing your shisha on a regular basis is of utmost importance. Doing so will:

• extend the life of your hookah –allowing you to have many more sessions
• Ensure that you are maximizing the flavor output and overall performance of the shisha
• and of course, it just makes sense overall to maintain good hygiene and health!

So let’s get cleaning!

We recommend that you wash your shisha after each use. Now, that’s not to say you should be washing it between sessions if you plan on having multiple sessions a day but aim to clean it at least once a day. It’s also a good idea to wash it between flavor changes.

Here’s what you will need:

• Lukewarm tap water
• Lemon juice, vinegar, or dish soap (any one of these three solutions will work great!)
• Baking soda (optional but recommended)
• Base brush, narrow stem brush, Q tips (optional), sponge

1. Mix water with any one of the cleaning agents listed above
2. Disassemble the shisha entirely and soak the smaller parts like the grommets and tray in a bowl filled with the cleaning mixture. Don’t forget to unscrew the purge valve to access the ball bearing as well!
3. For the base, fill it half way with the cleaning mixture, swirl it around, dump it out and repeat this a few times. Then, use the base brush to scrub the inside of the base. Finally, rinse the base out with plain tap water
4. For the stem, block one end with your thumb or hand and repeat the step above – filling it with the cleaning solution and scrubbing the inside of the stem with a narrow brush
5. If your hose is washable, run the cleaning solution through the hose a few times. Keep in mind though that not all hoses are washable. Some traditional hoses have a metal coil on the inside, which can rust with water exposure. Typically silicone hoses are washable
6. Rinse your bowl with the cleaning solution too. Though it may be tempting to scrub the bowl with a brush, use caution if doing this as some bowls are glazed and aggressive scrubbing can damage the coating. We recommend using a soft sponge, paper towel or Q-tips instead

Helpful Expert Advice:

• It is NOT a good idea to put your washable hose or any small hookah parts for that matter into the dishwasher – these parts were not made to withstand that kind of intensity!
• Avoid leaving water sitting around inside your base after sessions. Over time, doing so can cause a build-up of mold, yuck!
• Though you may want to wash your hookah with water alone, we highly recommend using a cleaning agent (such as the lemon juice, vinegar or dish soap) along with water when cleaning the hookah as this is what helps to remove flavor residue that has built up. ProTip: For a deeper clean, add some baking soda when scrubbing your base and stem
• Last but not least, be mindful of temperature extremes and avoid switching between very cold and very hot water as this can cause cracking. We recommend sticking to lukewarm water for the entire cleaning process.

And you’re done! See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Now your hookah is squeaky clean and ready for another awesome session!

Be sure to check out the Accessories section of our website where you will find all of the cleaning supplies you need to stay on top of your hookah hygiene 😉

Until next time,

Shisha World