How to Clean Your Gnarly Weed Vape the Right Way

Vape hitting a bit different? That may not be a good thing, and could be a signal for you to clean it.

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Published April 18, 2023

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No matter how much you spent on a weed vaporizer, proper maintenance and cleaning are vital to make sure you’re getting full-flavored, full-powered hits every time. Plus, cleaning your device makes it last longer, and you won’t have to replace parts, or the vape itself, as often.

Luckily getting your vape clean isn’t very hard — as long as you know what you’re doing. Keeping that thing free of grime will have you set for the foreseeable future. Here’s how to clean your dirty weed vape.

How often do you need to clean a vape?

It depends on how often you’re using it.

If you’re only using your vape once or twice a week, then weekly cleanings aren’t going to be necessary. But if you’re vaping every day, or even multiple times a day, then sprucing things up on a weekly basis is probably a good idea. According to Pax, one of our favorite vape brands, its vapes should be cleaned “every few uses” for the best experience. Your mileage may vary, but it’s safe to say that if you’re noticing a dip in performance and you haven’t cleaned your vape in a while, then it could probably use a good scrubbin.’

How to clean your vape

Step 1: Completely disassemble your vape

vape disassembled — Only once your vape is completely disassembled can you begin the cleaning process.

Every vape is built differently, so consult your vape’s manual to ensure you’re taking everything apart without destroying the thing. It’s a tedious step, but you can’t just try to clean the visible pieces of your vape, otherwise, you’ll miss all the built-up and hidden nastiness.

It’s also worth noting that if you have a leaky or flooded cartridge that’s gotten concentrate all throughout your vape, you’ll want to wipe off all that spilled concentrate with a paper towel prior to proceeding to the more thorough cleaning steps laid out below.

Step 2: Get to cleaning!

clean vape with cotton swab — An alcohol-soaked cotton swab is great for getting into your vape’s nooks and crannies.

Again, you’ll have to consult your manual for this, but it’s vital to avoid damaging any of your vape parts. Get rid of any visible debris, whether used-up bud or excess oil. Most of your vape’s small parts will be OK to soak in plain water, water with a few drops of dish soap or diluted rubbing alcohol (Read. Your. Manual), and use a cotton swab to loosen, scrub and wipe away visible gunk. It’s common to use a water and lemon juice solution as needed if plain old water isn’t doing the trick or you don’t have any rubbing alcohol on hand. Some vapes will come with a small brush (like the ones used to clean hair clippers), which can be extremely useful when cleaning dry herb vapes.

Step 3: Rinse everything

soak and clean vape parts — Rinsing your clean vape parts with water is especially important if you used soap or alcohol.

Have you ever vaporized rubbing alcohol and pulled it into your lungs? Me neither, and it’s probably best to leave that stone unturned. Once you’ve cleared the tank, heating chamber, mouthpiece, heating element or whatever other parts your particular vape is made with, give it a wash. This is a necessary step if you’ve used any cleaning solutions beyond water.

Step 4: Dry everything and reassemble

disassembled vape — Once the dirty work is done, it’s time to put your vape back together.

Dry everything with a paper towel so no metal parts get rusty. Before you put your vape together, you’ll need to ensure everything is fully dry lest you risk ruining your device. Water sitting around inside a freshly cleaned vape is a quick way to ensure you’ll be taking it apart again very soon.