When to Change Your Hookah Hose

This blog has been updated as of May 12th, 2022

Have you ever taken a pull from your hookah hose expecting one flavor, but instead you received your current blend mixed with your last couple of bowls? Weird right? You’ve cleaned your hookah and changed out the base water but the shisha flavor just isn’t coming through the right way.

This happens when the path that your smoke travels through isn’t clean and that path, in almost all situations, is your hookah hose.

A hookah and the bowl that accompanies it will last you forever with proper care, BUT today we’re going to show you the 3 signs to look for in a hose that needs to be swapped out.

If It’s Not Washable, Ditch It

A non-washable hose will be included with almost every Egyptian style hookah like Khalil Mamoon and modern gems like Mya Hookahs.

Some companies, like Pharaoh’s and Shika, have made the change to include a washable hose, but let’s stick to non-washable.

The non-washable style of hose will get you through your initial “trial and error” sessions if you’re just getting started with hookah. These hoses can last up to 5 months for people that don’t smoke too often; just remember to blow out any smoke that may be lingering at the end of your session to extend the hose life. 

Since this hose can’t be rinsed, it will be harder to switch between stronger flavor profiles without tasting the previous sessions. The lingering aroma will get stronger over time making it harder to taste the shisha that you desire.

You have two options here: dedicate the hose to a certain flavor profile or swap to a washable setup so you can wash the hose in between bowls.

Hose Discoloration

A brightly colored silicone hose can bring joy to a hookah fan that has just completed their custom hookah build.

Over time with typical use, your hookah hose may begin to show a slight discoloration in the tubing which happens faster to those that use their hose more often.

Can you clean it off? Nope. You can continue to wash as you would normally, but the discoloration doesn’t disappear.

Once the tubing darkens it can begin to affect your flavor the longer you use it, so be prepared to swap things out before all your favorite flavors have a different taste.

This is normal so don’t panic.

When you wanna knock out any of the stronger aromas trapped in your hose, use 1 part lemon juice to 1 part water as a rinse. The acidity of the lemon juice may lighten the color of your hose but it doesn’t extend its life.

Smell Test

The average hookah smoker should use a smell test to decide if they should continue use with their hose any longer.

It may look funny the first time, but bring the heel of the hose to your nose and push a little bit of air through the mouth tip. As long as you don’t have funky breath, this should be a clear indication as to what your desired hookah flavor is about to be up against on the way to your taste buds.

Rinse the hose with water and if it still smells, use the lemon juice mix above. If the smell persists after lemon water mix, it’s DEAD.

The hardcore hookah smokers may use a smell test to locate a hose in their collection that they use for certain flavors.

Keeping multiple silicone hoses in your stash will allow you to dedicate them to individual profiles like mint, double apple, fruit, or any other flavor you like to smoke.

This limits the amount of cleaning in-between sessions if you’re bouncing along a broad spectrum of flavors and extends the life by splitting up usage time.

In my personal experience, I change my hose more frequently when I use dark leaf tobacco as opposed to blonde leaf blends.

The dark leaf flavor profiles are a lot stronger and usually have a smokey back note that will easily take over a fresh hose, in comparison to my Starbuzz Geisha and Mighty Freeze mix, which don't have that smokey back note.

One of my favorite items in the shop is the 5-pack of Al Fakher disposable hoses because they’re super cheap and, even though they may not look as nice as my d-hose, I have 5 washable hoses to use. That goes a long way.

So When Should You Change It?

If you’re using a non-washable, I’d say replace it as soon as you can if you plan on trying out different flavors.

Just remember to blow out the smoke at the end of your session; it’s like putting a dish back with food still on it and pulling it out to use a month later. Maybe not the same but you feel me.

Silicone and washable leather users need to stick to their senses with sight and smell. I don’t know how often you smoke or how often you clean your hose, so there are SEVERAL variables at play here.

I would say every 3-4 months if you’re smoking every day. But it also depends on what you’re smoking as well as the temperature of your smoke during your session.

If you like lighter, less intense clouds, it will be a while before you have to change your hose. But if you’re pulling a lot of smoke through 24/7, the longevity of the hose changes.

So the easiest thing to say is: if it stinks, and/or if it looks bad, it's time to swap it.

Yes, the first session with that new hose might have a fresh plastic aftertaste for a moment, but after that initial taste, you’ll have clean flavor and a better-looking hose.

What’s the longest time you’ve kept a hose in rotation and when do you like to change out your hose? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll catch you on the next blog.

Thanks for reading, you rock!

SMOKEorPASS