Cleaning the shisha – This is how your hookah gets clean without leaving any residue

If you use your hookah regularly, you should clean it thoroughly at least once a week. Not only for the sake of hygiene, but also to preserve the taste when smoking and extend the life of your shisha . With these cleaning instructions, you will soon be able to build the next head again to let beautiful clouds of smoke rise into the air.

You need these shisha cleaning utensils

Before you start cleaning, you should have a few helpful utensils on hand. You probably already have most of these in the house anyway:

• a smoke column brush and a bowl brush
• a rag and a scourer
• toothpick
• Dishwashing liquid
• Rice, coins or small metal balls
• Toothpaste or “ Schand Weg ”

It is then necessary to disassemble the shisha. A shisha consists of very different parts, all of which have a different shape and are made from different materials. Of course, you also have to take these criteria into account when cleaning.

Clear the tobacco head

The tobacco bowl usually needs to be cleaned particularly intensively. Tobacco and coal leave their mark in it and stubborn adhesions form. However, you have to pay a little attention to the condition of the tobacco head. The procedure differs depending on the surface coating.

If you have a glazed bowl, you can first remove stubborn tobacco residue from the holes with a toothpick. Then rinse it with a little detergent and water. If there are still residues, you can soak the head in vinegar for about ten minutes and then rinse it thoroughly again.

Even with unglazed clay heads, it is important to first remove tobacco residue from the holes using a toothpick. Unglazed tobacco heads pose the risk of absorbing molasses and other liquids because the material is porous and liquid can enter. Stubborn residue can be removed with steel wool or by boiling in hot water.

You can easily clean glass heads and sieve inserts like the Dschinni Seflex in the dishwasher. Attachments such as the Kaloud or chimney require a little more care. You should clean the chimney attachment thoroughly with a brush before each smoking and the tube must also be cleared with a sharp object as a lot of residue accumulates there. You can simply soak the lotus attachment and other smokebox alternatives in hot water and then brush it off with a steel sponge.

Rinse the shisha hose

Silicone hoses and hoses with a stainless steel interior can simply be rinsed with hot water and then hung up to dry. If you want to clean your silicone hose thoroughly, we recommend boiling it in hot water. Cleaning traditional leather hoses is a little more difficult. Since their flexibility is often guaranteed by a wire spiral inside the hose, there is a risk that it will rust if water is used. And too much water is not a good idea for the leather, even if it is artificial leather. You can easily clean the inside of such hoses with a special hose brush or a piece of cloth. It is particularly important to hang up leather tubes so that any residual moisture can escape. If you notice water stains in the kinked areas of your leather hose, it is time to dispose of it, as germs collect in these areas and can no longer be removed.

Remove residues from the smoke column

The smoke column is usually particularly stubborn when it comes to contamination. Since it directs the smoke from the bowl to the bowl , many substances are deposited that can lead to an unpleasant taste when smoking after a while. In addition, molasses often flows from the bowl into the smoke column.

If the smoke column is very dirty, the best trick is to put a little toothpaste or “Schmand-Weg” on a moistened smoke column brush and use it to thoroughly brush out the inside of the smoke column. This means that everything can usually be removed without leaving any residue. You should then rinse it very thoroughly with clean water so that the taste of the cleaner does not stick. You can simply wipe the outside of the smoke column with a damp cloth and rub it well dry to avoid unsightly water stains.

For stainless steel and glass hookahs, it is also an option to place the smoke column and small individual parts in citric acid every now and then. To do this, simply mix a little citric acid with warm water. This will help you get rid of deposits that could otherwise damage the threads over time.

Wash the shisha bowl thoroughly

Of course, the shisha bowl also needs to be cleaned. Since it is directly connected to the smoke column, dirt also collects in the bowl. Simply dumping the water after smoking is not enough. Our Genie Bowls are very easy to clean as they are usually made of high borosilicate glass, which is very easy to clean and robust.

To get the bowl really clean, you should empty it and rinse it with water after each smoking. Ideally also clean with a bowl brush. It's also worth filling the bowl regularly with hot water and some sour cream to soak stubborn dirt. If necessary, you can then add some rice or coins to the bowl and swirl it around. This way you can get rid of even the smallest residue.

Finally, it's best to place all the parts individually on a tea towel so that they can dry well. If necessary, you can then clean the threads with a little cooking oil and then reassemble everything. Now your shisha is ready to use again for the next relaxing round of shisha.