Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol

[Israfil]

I'm not sure on the safety of this, but I've heard of people using PGA to clean their atomizers. Normally I use Iso alcohol to clean the attys for about an hour or two before drying, but last night I left my bridgeless atomizer in for about 15 hours, woke up and dried it off. The coil now heats up more closer to the ends than it did before and produces a decent amount more vapor. Gonna try lemon juice next cleaning.

If you try this, make sure to hand dry it, then blow it out for a while, then use short bursts of power to burn off the excess. Don't inhale the vapor from the alcohol....it doesn't taste good. Prime it up after and it seems good to go.

 

[Pegasus7]

you need to clean with the purest PGA you can get in your state of residence. For instance "Everclear" is 190 proof and "Bacardi 151" is 151 proof.
less time to soak and no downtime for new juice refill.
drying time is as soon as a simple blow though atomizer ...
there are more post out there on cleaning but one rule of thumb, Iso-Alcohol is 30-40 proof at most (this means more water base and longer to dry not to mention corrosion to anti). the quicker the drying time the less the damage.

Lemon juice is a cleaner but also a corrosive, more-so than water and can damage atomizer and can damage brass and gold coatings on atomizer and battery... Do Not Use..........

 

[Winslow]

Iso-Alcohol is 30-40 proof at most (this means more water base and longer to dry not to mention corrosion to anti).

That is completely incorrect.

I clean stuff with 80-98% isopropyl alcohol all day at work.

No comment on how it works on attys, but I would bet its just the same as grain alcohol.

http://www.wholesale-direct-first-aid.com/ProdImages/M-314.gif

Its cheap too, never over 5$ for a liter.
Ingredients: ethanol, water.

 

[Pegasus7]

Sorry, don't want to fight. The point here is Any Alcohol used with the highest "Proof" is the best.

FYI common rubbing Iso Alcohol is 30-40 and 60-70 for pads. just in drinking alcohol there are several grades of proof and the higher the better.
Iso alcohol can be purchased at 120 proof which is still a good choice, and yes cheaper than PGA.

 

[sjohnson]

I buy 97% isopropanol all the time. It's in the pharmacy, right next to the 60% stuff.

I've soaked atomizers for in excess of two days in tap water, with no harm done. Atomizers are made of plastic, nichrome, nickel foam, brass and stainless steel. None of which readily oxidize in simple water.

 

[datacreek]

Walmart has 91%.

 

[WillyB]

Sorry, don't want to fight. The point here is Any Alcohol used with the highest "Proof" is the best.

FYI common rubbing Iso Alcohol is 30-40 and 60-70 for pads. just in drinking alcohol there are several grades of proof and the higher the better.
Iso alcohol can be purchased at 120 proof which is still a good choice, and yes cheaper than PGA.

Your post is quite confusing, most drug stores stock 182 'proof' (91%) isopropyl.

 

[TaketheRedPill]

I've been running original (exposed) atomizers for over 6 months with zero cleaning

Iso alcohol is used to toughen skin such as the fingertips of guitarists = doesn't sound too healthy for tender non-tough lung tissue even in residual amounts



from wiki:
Cautions
...Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or consumption of rubbing alcohol.[8]

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is poisonous and, in large enough amounts, can cause permanent disabling illness or death if consumed.[9]



TTRP

 

[clownfish159]

I just use cheap 151 vodka. Cant get ever clear any more so have to use that.

 

[Winslow]

Iso alcohol is used to toughen skin such as the fingertips of guitarists = doesn't sound too healthy for tender non-tough lung tissue even in residual amounts

from wiki:
Cautions
...Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or consumption of rubbing alcohol.[8]

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is poisonous and, in large enough amounts, can cause permanent disabling illness or death if consumed.[9]

Im not trying to defend cleaning attys with isopropyl, but your post makes it seem like residual isopropyl will harm you.
The fact is- you have to ingest large residual amounts, and this is not even possible because the alcohol evaporates so rapidly- much, much faster than water. Its not much more poisonous than regular ethanol alcohol- which we drink quite a lot of.

I clean food handling equipment all day with 98% isopropyl, and its great because all of it evaporates off of any surface within seconds. I've inhaled clouds of its evaporated gas a few times with no ill effects other than feeling a lack of oxygen.
But its great because as long as you blow on it a tiny bit it evaporates almost instantly.

Its probably as dangerous to ingest in moderate amounts as it is to ingest nicotine laced PG in moderate amounts.

While i've cleaned attys with it a couple of times, I didnt find it was particularly good at dissolving the dried gunk.

 

[zuel]

The only alcohol safe for consumption is Ethanol. Methanol and isopropanol are not safe for consumption. Therefore, I would not say it's safe to clean your atomizer.

The internal components designed to "wick" would maintain the alcohol and therefore your e-liquid would be contaminated with the bad alcohol.

Methanol will make you blind!
Isopropanol is not as bad, here is the Wiki quote.

--- Quote ---
Isopropyl alcohol acts as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant. Its metabolite, acetone, is a CNS depressant in its own right. Around 15 g of isopropyl alcohol can have a toxic effect on a 70 kg human if left untreated.
--- Quote ---

Clearly you would need to repeatedly clean your atomizer, vape and clean again to obtain the toxic levels. But why risk it?

It metabolizes to acetone!! Ya know, the nail polish remover!! Try drinking that for a good buzz. LOL

 

[Mammal]

Funny this comes up - I just received used atomizers from a classified seller here (Thanks, if you see this before I get a chance to email you!) and ended up cleaning them with a cubemate's isopropanol - starting with a good slug in a foam cup, then gradually adding boiling water from the breakroom's Keurig machine - going to a 50% dilution (at which point the residue could really be seen 'melting' into solution), dumping half, adding more hot water to get to 25%, dumping that, and rinsing a couple times with the hot water before wicking them onto a paper towel to dry.

It might be that particular batch of m40x atomizers, but once I solved a connection issue, I got an amazingly easy draw and a cloud of smork that I hope didn't scare the other folks working late.

I'm not sure if the ispropyl was really the secret, or if the trick is the combination of water, alcohol, and heat - like deglazing a pan - but I think I've found my new favorite cleaning technique; I'll have to see if doing this to my current atomizer produces a similar plume in solution even though it's been getting a weekly [unheated] ethanol soak.

 

[Can_supplier]

The only alcohol safe for consumption is Ethanol. Methanol and isopropanol are not safe for consumption. Therefore, I would not say it's safe to clean your atomizer.

A bottle of dish soap and bleach is not safe for consumption either. Does that mean you can't clean your dishes, you are going to eat off?

There was a post a few back talking about 151 proof rum. NEVER use that. Rum is fermented sugar, with leftover sugar giving you the rum sweet taste. Sugar is the last thing you want on your atomizer, think burnt sugar when you bake, it turns to a black carbon crust you need a hammer and chisel to get off.

Personally I would never use any drinking alcohols for cleaning. With the exception of Everclear they have a taste, and that taste is impurities your do not want on your atty, as they will burn, stick and make a real mess.

The "proof" of your rubbing/drug store alcohol doesn't matter, as the remaining % is distilled water, water without any minerals or anything dissolved in it. The higher the proof the quicker it might clean but that’s about it.

 

[Dudeman]

Common misconceptions. Just like the bleach statement above. Yes, drinking bleach is bad. But, something bleached, rinsed and air dried if fine as bleach is self curing. I used it to clean fish tanks, the plastic plants and porous decorative rocks, as well as bird toys, the cage and plastic perches. If fish and birds don't get hurt with that process, people won't either. Rubbing alcohol would be fine as well as long as it's rinsed out well and allowed to completely air dry. I wouldn't try and vape it though.. lol

 

[zuel]

There was a post a few back talking about 151 proof rum. NEVER use that. Rum is fermented sugar, with leftover sugar giving you the rum sweet taste. Sugar is the last thing you want on your atomizer, think burnt sugar when you bake, it turns to a black carbon crust you need a hammer and chisel to get off.

Yeah, they are similar. The only difference is in one case your talking about the health of an atomizer and the other case is the health of human.

This of course reminds me of my organic chem class's. We used acetone to clean off everything. From counter tops to lab equipment. The teacher always reminded us to use gloves when cleaning with acetone. Nobody did, but we knew the risks.

Of course when we worked with Hydro-sulfuric acid we wore full protective gowns, gloves and goggles.

I abuse my atomizers. I have no cleaning schedule, I clean them if they seem clogged. It's been over a month since the last time I cleaned one. The only atomizer I threw away so far was one I dissected to find out what made it tick! LOL and finally, one of the ingredients I use in my DIY liquid is anise oil. It being a natural oil, it is supposed to be bad for the atomizer. I suspect it ain't all that great for me either!

Anyway, simply put, if you can avoid using Isopropyl to clean your atomizer, might as well. There are safer alternatives.

and I agree with Dudeman. Completely dried would be safe. But I am not so sure how long an atomizer needs to be dried before it is dry. I know my 510 atomizers have that nickel foam wrapped all around the outer wall and heating coil chamber. Air drying that is like air drying a Tupperware container with the lid on, IMO.

Anyway, All I wanted to do was point out the facts. We all choose to ignore facts when we want. Same reason we are in this position looking for a safer alternative to the analog.

 

[Can_supplier]

and I agree with Dudeman. Completely dried would be safe. But I am not so sure how long an atomizer needs to be dried before it is dry. I know my 510 atomizers have that nickel foam wrapped all around the outer wall and heating coil chamber. Air drying that is like air drying a Tupperware container with the lid on, IMO.

I 100% agree it needs to be dried. Sorry if I didn't make that clear and it was implied that its safe to vape before its dry.

The advantage of alcohol as a solvent is how fast it evaporates.

I don't think any of the cleaning solution suggested should be vaped, and out of all of them, alcohol is probably the easiest and quickest to dry out and reduce the danger of that happening.

So how long do you need to leave it to dry out? I wait 12 hours or more. What's the exact time? I don't know, but its less than any other option.

Rather than a Tupperware container with the lid on, think bottle of 151 with the lid off

 

[KuiHiggins]

I clean my atty's all the time in some isopropyl alcohol. I even let my atty's soak in it overnight. I just rinse for a minute in some hot water afterwards and let them dry. Works like a charm. BTW, 91% Isopropyl Alcohol is 180 proof. Do the math...

 

[Raven1]

and I agree with Dudeman. Completely dried would be safe. But I am not so sure how long an atomizer needs to be dried before it is dry. I know my 510 atomizers have that nickel foam wrapped all around the outer wall and heating coil chamber. Air drying that is like air drying a Tupperware container with the lid on, IMO.

Thing is, you can never be sure the atty is COMPLETELY dry as the chamber under the bridge is hidden from view. That's why I would never suggest using isopropyl, hydrogen peroxide, crest mouthwash or whatever people are suggesting on here to clean an atty. Best to stick with PGA - better safe than sorry.

 

[Tachion]

I see no reason why doing this would be unsafe, as long as you rinse it with water and let it dry after.

Not only should a water rinse remove all the alcohol, but blowing the atty out and then letting it air dry should remove any traces of the alcohol. After all, isopropyl alcohol evaporates extremely quickly.

I've used it on my attys just fine. Works well, is very cheap, and the chance of health problems are negligible, if you rinse with water and dry (IMO).

 

[Can_supplier]

Thing is, you can never be sure the atty is COMPLETELY dry as the chamber under the bridge is hidden from view. That's why I would never suggest using isopropyl, hydrogen peroxide, crest mouthwash or whatever people are suggesting on here to clean an atty. Best to stick with PGA - better safe than sorry.

Why would PGA/Ethanol have any advantage over isopropyl? The ethanol that you buy is denatured, so it will kill you to drink (why drinking any rubbing alcohol is a bad idea).

Hydrogen Peroxide would be by far the safest of the bunch. Its chemical formula is H2O2, water is H2O so all it is, is pure water with an extra oxygen molecule on it. All that will give off if heated is oxygen, water and a small amount of hydrogen gas. With oxygen and hydrogen making up a good percentage of what air is, its a really safe option because we are breathing it anyhow.