Vaporizer cleaning & maintenance

How do you clean a vaporizer the right way?

Everyone knows that Vaporizer must be cleaned regularly. But how do you clean your vaporizer correctly? Here we want to give you an overview what you have to consider when cleaning your vaporizer. The best cleaning method is Isopropylalkohol, because it is a very strong solvent. How do I clean a vaporizer with and without isopropyl alcohol? Which elements can be soaked or wiped off and which should not come into contact with alcohol at all? Find out!

Vaporizer: Why is regular cleaning so important?

Why is it so important that every vaporizer is cleaned regularly if it is to work well? One of the reasons is the fact that the warm vapor condenses when it comes into contact with the cooler elements of the vaporizer, creating sticky, resinous buildup. As airways become clogged over time, the performance of your vaporizer will decrease over time. Initially the vapor quality decreases, then the air flow is gradually blocked. A lack of cleaning therefore shortens the lifespan and functionality of a vaporizer, regardless of its processing quality.

Tip: You can take some AVB (Already Vaped Bud) or ginger and fill the chamber with it. Then heat it up and then GENTLY blow into the vapor path from the other side. This way you will lose some of the manufacturing residues that could otherwise cause a bad taste. This is highly recommended for new appliances. Unfortunately this technique does not work with all portable vaporizers.

We should not ignore the health aspect, because only a clean vaporizer provides clean vapor. Cleaning has a direct influence on the quality of the vapor! Residues cause the vaporizer to lose power and in the worst case even the heating element to be damaged.

A word on the warranty conditions of vaporizers:

Keep in mind only by carefully handling all parts of your vaporizer will you ensure that all defects and malfunctions that may occur are covered by the warranty conditions.

How do I clean a herbal vaporizer properly?

The residues can be removed relatively easily with isopropyl alcohol. However, care should be taken here as the solvent is very strong and not all materials should come into contact with it. It is best to wear gloves during cleaning.

If you consider the following tips, cleaning is quick and effective. Your vaporizer will almost look like new.

Cleaning the vaporizer after each session without alcohol:

Most vaporizers on the market come with a small cleaning brush. If a brush is not included, you will need something small enough to fit in the herb chamber. The brush should have hard rather than soft bristles. This makes it easy to brush off residues. We recommend brushing out the herb chamber and screen after each use. Also Alcohol soaked wipes can quickly help to remove small resin build up.

IMPORTANT: Never let plastic brushes or pipe cleaners come into contact with hot parts. Let the unit cool down sufficiently to avoid this!

Cleaning of mouthpiece and cooling chamber:

It is particularly important to check and clean the sieve here. It can either be brushed off or the holes can be cleaned with a needle. Do not use water and do not rinse the vaporizer under running water! This can damage the electrical components. Pipe Cleaner or cotton swabs can be useful instead of a brush for cleaning after each session. Screens are well suited for cleaning with alcohol. The cooling chambers can sometimes be removed and dismantled into several parts. This makes cleaning easier.

Which vaporizer parts can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol?

The easiest way to clean the vaporizer parts is to soak the individual components in isopropyl alcohol. You can do this whenever you feel that the vaporizer needs to be cleaned properly (1-2 times a week should do). The rule of thumb is: The longer the parts are soaked, the easier it is to clean them. You can soak all glass and steel elements - they can stay in alcohol overnight. In the morning it is usually sufficient to rinse the parts under clear water and let them dry properly.

Some plastic elements, such as the cooling chambers of Crafty+ and Mighty, can also be soaked with isopropyl alcohol (be sure to remove the O-Rings first!). Care must be taken with plastic parts, however. The term "plastic" is not clearly defined and covers different types of materials. Some of them (e.g. high density polyethylene or polypropylene) can be easily cleaned with alcohol, but others may discolour or dissolve when soaked in alcohol. Since the end customer usually does not know exactly which type of plastic is ultimately used in the production of the vaporizer, we recommend another method.

Instead of softening the plastic elements, they can also be wiped off with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol or a Q-tip. So you are sure that the alcohol cannot damage the plastic parts of your vaporizer. For cleaning glass and silicone gaskets and inhalation tubes we recommend Limpuro cleaning solution. This cleaner is gentle but strong enough to remove most contaminants.

How to clean a vaporizer?

What things are needed or supportive?

Kitchen roll: for drying individual parts after cleaning
Isopropyl alcohol: dissolves very well impurities by sticky resins & herbs
A resealable jar: to store the alcohol for later use
A Zip-Lock Bag: To Clean In The Vaporizer Parts
Alcohol cleaning wipes: These cleaning wipes soaked in alcohol are ideal for quick cleaning in between, especially for quickly wiping off a heating chamber or mouthpiece. They are also excellent for final polishing, especially on glass surfaces such as the vapor path of the Firefly 2+.
Pipe cleaners: are ideal because they fit so well into the corners and angles of some parts (e.g. the curved aroma mouthpiece of the Solo 2 MAX or the aroma tube of the Air MAX).
Cotton swabs: are ideal for cleaning the herb chamber
Old children's toothbrush: For particularly stubborn areas

All parts that are placed in alcohol can best be put into a Zip-Lock bag or a Tupperware, add some alcohol, close the bag securely and then shake vigorously (be careful with glass parts, not too vigorous). The shaking helps to remove the residues. In the case of stubborn grime, the parts can be soaked overnight. Then rinse with water and allow to dry.

After cleaning, you can store the alcohol in a glass and use it several times. If the solution is dark brown, it should be replaced. The airway can be cleaned with a pipe cleaner soaked in alcohol (Pax Plus, Davinci MIQRO). We soak the cotton swabs in alcohol and wipe out the chambers, for example. An old child's toothbrush can be very helpful for particularly stubborn contamination. With it you can clean e.g. cooling elements like with the Mighty particularly well. Metal screens can be wiped off or simply burnt out.

Materials that should not be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol:

Wood should never be treated with isopropyl alcohol. If wood elements come into contact with this type of alcohol, they may be permanently damaged or deformed. Never clean wooden elements with alcohol. Instead, you can simply use a cotton ball and warm water. It may be useful to treat the wood regularly with Wood Wax to maintain the quality.

Light plastic and sealing rings should also not be placed in alcohol. However, it does not harm to wipe these parts briefly with alcohol and rinse with clear water.

How do I clean an oil or wax vaporizer?

Most Oil Vaporizer use a heating coil in the chamber to vaporize concentrates. Since this part is particularly sensitive, it should not be treated with pointed or sharp objects. To ensure not to damage the coil.

In general, cleaning is recommended when the vaporizer is still warm. This makes it much easier to remove residues. Caution is required, however.

Use a cotton swab or the supplied cleaning tool (if available) to remove small particles from the chamber. Alcohol can be used to wipe the outer part of the chamber or cartridge. Most mouthpieces can be simply placed in alcohol as described above. Rinse with clear water and allow to dry thoroughly.

6 easy steps to clean an oil vaporizer:

This is how you can clean your Oil Vaporizer very easy and with little effort.

separate chamber and mouthpiece.
Remove the residues from the chamber with a Q-tip and alcohol. Here you have to be careful if your vaporizer has a coil, so you don't damage it.
Repeat the procedure until the chamber is free of residue.
Alternatively, the chamber can also be heated upside down on a heating plate. So the oil can simply run out of the chamber. It is best to place aluminium foil or baking paper between the chamber and the heating plate.
Re-assemble the device.
Now the cleaned vaporizer can work 100% for you again.

TIP: If you use a vaporizer with a transparent tank, make sure to protect the cartridge or the whole device from direct sunlight. This is the only way to keep the material fresh and maintain its potency.

Cleaning and maintenance save you money:

If cleaning your vaporizer still doesn't seem important to you, just think about how much money you could save. If you can double the lifespan of e.g. screens, mouthpieces etc. with these simple tips by cleaning them at least once before they are thrown away, you can save 50%. In the course of two years, the life of a high-end vaporizer, this really adds up.

Using your vaporizer after cleaning:

Regardless of which elements were cleaned with alcohol and which with water, after each cleaning, switch on the unit with the chamber empty, set the temperature to a low value (at least 100°C) and let the vaporizer run for a few minutes. In this way you can get rid of all residues of isopropyl alcohol or water (can be repeated if necessary). It is much better to vaporize them than to inhale them during the first session after cleaning.

Although isopropyl alcohol is the most effective and cheapest solution for cleaning vaporizers, you should always consider what kind of material it can be used for. Of course you can always ask us questions about the cleaning process and the materials of your vaporizer.

After a variety change, we also recommend thorough cleaning of all components to guarantee the pure taste of the new strain.