A Hose Destroyed in 90 Days

Rashid opened a lounge in Dubai with a dozen ensembles de narguilés. He invested in premium hookahs with quality cuvettes de narguilés and the best shisha tobacco. He picked silicone hoses for their clean and modern appearance.

Three months later, the hoses were all destroyed.

The silicone turned yellow. The walls of the hose fused together. Rashid was forced to replace all of them. He lost a lot of money and the trust prevention of his customers.

Silicone hoses, unlike metal hoses, require no special care.

This article will teach your lounge/brewery customers how to properly care for hoses. This way they will last longer and more useable. This will keep your customers happy.

Why Do Silicone Hoses Require Special Care?

Silicone hoses are popular for many reasons. They do not rust. They do not corrode. They bend easily. They are safe to put in the dishwasher.

However, silicone does have a one weakness.

Silicone is porous at a molecular level. Smoke particles, oils, and moisture eventually will get deposited onto the hose. The result is discoloration, stiffness and inner walls sticking together.

This can be exacerbated with heat, direct sunlight, and harsh cleaners. Without the right care a silicone hose will last a few months. With proper care, it could last a few years.

Your hoses are your connection to your customers with every puff they take. Each customers session pulls smoke through your hoses. That smoke carries more than just water vapor, it carries glycerin, oils, and particulate matter. These particles cling to the surface and are not as easy to wipe away as water.

Your customers are definitely going to smoke way more than your average Joe. Conservatively, a single hose could see 10 sessions a day. That is 10 times the tobacco residue of a home hookah. Commercial hookah lounges certainly require a commercial level care regime.

This is particularly pertinent to lounge owners purchasing through a silicone hookah hose wholesale supplier. When purchasing wholesale, the inventory is expected to last, otherwise it is a wasted purchase.

Daily Cleaning Protocol

Clean the hose after each session. Yes, each session. Residue, once it hardens, becomes a much more difficult problem to remove.

Tools You Will Need

Before starting this most important step, the right tools are essential. You are going to need a soft silicone cleaning brush, white vinegar, a squeeze bottle, and a hookah hose dryer.

Metal brushes are a no go. Also a no go, bleach or dish soap. Remain with the right tools and the hose remains in good condition.

Dialing in on a safe location for a cleaning station setup simplifies the process, and employees will naturally adopt it.

Step 1: Rinse with Warm Water

For thirty seconds run some warm water through the hose. Water should really be lukewarm, any hotter and the hose might get destroyed.

Hold one end under the tap and let the water run through until it is clear. Remove any excess water by shaking.

Step 2: Cleaning Solution

Vinegar and water can effectively clean silicone. With a 1/4 part vinegar and 3/4 part water solution, fill a squeeze bottle and give it a good squirt. Leave the solution in the hose for at least 5 minutes, then rinse with warm water. As a side note, it is not recommended to use dish soap in the cleaning process as it can leave a residue in the hose, trapping particulates.

Step 3: Air Push

Use an air pump or a hookah hose dryer to help eliminate any left over water. Water trapped in the hose can lead to modeling and significantly aids the yellowing of the hose.

As an alternative, you can try swinging the hose in slow verticle circles. The centrifugal force will help eliminate water left in the hose. Make sure you do this outside or over a sink.

Weekly Deep Cleaning

For more intensive cleaning, consider a silicone hose cleaning brush. Push it through the hose several times to clean, and then it can be rinsed with the vinegar solution. If there is a lot of buildup, it is recommended to soak the hose in warm vinegar and water for 30 minutes before the process.

Do not use bleach, alcohol, or citrus based cleaners as they can also breakdown the silicone and cause yellowing and cracking.

Drying Standards

Most of the damage to hoses is done by trapping water inside the hose and leaving it to sit over time. Properly drying the hose after every use is paramount to proper maintenance of the product.

Hanging Position

Always hang hoses vertically. This allows gravity to keep both ends down. Hanging the hose this way also allows better air circulation.

Never coil a hose while it is still wet. Coiling means the moisture stays trapped in the hose. Do not hang hoses on a single hook. This creates a U shape, allowing the water to collect at the bottom.

The Silicone Hose Dryer Tool

There are many other specialized hose dryers. They keep hoses straight. They also have air pushers and fans. Some hose dryers also use gentle heat.

The traditional way of drying hoses can take hours. For a busy lounge, where faster drying times mean a better rotation of hoses, having a dryer can be essential.

Drying Times

Hoses need to be hung for a minimum of four hours. In areas with a higher humidity level, hanging hoses overnight is better. One way to check, is to shake the hose over a towel. If the towel stays dry, keep the hose drying.

Preventing Adhesion Sticking of the Inner Walls

Silicone tubing can fuse together, preventing smoke from passing through, and is commonly known as sticking. Sticking can be caused by three things.

The first reason is the presence of moisture. This causes a swelling of the walls, which presses the tubes and causes sticking.

The second reason for sticking is caused by the residue from Glycerin and oils from the shisha tobacco. When the tubing is unused, the residue coats the tubing and acts as glue.

The third reason is heat. Storing hoses near hookahs or in hot places can soften the tubing, causing it to stick to itself.

Preventing Sticking

If tubing does stick, do not attempt to forcibly pull the tubing apart. Holes can be torn in the silicone.

Ten minutes in warm water hydrates the residue. Squeeze the hose to break the seal. Then, run water through it.

Perform the weekly deep cleaning on it. Ensure it is completely dry before you store it.

Preventing Sticking

To prevent sticking, keep hoses dry (including the insides). Store PVC hoses straight and keep rubber hoses from being tightly coiled. Do not allow sharp bends.

To prevent sticking, use a food-grade silicone lubricant. Use silicone-only lubricants. Brands not made for silicone worsen the integrity of the hose.

Store hoses in a cool, dry area. Room temperature of 10°C to 25°C is ideal.

Preventing Yellowing

Although the cosmetic issue of yellowing is minor, it is a problem when it is noticeable. Yellow hoses appear dirty and old, regardless of cleanliness.

Yellowing occurs through oxidation. Tar and oils from smoke react with silicone. UV light quickly ages silicone.

UV Protection

Avoid direct sunlight on hoses. Store hoses in drawers and cabinets. If your lounge has large windows, keep hoses away from the glass.
UV light is the fastest cause of yellowing. A hose left in sunlight for a week will yellow noticeably. The same hose stored in the dark stays clear for months.

Cleaning Frequency

To avoid permanent stains hose should be cleaned after every smoking session. This is the single most effective method of keeping the hoses from looking worn.

Quality of Silicone

Not all silicone hoses are identical. Food-grade silicone is better than standard silicone and will not yellow and less costly hoses will yellow quickly.

While looking at hookah hose silicone wholesale distributors, make sure to inquire about the silicone grade. Hoses with a higher grade will not need to be replaced as much and thus, is more cost effective.

Best Practices for Hose Storage

Storage is where most of the damage occurs. Hoses will sit unused for an extended period of time and improper storage can render the benefits from cleaning the hoses useless.

Straight vs Coiled

If possible, storage should keep hoses stored straight. Hoses should not be stored coiled due to the kinks that can occur while coiled.

Loose coils should be stored with a coil diameter of 30 centimeters or more.

Temperature and Humidity

Hoses should be stored in an environment that is controlled with room temperature. Basements and attics should be avoided due to the inconsistent temperatures.

Humidity speeds degradation. A dehumidifier should be kept in storage to regulate the humidity to under 60%.

Separation from Other Materials

Hoses should not be stored near cleaning chemicals as the silicone can absorb the evaporated chemicals from these products and will weaken and discolor.

When to Replace Silicone Hoses

Hoses crack as silicone deteriorates. Cracks collected residue and are permanent.

Permanent stiffness: Hoses used to curl but now retain bends. This demonstrates the silicone’s loss of flexibility.

Persistent odor: Sour smells that will not wash out may indicate some kind of fungus or bacterial growth in the silicone.

Heavy yellowing: Yellowing that remains after aggressive scrubbing indicates a permanent stain.

For commercial lounges, hoses should be replaced every 6-12 months, while residential users can stretch the replacement frequency to 18 months. These timeframes should be regarded as rough guidelines, as the actual life of the hose will vary depending on how they are used and how well care is maintained.

Choosing the Right Silicone Hose

Not every hose performs the same. When investing through a silicone hookah hose wholesale supplier, keep the following in mind.

Platinum cured silicone: This type is the best grade of silicone, is resistant to yellowing, cracking, and odor retention.

Thick walls: Hoses with thick walls have additional durability against kinking and damage. The walls of hoses should be no less than 3 millimeters.

Removable ends: Hoses that have detachable mouthpieces and bowl connectors are easier to clean as you have direct access to the inner hose surface.

Transparent or light color: Hoses that are darker in color will eventually degrade while hiding dirt. Light colored hoses will show when they need a wash.

Linkup Hookah provides commercial grade use custom soft-touch silicone hoses which feature thick walls and platinum cured silicone. Custom Carbon Fiber Aluminum Handles can be paired with Custom Soft Touch Silicone Hoses to provide a premium lounge experience.

Training your Staff

The silicone hoses will maintain their quality for the expected grounds time frame when used within the conditions listed above, and paired with appropriately designed components. The success of the care program relies on the staff’s ability to follow the care routine. Incorporate hose cleaning into the closing procedure.

Post a cleaning checklist near the wash station. Use pictures. It should be easy.

Do a short training for new hires. Show them the rinse-brush-dry method and let them ask questions and practice. A five-minute training can save you many dollars due to unnecessary hose replacements.

Make a daily checklist. Each hose gets a row, each cleaning step gets a column. Staff initials give accountability. It’s clear who initialized what.

Perform a weekly inspection on a select day. Friday works best for most. Each hose should be inspected for yellowing, stiffness, sticking, or cracking. The condition can be documented with a simple spreadsheet.

Designate a person to inspect the hoses for each week and assign them to look for yellowing, stiffness, and cracks. This will save hoses.

Hoses on a Replacement Schedule

The hoses should be swapped after a designated amount of time. Each hose should be marked with the date of purchase for record-keeping.

Common Mistakes Lounge Owners Make

Owners make many mistakes. Avoid these to extend the life of your hoses.

Using Dish Soap.

Dish soap leaves behind a residue trapping film. Switch to a vinegar solution.

Boiling Hoses.

Boiling hoses to sanitize them is a bad determination. It can ruin hoses. A room-temperature cleaning method can help.

Hoses Attached to the Hookah.

Hoses attached to hookahs collect falling ash and the heat from the bowl. Those hoses should be removed after each hookah session.

Brush Selection.

Making your choice of brush should be done carefully. A metal or stiff brush can scratch and weaken a silicone surface. A weak point should never be scratched. Use soft silicone brushes.

Ignoring the mouthpiece:

The mouthpiece end is a saliva and bacteria trap. Clean it with a silicone-safe disinfectant.

Final thoughts:

Silicone hoses are a worthwhile investment. They are durable if properly maintained. Failing to properly maintain them leads to their rapid downfall.

Be sure to clean the hose after the last session each day. Before returning the hose to storage, make sure it is completely dry. When storing, keep it in a cool and dark environment. Have your employees trained and replace the hoses as scheduled.

These steps require little effort or time on your part. But, they help maintain the health of your silicone hoses.

A good quality silicone hose can cost a small fortune when purchased in wholesale quantities. With bad maintenance, that hose is completely unusable in three months. With a good maintenance routine, that hose can last a year or longer. You can save 75% on replacement costs.

Your lounge relies on repeat customers. Clean hoses make clean smoke. Clean smoke contributes to happy customers and returning customers.

If a lounge owner wants to purchase silicone hoses in wholesale quantities, Linkup Hookah, a silicone hose partner, is the best option. Their hoses, properly maintained with Linkup Hookah’s care advice, will last longer and be more durable.

Linkup Hookah has a quality selection of their custom hoses and accessories for lounge owners to check out.