How to Clean Your Portable Vaping Pen
Regularly cleaning your vaping pen cannot be stressed enough. From the health advantages to the taste quality of each vape, the benefits of a clean pen are endless. Not only will build-up affect flavor and increase the risk of bacterial growth, but it can also reduce the function and efficiency of your device. With the monetary investment some pens require, cleaning is a necessary and easy way to get your money’s worth out of your device. For the best method to cleaning a vaping pen, follow the four simple steps below.
- Battery. Remove battery from the bottom of your device and inspect. Look for any contaminants that may have spilled on the battery and wipe them off using either a dry cloth or a cloth with very little rubbing alcohol for disinfecting. If using alcohol, wipe with a lightly dampened cloth afterward and let it dry completely before plugging it back in.
- Loading chamber. You will need to use a different cleaning technique for this part depending on the type of vaporizer you have. If you are using a dry herb chamber, simply empty the contents and use a dry cleaning brush, Q-tip, or pipe cleaner to wipe the inside of the chamber. Since the chamber includes wiring to heat the product and produce vapor, practice extreme caution around the coils. If they break, your vape pen is useless. If you wish to sanitize the inside of your chamber, you can dip your cleaning utensil in rubbing alcohol or a specialized vape cleaner, but make sure the cleaner doesn’t touch any part of the coils. Cleaning it upside-down helps prevent this from occurring. For essential oil chambers, never use a cleaning solution or rubbing alcohol to clean the inside. You can use rubbing alcohol to clean the threading where the chamber screws into other parts of the pen, but be careful not to get it inside of the chamber. To remove grime, only use a dry Q-tip or other cleaning utensil and be cautious not to disturb the wiring. Oil tanks that hold e-liquid, or “vape juice”, will need to be emptied, wiped with a dry Q-tip, rinsed with water, and dried before adding more e-liquid.
- Mouthpiece. If your mouthpiece is plastic or rubber, you can boil it to sanitize. Metal and glass pieces can soak 20-30 seconds in isopropyl alcohol before being wiped clean. To promote sanitation and cleanliness, you will want to at least wipe down the outside of your mouthpiece with an alcohol wipe after each use, especially if sharing the pen with others.
- Screen. Build-up and lodged pieces of dry material in a screen can reduce airflow of your device and decrease its functionality. Once you remove the screen and dislodge any large grime, soak it in isopropyl alcohol for a few seconds and wipe clean.
After cleaning each piece and letting them completely dry out, reassemble your device for its next use. Not only will you enjoy the crisp flavor of your freshly loaded product in your clean device, but you’ll also enjoy knowing your few minutes of work are going a long way in preserving the longevity of your vaporizer. (Learn about common vaping myths here.)
- Abbigail Montgomery
