Cleaning and Maintaining Your Smoke Products

Cleanliness equals fresher puffs, and fortunately for our fellow dabbers, vapers, and glass enthusiasts, keeping your heady glass rigs and devices in pristine condition is easy to do. With cloud consistency in mind, this helpful post covers basic device upkeep, safe cleaning practices, and other common sense maintenance strategies to get the most out of your dry herb and concentrated goodness. 

Device Cleaning Basics: Improving the Flavor and Extending the Lifespan of Your Devices 

A filthy stem or bowl can quickly tarnish the enjoyment of any session. Aside from the undesirable flavor downsides of a dirty setup, unchecked accumulation can lead to damaging device clogs, uneven heat distribution, and other premature device issues easily avoided with regular cleaning and care. 

It goes without saying these cleaning recommendations should be adapted to your specific device and its individual features. Here are some general strategies to consider for dry herb vapes, dab rigs, and other devices: 

• Clean mouthpieces, screens, and bowls regularly. For solid materials like glass and metal, you can soak the pieces in isopropyl alcohol to loosen residue and remove accumulation. Depending on the extent of the accumulation, you may need to use a soft brush or repeat the soaking process to remove caked-on residue. 

• Disassemble and swab hard-to-reach areas: For specialty dry herb vaporizers and rigs with sensitive components, some swabbing finesse may be required to tidy up device intricacies. With the manual in hand, remove any components you can and look for residue and debris that can be wiped or brushed away with a clean cloth before soaking or swabbing. 

Depending on the device, some parts may be safe to soak in alcohol before wiping clean, while other parts, such as the heating chamber, should not be soaked. For any components that contain electrical or other sensitive parts, use a swab that is lightly dipped in alcohol to dissolve stubborn grime.

• Dab nail cleaning: Dunking your warm (but not hot) quartz nail in isopropyl alcohol after each dab is the most reliable way to keep it clean and prevent chazzing. If you notice any residue after the dunk, you can use a Q-tip to gently brush it off. Alcohol wipes are great for quickly cleaning any dab tools or ashtrays to remove sticky messes.

• Glass rigs and multiple filtration chambers: For most setups, a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt can agitate and loosen any residue within the chambers. Shaking and swirling may be required to distribute the alcohol/salt mixture throughout the piece. 

For a complete and thorough cleaning, you may need to soak your piece overnight to weaken the residue bonds entirely. If you don’t have all night, a 30-to-60-minute soak will remove most of the junk.

After the alcohol/salt purge, rinse thoroughly and allow your piece to fully dry before using it again. Rinse and repeat this simple process whenever your piece looks or smells funky. 

Maintenance Strategies for Digital Devices and Traditional Setups

Alongside routine clean-up tasks, a proactive maintenance plan is equally valuable. If you’re running one of the digital devices from our smoke shop in Lakewood, CO, here are some useful tips to keep in mind:

• Remove from power after charging and never let the battery fully drain to maximize the lifespan and safety of your battery. 

• Inspect the device for any cracks or damage to electrical components, seals, battery housing, etc. If something looks suspicious or your device isn’t powering up or heating correctly, practice caution and send your device in for repair/replacement. 

• Replace your screens and other disposable parts regularly to prevent clogs and airflow issues.

• Store your device carefully; whether you’re maintaining a digital setup or a standard glass rig, find a clean and dry place to keep your setup pristine.