How to Get Resin out of a Bowl

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 28, 2022 Approved

Resin buildup can make your pipe look grimy and taint the taste of new cannabis. Cleaning the bowl of your pipe regularly will help reduce buildup and practice resin sustainability. Whether you want a fresh, clean pipe or you want to get the most out of your stash, you can clean out the resin by soaking it in alcohol, freezing it, or boiling it in hot water.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning With Alcohol and Salt

1
Scrape out the bulk of the resin. Use a bobby pin or paperclip to dislodge as much as resin as possible. Set the resin aside to throw away or smoke later.
2
Put the pipe and isopropyl alcohol in a plastic bag. Open up a plastic sandwich bag and place the pipe inside. Then pour in 99% isopropyl alcohol until the bowl is submerged.^{[1]
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- 99% isopropyl is preferable, but any percentage above 70% will sufficiently clean your pipe. A higher percentage will clean your pipe more efficiently.
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3
Pour a tablespoon of sea salt into the alcohol. The salt will act as an agitator and help break up the resin. You can also add some salt down the mouthpiece to clean out the rest of the pipe.
- If you want to evaporate the alcohol and smoke the resin later, don’t add salt. Perform the same steps and make sure the alcohol is completely evaporated before smoking the leftover resin.
4
Seal the bag and let it sit for two hours. Soaking in the alcohol and salt mixture will loosen up the resin and make it easier to remove.^{[2]
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5
Hold the bowl through the bag and shake for five minutes. After soaking, shake the bagged pipe to agitate the salt and help dislodge any last stubborn bits of resin.^{[3]
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6
Take the pipe out of the bag and inspect it for leftover buildup. If the pipe is particularly dirty, you may want to repeat the process. You can also clean out the leftover resin with a pipe cleaner or cotton swab to speed the process.
7
Wash the pipe with warm, soapy water once it’s clean. Throw away the baggie of resin or keep it to evaporate and smoke later. Wipe the clean pipe with a towel and let it fully dry before using it.^{[4]
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- Be careful with the resin--it’ll be extremely sticky and will stain anything it comes in contact with.
- Make sure to rinse away all of the alcohol, since it is extremely flammable.
8
Clean your pipe weekly to avoid buildup. Cannabis resin is extremely sticky and difficult to remove, particularly with glass pipes. Clean out your pipe once a week to make the process easier and faster.
- Soak your pipe in isopropyl alcohol for five minutes every week to keep it clean.^{[5]
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- If you have a wood pipe, do not soak it weekly. Rather, scrub the pipe with an isopropyl alcohol-soaked toothbrush to remove buildup.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Freezing the Resin

1
Put the dirty pipe in the freezer for thirty minutes. With this technique, there’s no need to scrape first. Simply freeze the pipe and let the resin harden and dry out.^{[6]
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- Don’t leave your pipe in the freezer longer than thirty minutes. Some cheaper glass pipes could break when exposed to extreme cold.
- Set an alarm so you don’t forget about your pipe in the freezer.
2
Use a needle or scraping tool to scrape the resin out of the pipe. After thirty minutes, take the pipe out of the freezer and scrape out the dried resin. Work quickly, because it won’t take long for the resin to gum up again and become sticky.^{[7]
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3
Work over a piece of paper or plastic to clean up the mess easily. The resin will be hardened to a dry, sand-like texture, so you’ll want something disposable below the pipe to catch the resin as it falls.^{[8]
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4
Use this method for monthly deep cleaning only. The freezing method is likely not a method you should use weekly because of the harsh temperature change. Use it once monthly as needed for a deep cleaning.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Boiling Your Pipe

1
Boil a pot of water. Make sure to add enough water to cover your pipe when placed inside. Heat the water over a stove or hot plate until it comes to a boil.
- If you have a glass pipe, place the pipe in the pot before you start to heat the water.
- Don’t use this method on a wooden pipe. It may damage and discolor the wood.
2
Use tongs to place the pipe into the pot. With the pipe held between the tongs, gently ease it into the hot water. Move the pipe around a bit to dislodge the resin. Keep gently shaking it until the resin starts coming off in black clumps.^{[9]
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3
Continue to move the pipe around for five to seven minutes. Be gentle with the pipe. Try not to knock the pipe against the sides of the pot. Move it around slowly and carefully inside the pot.
- Depending on how much buildup your pipe has, this process may take longer.
4
Strain out the resin. Pour the resin and water through a coffee filter or a mesh strainer to collect the leftover resin. If you want to smoke it later, roll the resin into a ball and freeze or let dry.^{[10]
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- Once the resin is sticky and no longer damp to the touch, you can smoke it.^{[11]
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5
Clean out the rest of the pipe with a paperclip or pipe cleaner. Scrape out any leftover resin in the bowl and chamber to get the pipe completely clean.^{[12]
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- Pull out the resin and let it dry if you want to smoke it later. If not, discard it.
6
Use the boiling method as a deep cleaning option. Because of the extreme temperature change, you should not boil your pipe too often. Use the boiling method as needed for deep cleaning.

Warnings

Be careful when scraping the bowl from the inside. This is sometimes the weakest part of a pipe, and applying too much pressure can break your pipe.

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Resin contains more carcinogens and tar as the result of being a concentrated byproduct of your plant matter's combustion. Smoking it may give you a headache.

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Make sure you rinse away all the alcohol. It's extremely flammable, and smells and tastes foul.

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