As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, we see that customers are beginning to consume cannabis products in various ways. As of 2018, Investopedia.com ranked the five most popular ways to consume cannabis as follows; flower, vape cartridges, pre-rolled joints, gummies, and tinctures. While four out of the five listed can be easily consumed and maintain overall freshness, using vape cartridges can be tricky to maintain. Vape cartridge maintenance is not too complex to understand, but knowing when to clean your cartridge and when your battery is not performing to its standards means getting the best experience possible from your vape.
The following is a guide to clean and maintain your vape and all of its parts:
Research your pen
As each manufacturer is different, not all vape pens will be made the same way. Doing research will help you better understand how your pen is constructed, allowing you to utilize the correct methods to clean and maintain it. A vape pen will usually contain the following parts; Battery, Atomizer, Tank, Mouthpiece, and Button.
Taking apart your pen
After researching your pen, you should now take it apart and prepare for the cleaning process. Most pens on the market usually have interchangeable parts that allow you to deconstruct them with ease. If you’re still having trouble understanding your device, looking for an owner’s manual or instructional videos made by the vendor may help you.
Battery
The battery is a vital part of your pen. Not taking proper care of your battery can potentially lead to a dangerous situation. We recommend that you clean the exterior of your battery with only rubbing alcohol when any residue is present. Be sure to only clean the battery’s surface. Another piece you should pay attention to is the atomizer as well as where it is connected to the battery. Be sure that no residue is blocking the flow of electricity. If your battery is damaged or not working correctly, you should replace it immediately so that no harm can be inflicted on you or any other user.
Cleaning your pen
You’ll need to use different methods to clean each piece of your pen. In some cases, you’ll have the vape cartridge, which is preloaded with oil/wax and has a built-in tank. These are usually easier to clean and allow the user to perform less maintenance. To clean the cartridge, you’ll want to use cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol to gently brush on the exterior and clear away any residue build-up. Then with a paper towel, make sure you dry the outside thoroughly before subsequent usage. Submerging your cart in anything liquid-based can affect the quality of your cart and is a method we do not endorse. With most vape cartridges, you’ll have a mouthpiece as well. We also recommend cleaning the mouthpiece with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab by brushing the exterior and interior for sanitation purposes. After you disinfect it, dry it with paper towels and make sure that it is completely dry, the taste won’t be affected. If your mouthpiece is a separate piece, you can submerge it in a container filled with rubbing alcohol so that it can be disinfected to the fullest possible potential.
For users that have a tank, you first want to clear out the previous residue. You’ll then want to prop the tank on its side so that the liquid can drain onto something disposable like paper towels. We highly recommend that you don’t drain any liquid down your sink. For any solid concentrate, using a cotton swab and brushing away any residue is best. Then take the separated tank and submerge it in rubbing alcohol and water for an hour before you use a cotton swab on the inside and let it dry on paper towels. If you want to make the cleaning process easier, you can find various cleaning kits that best suit your needs online. Before you reassemble your pen, we stress that you allow each piece to dry independently, this way the functionality of your device as well as the taste of the product is at highest quality standards.
Create a schedule
If you aren’t an active user of your pen, we still recommend that you create some sort of schedule just so that you’ll be utilizing it to its fullest when you use your pen in the future. As for active users, maintenance and cleaning might be more often so that residue can be cleaned off and the use of your pen is working correctly.
As you become more familiar with your pen, you’ll understand what the obvious signs of when to maintenance and clean your pen. By doing so, you’ll be able to have the best experiences for every use going forward.
