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How And Why You Should Clean A Vaporizer
Starting life brand new and shiny, it doesn't take long before a vaporizer is clogged with the remnants of your past sessions. This is not a bad thing, just a way of life for keen vapers. However, the problems will start to occur if you don’t remove that buildup between sessions, or give your vaporizer a cleansing after each use.
SHOW YOUR VAPORIZER SOME LOVE
Although it is true that you get what you pay for, even cheaper vaporizers can last that little bit longer when properly maintained. If you ever needed a reason to clean your vaporizer, think of the following example: After we eat, we clean our teeth.
Not only does it keep our teeth healthy, but it prevents the food we ate yesterday from ruining or tainting the flavour of our meals today. The same reasoning applies to vaporizers. By not correctly cleaning them, you will destroy the character, taste, and subsequent high of any vaped herb. Also, expect those attributes to get progressively worse the longer you avoid cleaning.
CLEANING IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN THE BEST PERFORMANCE
We don’t want it to feel like we are labouring the point, but a lack of cleanliness will also shorten the lifespan of any vaporizer, regardless of its build quality. Residue buildup will make your vaporizer work harder than it needs to, eventually damaging the heating element. In a worse case scenario, it can force the vape unit to conk out. Anyway, we don’t want to sound like a broken record. A clean vaporizer equals clean vapour—period!
HOW TO CLEAN A DRY HERB VAPORIZER
Follow these three simple tips for quick, effective cleaning. Your vaporizer will look good as new after every use.
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LIGHTLY CLEAN AFTER EACH USE
Most vaporizers on the market will come with a small cleaning brush. It looks a little bit like a miniature version of the brush cooks use to apply glaze. If a brush was not included, you want something small enough to fit into the edges of your herb chamber. The brush also needs to have hard bristles rather than soft ones to make sure you can remove the most residue.
As part of a daily routine, empty the herb chamber after each use and brush off the remains of your session. Pay particular attention to any screens or mesh areas; residue buildup here has the most significant impact on the vapour flavour. Start by turning the unit upside down and lightly tapping it on the top of a table. You will not damage the vaporizer, but you will remove any stubborn chunks of old weed.
Use the same technique for the mouthpiece, and if your vaporizer has a removable battery, take it out and lightly wipe it down. Do not use water or wash your vaporizer under the tap. This may cause damage to the electrical components within. Pipe cleaners or cotton buds can also be useful for cleaning after each session, rather than a brush.
2. USE 99% ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
Generally speaking, isopropyl alcohol is the best solution you can use to clean a vaporizer without damaging key parts, or impacting the skin on your hands. To start with, either dab a cloth or the end of a cotton bud in the alcohol and start cleaning around the following areas:
- The rim of the herb chamber
- Any screens
- The mouthpiece
Pay particular attention to the mouthpiece; after all, it is the one part of the vaporizer that you come into contact with every time you vape.
On most devices, the screens are removable. If you have a particularly bad buildup of residue, you can remove the screen and soak it in the isopropyl alcohol. Only ever soak glass or steel elements. For anything else, see tip number three for further advice. If, however, there are any wood finishes to the vaporizer, these need to be avoided entirely, for the isopropyl alcohol will stain or discolour wooden parts.
3. DEEP CLEAN WHEN SWITCHING STRAINS
To undertake a deep clean, you should take apart all removable parts, rubbing down each one with a cotton ball soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Although it is possible to soak some types of plastic in a cleaning solution overnight, there is a risk of discolouration or damage. You also want to avoid soaking any vaporizer parts that have silicone seals or rubber attached to them. Instead, these parts will need to be cleaned by hand.
Before loading the herb chamber, reassemble the vape unit and leave it on the highest temperature setting for 5 minutes. Doing so will allow any remaining cleaning solution to burn off, without you inhaling chemicals that may irritate your throat. Make sure you deep clean when you are switching between strains, especially ones with distinct differences in flavour. To fully appreciate all the flavours each dried herb has to offer, you need a clean and untarnished vaporizer.
