Dr Loi's cleaning solution, my modification

[MNZ]

Dr loi's original solution called for the wool from a used cart, with the addition of 3ml of normal saline plus 1ml of juice.

I've modified that to make it easier for me and perhaps you to use.

What do I use now.
I bought a 0.9% saline (sodium chloride, NaCl, salt) solution in a 20ml container. This is a common size.

In a 30ml eye dropper bottle I put the entire contents of the saline and added the wool from a mostly used cartridge together with the wool and the plastic cart, with the mouth piece removed, from 2 (two) unused regular flavour carts ... Why did I put the plastic pieces into the solution ? I noticed there was quite a bit of juice still remaining in the bottom of the plastic cart I wanted included. I also think the plastic components will help stabilise the solution to a greater extent than the wool alone. Please also note I used a BROWN coloured glass bottle, nicotine is photosensitive, i.e. It discolours and may degrade when exposed to light. That's why carts have opaque containers and covers.

I gave the solution some serious mixing by shaking the **** out of it several times over a couple of hours, pick up, shake, put down, shake again when I remember too, and then left it until the next day.

the next day, I again gave it a serious shake-up and then put 3 (three) drops from the eye dropper into the atomizer.

I put the atomizer aside for a couple of minutes to allow the solution to percolate through the whole thing.

I put a mouthpiece / inhaler on the unit and drew slowly on it until the LED flashed to show cut off. Steam was produced in increasingly vast quantities for the first 10-15 puffs, after that it began to decrease. I continued until the vapour produced was minimal.

Next was the addition of a fresh cart. I inhaled 10 or so times with a fresh cart in place and then placed it aside to allow the juice from the cart to be sucked into the metal wool surrounding the atomizer coil. This was the end of the day so it was able to sit there all night.

The following morning I certainly did notice a change, there was a considerable increase in the amount of vapour produced, and it increased with each puff for maybe 3-5 puffs the stabilised. the flavour had improved. previously with two of the atomizers cleaned I had noticed a burnt sort of flavour, this was now gone.

I wonder if the effect of the material others have noticed in the centre of the atomizer coil has been negated ?

There is a slight saltiness to the flavour of the "smoke" produced, I do not find this unattractive, in fact it may increase my appreciation of some flavours, e.g. licourice, I like salty dutch licourice, it maybe time to retry that.

Anyway, hope this helps some of you and gets either, your dead, near dead or otherwise atomizers working again

[MNZ]

Please note that during the cleaning process I did not inhale the vapour but merely drew it into my mouth and exhaled. the first 10 or so puffs with a fresh cartridge wrre also not inhaled.

I equate this to being a similar process pipe smokers go through to clean a pipe out periodically.

[dnakr]

Interesting - thanks for posting this. I will have to try.

[MNZ]

update 6th july

All of the atomizers I cleaned using the modified solution are still working as well as before. One thing i have noticed is that they all now have a slight and I do mean slight, salty flavour to them. i am not overly surprised by this and for the most part enjoy it as an addition to the flavour cart I am smoking.

It appears the salt is left behind as a residue on the internal components of the atomizer and is being removed slowly as time passes with use of regular ppg flavoured juice.

Salt is regularly added to tobacco products now as a flavour enhancer, it's for example an integral part of snus. i must admit the slight salt inflection has coloured my assessment of the e-cig cartridge flavours and fror that reason I will be only using non cleaned with soloution, recently ordered atomizers from now on.

For general day to day use I am not unhappy with the new slight salt inflection, frankly I like it.

For my next batch of cleaning solution I will try using only pure water, this will not affect the on going smoking flavour, but i wonder if it will as effective. I think the salt content of the cleaning fluid is what creates the cleaning action in the first place ... comments please from those with more knowledgge than I.

[TropicalBob]

My fear when Dr. Loi first posted his cleaning solution idea was that salt residue would be left on the atomizer and its roll cage! Even overnight, it would attract moisture and initiate rusting.

I know I made a mistake in cooking tobacco in salty liquid. I had a salt taste to everything for more than a day -- proof that residue remains. I threw out everything I had made using salt and will never use it again. I'd be fearful to try "cleaning" with any salt solution. Pure water. Pure alcohol. I alternate between the two

[MNZ]

hmm, that does pose an interesting array of questions concerning the construction of the various parts of the atomizer.

For the atomizer to rust it would need to be made of a ferrous based material. that would mean either an iron or steel wool is used for the surrounding parts. I thought the wool used was of a stainless steel manufacture, but would stand correction there. The heater element I am almost certain is made from nichrome wire and would therefore not rust.

[Nazareth]

I wonder if hydrogen peroxide might work? Seems it might dry pretty quick? Also, I use a hairdryer right after rinsing atomizer, and use the newly rnsed atomizer fora bit which the heat I think herlps to dry the insides of the rinse

[MNZ]

Good thought Nazareth,

hydrogen peroxide is exceptionally good at oxidising/removing biologicals, it may also work here just as effectively. How strong to use is the question I guess, 20 vol, 40 vol or 60 vol ?

It may not dry out as well as water, water is H2O and hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, it's boiling point is 1580C / 316.40F so higher than water, but when it's heated it breaks down to be (2H2O2 ==> 2H2O + O2). That's water plus oxygen. But the drying will depend on what it's diluted with in the first place, it will need some further research before we go ahead and recommend it

Are you going to try it and see if it works ?

[Nazareth]

the only Hydro I have is the weak 3% stuff that you can rinse mo0uth with- so it should be ok to try in the atomizer- I've got one atomizer that simply will NOT draw liquid from the Carts for some reason, and only works by dripping- so I mgiht give it a try on that one as it's useless as it is for smoking like the pen is supposed to- with a cart- I've got another that is gettign very weak, I might possibly try it on that too- the two need somethign doen ot them evidently, so yeah, I might try it, but wish I had strogner hydro- but it might work- simple rinsing with water doesn't seem to work- perhaps the hydro might.

[Nazareth]

ok- I just soaked one of my old 'dead' atomizers (the atomizer would simpyl not draw any liquid fro mthe cart- would just burn off what was in the atomizer itsel;f, then nothing- no vapor, just burnt taste and smell- even htough I had new carts in) in the hydrogen peroxide- then rinsed with water, blew the excess water out of it- let it dry a bit, and primed it with juice- smoking good now- much easier to draw too than it was when it was 'dying' - I'm not sure why the atomizer was not drawing liquid from the carts before- I tried everything to get it to work and nothign did- boiled it, blew through battery end for 10 seconds, boiled it in water and baking soda- nothign worked- now it's working pretty well- not as good as brand new one, but still ok I guess- will see how logn it lasts- I'd given up on the atomizer, but it appears it's got soem morel ife yet- dunno if the Hydrogen was the trick or not, but it's now workin- workign even better than my one I've only used for 7 days total. Might be worth a try if yall got soem that you think might be dead- ones you've given up on- Hydrogen peroxide is dirt cheap