Maintenance is key when it comes to extending the life of your vaporizer and ensuring that your vaping remains a consistently pure and clean experience. Knowing how to clean your vaporizer, therefore, is an essential skill — something that would definitely be in the syllabus of Vaping 101.

vaporizer
Original Image Source: nyulocal.com

If you slept through that class, however, here are the best ways to clean and maintain tabletop and portable vaporizers.

cleaning your vaporizer
Vape pen cleaning supplies!

To thoroughly clean your vape, you’ll need some cotton swabs, paper towels, and alcohol. Any type of clear alcohol will work for your purposes, from top shelf vodka to drug store rubbing alcohol. We wouldn’t advise heading out and buying vodka especially for the purpose though, as this isn’t a terribly cost-effective method of cleaning your vaporizer.

How to Clean and Maintain a Tabletop Vape

vaporizer vape resin
Resin Build-up. Source: fuckcombustion.com

Tabletop vapes are dependable, effective, and easy to use – but require routine maintenance to keep it in working order. You’ll find that after using your vape for a couple of weeks, the bowl, screen, and even the tube or bag can accumulate sticky resin that can seem impossible to reach and clean. We covered how to get reclaim out of vapes and some easy and creative ways to use it, check out the links for some great know-how.

Ideally, you’ll want to clean your vaporizer parts before airflow becomes restricted – doing so will extend the life of your vaporizer and allow you to extract that extra bit of value from it. We’ll ease into it with a dead simple method.

READ  Exclusive: Interview with David Mathews, founder and CEO of Billowby.com!

1. Disassemble your vaporizer

vaporizer parts
Source: Volcanotips.com

Take out all of the removable / replaceable parts and put them on a paper towel or plate.

2. Soak removable parts in alcohol

You can soak ceramic, metal, rubber, and plastic parts in alcohol, giving them a wipe with a paper towel to remove the resin and build-up. You can use rubbing alcohol, vodka, or any other liquid with a high alcohol percentage.

3. Clean other parts with alcohol using a cotton swab or tissue

Should there be some buildup inside the hard-to-reach places, you’ll want to get a little more involved and cotton swab them before rinsing. Use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol to reach all those nooks and crannies in your vape that can’t be easily removed. Let it dry completely, and that’s all there really is to it!

How to Clean and Maintain a Vape Pen

How to clean a G-pen
Vape pen in need of cleaning

Discreet and ultra-portable, handheld vaporizers and vaporizer pens are rightfully popular. They are also just as easy to clean as tabletop vaporizers, and follow similar steps. Disassemble, separate, and gently swab with cleaning alcohol or vodka.

If you’ve got an oil or wax vaporizer, take extra care – the coils are advertised to last around 4-6 weeks, but they can last much longer if handled properly.

how to clean a G-pen or vape pen
Use a needle and alcohol swab to clean out the threads, making it easier to unscrew.

It’s likely that you won’t need to soak any parts in alcohol, unless your vape has larger, removable pieces. A cotton swab soaked in alcohol should work just fine. Gently wipe around the chamber to remove the black residue. Avoid handling the wick and coil to prevent damage and prolong the life of the coil.

READ  Exclusive: Interview with David Mathews, founder and CEO of Billowby.com!

When using dry herbs in a vaporizer pen, it’s easiest to clean it right after use. Doing so will prevent the buildup of black residue on the inside of the dry chamber. Simply unscrew the heating chamber and gently tap the side, so that you can empty it straight into the trash. Use a fine cleaning brush, the cleaning tool that came with the device, or a makeshift one (like a bobby pin or paperclip) to clear out any stubborn remainders.

Keep Batteries Clean and Dry

Depending on the structure of your vape, the battery may be exposed to dirt and residue. This can deteriorate the battery and lead to a shorter battery life and poor overall performance. To keep your vape from turning into a paper weight, store it upright and keep the device and battery chamber clean and free of dust, residue, and humidity. Make sure to use the supplied power accessories to protect the integrity of the battery and electronics.