Your vaporizer is a tool, and like all tools, it requires a little maintenance. But with the right tools and a little patience, a thorough cleaning will keep your vaping sessions top notch.
Pokers and Multi-Tools
A poker does exactly what you’d think it would do: it pokes things, specifically things you’re trying to remove during a cleaning session. Typically it looks like a metal toothpick with a little piece on one end for easy gripping. On its own, it can be hard to keep track of, but our Verb DHV Vaporizer has a clever, convenient magnetic storage hole for your poker, so you never need to be without one.
Depending on how often you use your vaporizer, you might find that gunk builds up in the chamber, mouthpiece, and airway. A poker is a great way to unclog any holes that are plugged up or to scrape off any hard-to-reach buildup.
As helpful as a poker is, it’s kind of a one-trick pony. If you want something that will give you the most bang for your buck, look into getting a multi-tool. Like the Swiss Army Knife of the smoking world, a multi-tool has everything you need to keep your vaporizer spick and span and working the best it possibly can. There are a lot of multi-tools on the market, and what makes ours special is the amount of versatility. Included in one tool that’s barely bigger than your thumb, you have:
- Dual Edge Utility Blade – the blade is ideal for cutting your herb and moonrocks (and that annoying string hanging off of your sweater), as well as helping you roll your joint and portion out weed.
- Poker – As we mentioned above, the poker enables you to clean your vaporizer, pipe, or bong so that you have the most enjoyable smoking experience possible.
- Contour Bowl Scraper – When you smoke using a pipe or bong, the bowl can get crusted with burnt herb and melted resin. This curved scraper helps you get all of that melted gunk out of there so that you have a clean place to put fresh product.
- Tamper – A tamper helps you walk that fine line between having a well-packed bowl or pipe and packing so much herb that air can’t get through.
- A small curved blade great for wax and cleaning curved surfaces
- A bottle opener – Because why not!
How to Clean
Not only does buildup change the taste, it can also keep you from getting a good inhale. Unlike a bong or waterpipe, you can’t submerge a vaporizer in isopropyl alcohol, but you can soak and clean parts of it using either alcoholic or nonalcoholic methods to break down the gunk and be wiped away after.
Eventually you will need to clean your vaporizer completely, so start by disassembling the parts.
- Before you take anything apart, run a Q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol around the inside of your herb chamber to clear out any loose leaves or organic matter. If it looks pretty grimy in there, don’t worry – you’ll get to deep clean in a minute.
- Next, wipe down the threads and outside using a clean, lint-free cloth that is soaked in isopropyl alcohol or soapy water. Make sure that everything dries out completely before you reassemble, however.
- Clean out the air hole using your poker, a toothpick, or a paperclip that has been unfolded.
- Remove the mouthpiece and get ready for a deep clean. Your mouthpiece needs a good cleaning on the inside and outside because that’s where a lot of the grime and germs accumulate. If it’s removable, take it off and set aside any rubber, plastic, or silicone fittings. Steel, glass, and ceramic mouthpieces can be soaked in isopropyl alcohol and then rinsed with warm water, but anything plastic or rubber needs to be cleaned by hand with warm, soapy water and a clean cloth and pipe cleaner. If your mouthpiece isn’t removable, just wipe it down using a little bit of isopropyl alcohol.
- To get rid of the gunk in the atomizer, coils, and chamber, dip a Q-tip in some isopropyl alcohol and gently scrub each piece. If the burned residue is really caked in there and you have a removable atomizer, you might need to soak the whole atomizer piece in a bowl of isopropyl alcohol for about a half-hour. You can also use a pipe cleaner soaked in isopropyl alcohol to scrub out the air path.
- If your vaporizer has a filter, let it sit in isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes and then wipe off the excess before putting it back in its place. You can also use one of those one-time-use alcohol wipes.
- Once you’ve cleaned all the parts, reassemble your vaporizer and run it on high heat for 1-3 minutes to burn off any isopropyl alcohol residue.
Giving your vaporizer a little TLC isn’t as fun as using it, but it will make those moments all the sweeter because your hits will feel and taste better, and your vaporizer will last longer.
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