The vape is at the center of many controversies, whether it is about its presumed consequences on health , its effectiveness in quitting smoking or the relevance of banning flavors in e-liquids. The vaping community doesn’t just have friends.
Within this community of spirit, passion and conviction, the differences are, fortunately, much more trivial. In particular, each vaping fan has his own answer to the question: “how to properly clean his vape? “. In this article, we give you common sense advice to ensure the longevity of your equipment and above all, to ensure perfect hygiene, while devoting a limited amount of time to it. You’ll see, it’s quite an art!
Why clean your steamer?
The first imperative is health. Your vaporizer is a nomadic device that you put in your mouth dozens of times a day. It is therefore potentially covered with microbes and other viruses. In the current pandemic context, remember the number of times you touched a door handle, then put your hand in your pocket, directly on the drip-tip of your vaporizer!
The thorough cleaning of your equipment also serves to ensure your comfort of use. In addition to aesthetic considerations, dust or other residues of old aromas can alter the restitution of flavors and, if they reach your resistance, cause a burnt taste. It is also essential to have well-maintained equipment to maximize its performance!
Finally, the purpose of cleaning and maintenance is to preserve the life of your equipment. As it becomes clogged, it will be less and less effective… and will become clogged all the more quickly, which, ultimately, will increase the risk of a severe hardware failure.
Equipment needed for cleaning
In the land of steamer cleaning, the paper towel is king. Thanks to it, you can mop up the excess e-liquid, clean the accessible elements of your equipment, or even accelerate its drying after cleaning with water. However, you have to be aware of its limits: it leaves fibers on the material. Purists will use microfibers.
To rub, clean, and polish, nothing like old toothbrushes, as well as brushes with not too rough bristles. We advise you to avoid cotton swabs, which have the annoying tendency to decompose and sow cotton everywhere.
Finally, as far as the products are concerned, everyone has their recipe. But for a thorough cleaning, vinegar, baking soda and/or dishwashing liquid will do the trick. You see, nothing too extravagant! If you had an unlimited budget, the ideal would be to acquire an ultrasonic tank. But 99% of vapers will skip this superfluous purchase.
Daily: cleaning the drip-tip
In terms of hygiene, the drip tip is the most vulnerable part of your vaporizer. Interface between your mouth and your vape material, it accumulates dead skin, saliva, e-liquid residues, viruses and bacteria. A bit like the “mammoth balls” (sic) that you, or your children, left lying on the edge of the fireplace in the 2000s, before bringing them to their mouths again: it’s a nest of germs. It must therefore be washed very regularly, ideally several times a day. This is even more true in this pandemic period.
It could not be easier. Detach it from the clearomiser, pass it under lukewarm water and scour it (for example, with a bottle brush, or a paper towel pushed with a wand). When you want to clean it more thoroughly, you can use dishwashing liquid, or even soak it in a bath of baking soda and/or white vinegar. Then just let it dry.
Careful cleaning of electronic parts
If you can go frankly with the cleaning of your clearomiser, the electronic parts of your pod or your box are very sensitive. Hell (the destruction of your beloved vaper) is paved with good intentions (maintenance).
To avoid any risk, you will just have to clean the outside of the mod and the 510 connection with a very slightly moistened paper towel (or microfiber), and without product. Also take the opportunity, from time to time, to blow a blow in the USB socket and thus ensure a good connection when recharging. You can also wipe the outside with an antibacterial wipe, but that’s really one part of your vaporizer where you shouldn’t be overzealous.
For the interior of your box, do not play the sorcerer’s apprentice. Your batteries do not need to be cleaned. It is nevertheless wise, from time to time, to wipe it with a paper towel, to see if you observe any traces of rust. If the test is positive, it will be necessary, depending on the case, to change the sheath , or change the battery .
Conclusion
As you will have understood, cleaning your vaping equipment is above all a matter of common sense. The drip-tip must be systematically cleaned, because you wear it very regularly in your mouth. The clearomiser adapts to a cleaning every two to three weeks, on the occasion of the replacement of the resistance. Finally, some more sensitive parts will have to be changed rather than cleaned, when they no longer fulfill their function. Beyond the proper cleaning of your equipment, its longevity depends above all on your vaping habits. Do not leave your vaporizer on the edge of a high piece of furniture, fill your tank in time to avoid dry hits and regularly inspect the operating condition of your equipment are habits to adopt, which are just as important.