Formula 420 Cleaner Review — 5 Things You Need to Know

This Formula 420 cleaner review comes straight from Fordee at Herbistry420 after he received the 2oz All Natural Cleaner in his Daily High Club monthly subscription box. Rather than test it quietly off-camera, he decided to film a full bong-cleaning session with a genuinely filthy piece — so you can see exactly what Formula 420 does to heavy oil buildup in real time. Here are 5 things you need to know before buying.

Formula 420 Cleaner Review — 5 Key Findings

After running a full cleaning session with the Formula 420 cleaner, here’s what Fordee found:

1. It actually works on heavy dab residue. The bong used in this review had significant oil buildup from multiple dab sessions. After two shake cycles with Formula 420 All Natural Cleaner, the glass came out nearly spotless. The only remaining residue was in a narrow hard-to-reach section that would need a pipe cleaner to finish — everything else wiped clean.
2. The smell is surprisingly pleasant. Before use, Formula 420 has a fresh citrus scent — clean and natural, not chemical. After rinsing, there’s no smell at all. The glass smells like brand new, zero isopropyl residue, zero chemical odor. This alone makes it stand out from traditional isopropyl + salt cleaners.
3. It contains a crystalline salt-like solution. The cleaner works through a combination of liquid solution and what appears to be salt crystals that agitate against the glass during shaking. Fordee describes seeing the crystals coat the inside of the bong during use. The method: shake the bottle first, pour into bong, cap the openings, shake vigorously for one minute.
4. You probably don’t need to use the full 2oz bottle per clean. Fordee admits he overdid it — he used nearly the entire bottle on a single bong and got great results, but he believes half the amount would have been sufficient for his level of dirty. For moderately dirty pieces, you should get 2–3 cleans from a single 2oz bottle.
5. The verdict: it’s a keeper for the rotation. Formula 420 won’t fully replace isopropyl for every situation, but for a natural, residue-free clean with a pleasant scent, it earns its place. Fordee says he’ll add it to his cleaning rotation, especially when he wants the glass to taste completely neutral for the next session.

How to Use Formula 420 Cleaner – All Natural Cleaner

The cleaning process is straightforward. Here’s the 3-step method shown in the Formula 420 cleaner review video:

1. Shake the bottle. The crystals settle to the bottom during storage, so shake the Formula 420 bottle well before opening — like a “shake weight” as Fordee puts it. This distributes the cleaning crystals throughout the liquid.
2. Pour into your bong. Remove the water from your piece, then pour in enough Formula 420 to coat the dirty areas. If you have silicone stoppers (available from BlackLeaf), use them to plug the downstem hole and carb to prevent spills.
3. Shake for 1 minute and rinse. Cap the openings and shake firmly for at least one minute. You can repeat for stubborn buildup. Rinse thoroughly with water and you’re done.

Formula 420 Cleaner vs. Isopropyl: Which Is Better?

Traditional isopropyl alcohol (91%+) with coarse salt is the go-to for most cannabis users — it’s cheap, widely available, and effective. Formula 420 All Natural Cleaner offers a different value proposition: it’s plant-based, leaves no chemical residue or smell, and is genuinely pleasant to use. The trade-off is cost — Formula 420 is more expensive per use than a bottle of isopropyl. For occasional deep cleans where you want zero residue, Formula 420 wins. For regular maintenance cleaning, isopropyl is still cost-effective. The best approach? Keep both on hand.