can i use 99% ISOPROPYL?

[sixofusernames]

i asked the folks at Nhaler how to clean their low resistance atties, mine is all gunky inside. they said grain alcohol. all i could find is 99%isopropyl. will that work? how long do i soak? do i have to rinse it? or will the alc. just evaporate? please advise. the atty still works, just not as well, doesnt taste as good, only a couple weeks old, looks dirty inside. thanks for your help!

 

[ejoker]

i wouldn't use isoproply, but pga (pure grain alcohol). i use everclear myself, you can get at bevmo.

 

[devnull71]

Isopropyl is actually quite toxic. By grain alcohol they're referring to a 150-proof or higher alcohol that's also safe to consume. Either Everclear or Vodka.

If this isn't available, soaking them in very hot water and rinsing them out thoroughly should help. Stand them up on end and let them dry out completely before using them again. There's endless threads on here about suggested cleaning methods, but steer clear of anything cleaning product that you wouldn't want in your mouth.

 

[sixofusernames]

alright, thanks, i will just try the hot water for now. actually, i have some cheap vodka in my freezer, its 40% alcohol. do i just drop it in a shot glass and leave it there for awhile then rinse it out and let it dry??

 

[devnull71]

Yep. I only clean my atomizers when the performance drops off, or I need to purge a really strong juice flavor. Generally I'll let them soak for about 15 minutes in PGA, swirl them around a bit, give them a rinse with hot tap water, blow out the excess water, and let them dry overnight. If they're not that dirty and you skip the water rinse, the vodka will evaporate off quickly. You'll probably want to drip a couple drops of juice directly on the atomizer bridge after its clean to re-prime it.

 

[Bastage]

I just used mccormick 40 proof vodka.

 

[candre23]

Isopropyl alcohol is perfectly safe to use as a cleaning agent. 99% isopropyl is very volatile, which means it evaporates almost immediately without leaving any residue. It is also not the slightest bit dangerous at the quantities we're discussing here. You absorb more of it rinsing your mouth with mouthwash than a soaking wet atty could even contain.

Rinse the cart with warm water, then soak in isopropyl. After soaking, rinse with clean isopropyl and blow out any excess. The tiny fractions of a ml remaining in the atty are harmless, but if you're scared, just wait 5 min and it will have completely evaporated.

 

[NCC]

+1 candre23, beat me to it. Naturally, you don't want to consume it, but it evaporates quickly and completely. If you have any concerns about whether it has, in fact, totally evaporated, do a dry burn. That'll certainly do it.

 

[Hammond Egger]

I was wondering exactly that. Everclear is about $10 for a pint, isopropyl alcohol is roughly $1 for a 55 gallon drum. As soon as my Everclear is gone, I think I'm going to switch to isopropyl.

 

[soarer425]

I work with high purity isopropyl alcohol almost every day. If you really worry get some laytex gloves. IPA is also soluble in water, so a good rinse should work most of it out. I clean in IPA all the time and it works well. Only thing I have had trouble with is 200 proof ethyl alcohol. I don't know what happened but its like it made the mesh hydrophobic and they refuse to wick. The juice just runs right off it.

 

[candre23]

IPA is also soluble in water, so a good rinse should work most of it out.

Rinsing with water will dilute the alcohol, making whatever remains evaporate much slower. Letting it evaporate on its own is the quickest way to get rid of it completely.

 

[geeker]

I work with high purity isopropyl alcohol almost every day. If you really worry get some laytex gloves. IPA is also soluble in water, so a good rinse should work most of it out. I clean in IPA all the time and it works well. Only thing I have had trouble with is 200 proof ethyl alcohol. I don't know what happened but its like it made the mesh hydrophobic and they refuse to wick. The juice just runs right off it.

Your 200 proof ethanol may have/likely had a denaturing agent in it.

 

[Zedoctor]

im going to use PGA, high proof vodka probably. im a bit of a hippy. plus yeh there could be some strange additives in 99% stuff. where do you get 99 from?
in Australia, highest ive seen is 96-98.

 

[NCC]

im going to use PGA, high proof vodka probably. im a bit of a hippy. plus yeh there could be some strange additives in 99% stuff. where do you get 99 from?
in Australia, highest ive seen is 96-98.

Vodka is around 50% water. It will take longer to dry. But, if that's all you've got, I guess it will do the job. Strange additives?

Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with the vodka, just costs more and takes longer to evaporate.

I use isopropyl (99% I think) at work. Industrial, 10 gallon containers. The 96% you have will evaporate just about as quickly.

 

[Zedoctor]

Vodka is around 50% water. It will take longer to dry. But, if that's all you've got, I guess it will do the job. Strange additives?

Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with the vodka, just costs more and takes longer to evaporate.

I use isopropyl (99% I think) at work. Industrial, 10 gallon containers. The 96% you have will evaporate just about as quickly.

yeh strange additives, whatever the other 2-3% is lol. i would be worried about it leaving a residue. i mean its fine when i clean my computer parts with, not sure about inhaling it though! although I'm probably just paranoid.

do you want to mail me some 99%! do you know what the other 1% is in the stuff you use from work?

the highest I've seen in electronic stores over here is 98% it's expensive and the 98% is in a pressurized can :-s ... eek