If you’ve ever owned a pipe or bong, you know the nightmare that it can be to clean resin off pieces and other surfaces. It’s sticky, can stain fabrics, and if you’re the kind of person that has to hide your extracurricular activities, it can seriously strain that attempt. So how the heck do you clean the stuff up? You’re in luck, because there are a few ways to get your pieces, bongs, bowls, hands, and any other belongings and paraphernalia looking like new.

Clean Resin with Solvents

It turns out alcohol isn’t just for drinking; you can also use rubbing alcohol (or vodka) to clean resin from nearly any surface. Using alcohol is pretty simple: soak whatever you’re cleaning in rubbing alcohol, or spray it over the surface. Gently rub it with your hands or a cloth to loosen it up and remove it. One upside to using Vodka is that you can extract the residual THC and reuse it, if you so choose. Details and method can be found here.

Other solvents work in the same way, but are not safe for all surfaces. Cola is acidic enough to partially dissolve built-up resin and makes cleaning easier. Acetone (nail polish remover) is an effective solvent for cleaning fabric, but be careful not to make the stain worse. Remember to always spot-test before using it on fabric in case of bleeding or staining. WD40 can also be used to remove stains, but it is notorious for ruining fabrics and other delicate things. If nothing seems to be doing the trick for your fabrics, try bug spray.

Clean Resin with an Agitator

Using solvents are often the best way to clean resin, but there are some other options, including salt, sand and even baking soda. It’s worth pointing out in advance that you’ll lose any use of the resin when using salt to agitate bongs, bowls, and other surfaces. Use an agitator that is mildly abrasive to pull the resin off of glass, plastic, and more.

If the resin is still wet and you’re outside, rubbing sand into it will cause the resin and dirt to clump up, coming off easier. If it has already dried a bit, using either toothpaste or water with salt and baking soda on it can work. These two options are particularly good for fabrics and your hands. Rub the fabric against itself to clean resin from your fabrics.

Use Oil to Soften the Resin

If you have some margarine, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or even peanut butter lying around, you can use it to clean resin from bowl pieces and surfaces. The resin will absorb the oil and soften it, making it easier to remove. The downside of using an oil is that you’re left with a whole new mess. These oils are all easy to remove with soap and water though, so using oils is perfectly viable for cleaning skin, hard surfaces and bowl pieces. Don’t use oil for cleaning fabrics.

Set up a “Work” Area to Clean Resin with Ease

Set up a little work station for yourself to keep your area clean and easy to stash away. Use a rolling tray or platter and cover it with parchment paper. Tinfoil and non-stick wrap can also work, but parchment and wax paper are non-stick, and perfect for tricky substances like resin. This makes it so much easier to clean resin up, and you can keep all the residual resin by freezing the parchment paper or tin foil and removing the resin when it’s nice and solid.

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