We smoke a ridiculous amount of cannabis each month. So you’re probably not shocked to learn that our pipes and bongs are always getting plugged up with resin and turning into disgusting messes.
Historically I’ve found good old fashioned rubbing alcohol does the best job cleaning accessories but I’m also interested in new or more effective solutions that can loosen up grime from those hard to reach areas.
Today we’re reviewing Pink Formula and Pink Formula Plus which have become popular for their ability to clean glass, ceramic, metal and Pyrex – this cleaner was really designed for bongs and pipes. We figured since our equipment gets heavy use (you’ll see below) that it would be the perfect test to see how effective Pink Formula is and whether it’s worth the money.
QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION
The standard Pink Formula comes in a 16 oz plastic bottle with a screw-on lids. According to their advertising this cleaning solution works on a variety of surface types without leaving any aftertaste or smell. The claim is that it gets immediate results – no need to scrub or soak.
Pink Formula Plus arrived in the same plastic bottle but had a sweet bubblegum scent and Pink Himalayan sea salt. This was added to create friction to increase effectiveness in hard to reach areas that have large amounts of caked resin. Much like the standard product, they claim this formula gets immediate results by simply shaking the bottle to activate.
Pink Formula Wipes came in box of 100 pieces and are made from 70% ISO Alcohol with 30% water. These wipes are 50 GSM thick (meaning they won’t tear easily) and measure 4″ x 2.5″ each. These are suppose to be ideal for cleaning dab tools, carb caps, bangers, banger joints or rig joints as well as mouthpieces and bowls after individual uses.
EASE OF USE
If you clean your cannabis supplies after each use then Pink Formula or the Pink Formula ISO Wipes should work well since there is little residue built up at this stage. The wipes were ideal for sticky concentrate surfaces, dab tools, carb caps, bangers, banger joints and rig joints as well as mouthpieces and bowls. However if you have large amounts of residue built up these wipes will not do the trick.
Pink Formula Plus was a little more difficult to use because of the Pink Himalayan sea salt. We found it tricky to get enough salt and solution because it quickly sinks to the bottom of the bottle.
The items we chose to clean hadn’t been cleaned in a long time and after many uses. These pieces were so dirty and clogged that they were no longer usable. It did require soaking overnight in Pink Formula Plus and a bit of wiping but most of the residue came off.
One thing that did surprise us was how quickly it started to work. Within a few seconds of adding the solution we noticed the resin began to melt and turn into a semi-solid liquid. You’ll see what I mean below as the photos show how it looked after 60 seconds, 15 minutes and 24 hours.
Using Pink Formula is the same as any other cleaning solution:
- Shake the bottle to activate
- Pour into glass pipe while covering all openings
- Swish around the formula for 45-60 seconds
- Let soak until clean
- Rinse with hot water
*Smaller items, place the object in a resealable plastic bag
*For more stubborn residue you should soak overnight
OVERALL VALUE
- Pink Formula standard was pretty much coloured ISO alcohol with a price tag of $12 for a 16 oz bottle. We likely would not buy this product again.
- Pink Formula Plus was scented with Pink Himalayan sea salt but also it’s more expensive at $13 for a 16oz bottle. We found Pink Formula Plus to be the most effective and if we ordered again from this brand it would be this product.
- Pink Formula Wipes although handy were pretty much your basic alcohol wipes that can be bought anywhere. We likely would not buy this product again.
Long story short, we did find Pink Formula was more effective and efficient than rubbing alcohol alone, but it’s hard to say if that slight improvement in performance would be worth paying nearly double the price (compared to a bottle of ISO alcohol). We’d recommend grabbing a bottle of the PLUS formula so you have something on hand for those hard to clean areas where pipe cleaners don’t reach.
