Cleaning cartomizers

[Automaton]

Hey folks! Question about cartomizers.

Some of you amazing, magical people are managing to get 20+ uses out of your cartos. I even saw a post from one woman who was getting 50. Woah!

Naturally I'm interested in what sort of magic spell is required to do this.

I've only got 4 cartos (more coming, don't worry) and I've probably refilled all of them 4-6 times now. They're starting to lose their flavor, and I think the draw may be stiffer too. So, time to clean them?

I don't have vodka, just gin. But I read vodka worked really well. Any other stuff that works to get them super-clean and doesn't destroy the carto?

I was thinking let them soak in very hot water... for 10 or 15 minutes? And then use my syringe to suck in and push out cool water through them a few times. Blow 'em out with the syringe a few times, and leave them to dry over-night.

...And that will bring them back to having a better flavor and being less gunked up so I can abuse them a few more times, right?

P.S. I've been playing with re-filling methods, and my favorite way I found was dropping one drop at a time into the battery end, and letting the hole kind of "suck it in." I picked it up off a GrimmGreen video. It's ok to do it this way, right?

 

[jude8753]

I just saw a neat way to clean my carts in this thread hope I did that right. The condom method of refilling works great for me.

 

[oettinger]

So, time to clean them?

I don't have vodka, just gin. But I read vodka worked really well. Any other stuff that works to get them super-clean and doesn't destroy the carto?

I was thinking let them soak in very hot water... for 10 or 15 minutes? And then use my syringe to suck in and push out cool water through them a few times. Blow 'em out with the syringe a few times, and leave them to dry over-night.

...And that will bring them back to having a better flavor and being less gunked up so I can abuse them a few more times, right?

I have screwed up a lot of them by doing different alcohol, boiling, and other silly methods, this is why people say the stop working after cleaning.

I just use a turkey baster with one of my kids pencil grippers on the end (fits the cartos perfectly) and suck hot water through them, and then slowly squeeze it back out. I do this 3-4 times per carto, then leave them overnight to dry. They work like champs again, and it takes like 2min per carto.

This way
YouTube - How to clean cartos

Like I said, works like a champ, and I have not had a ruined carto since. I thin filling from the battery end takes too long. I just take off the top cap, throw the clear ring away, and drip into the filler. you can do this even while they are still on the battery.

 

[Automaton]

Thanks guys!

Really? Seems like filling fro the batt end goes so much quicker and less messy than anything else to me! Ah well, to each their own.

I'll see what I can dig up, thanks guys!

 

[brandon555]

Cleaning cartos is like reusing disposable diapers IMO.

 

[Automaton]

Good for you...?

 

[deback]

After watching several YouTube videos during my first week of vaping, I was impressed with one method of cleaning cartomizers. Sorry, but I can't remember who created that video, but I'm thankful to whomever did. After vaping for a month now, I've found that this method works great and is very cheap. The tool needed is less than $2.00 at Walmart: a 10ml syringe kit, with a rubber cone and a 5ml measuring cup (which isn't used to clean cartos).

I don't use boiling water, because I discovered that very hot water will shrink the filler inside the cartos. I also don't use anything but plain water...no rubbing alcohol, no vinegar, and no distilled water. I don't think it's necessary, but it's always possible I'll change my mind in the future.

In the kitchen sink, I'll fill a container with hot tap water, attach the threaded end of a carto to the end of the rubber cone, attach the rubber cone to the syringe, and then draw the water in through the carto with the syringe and then back out into the sink. Keep doing this until the water coming out is clear -- probably 6 to 8 times is sufficient. If you clean your cartos regularly, it shouldn't take many plunges to remove all the old liquid and gunk. Then I reverse the position of the carto and insert the mouth end into the rubber cone and repeat 3 or 4 times. Then plunge the syringe back and forth about 15 times, pushing air through the carto to remove all the excess water. Then remove the carto, blow through the mouth end to remove whatever water might be up near the threads. Then place the clean cartos in front of a fan for 3 or 4 days. I like the filler to be completely dry inside and don't want to add liquid to a damp filler. It takes more than overnight for the filler inside to be completely dry. When you refill the clean cartos, they will taste like new.

When your cartos start tasting funky, it's time to clean them or replace them with new cartos. I'm planning on cleaning my cartos at least every other time they need to be refilled, but more likely, every time they need to be refilled. This will depend on how many cartos I have on hand that I'm rotating, but I hope I'll always have plenty on hand. I wash my dishes every time I use them, so it makes sense to do the same with cartos.

When I refill cartos, I let them sit for 24 hours. In my experience, they are much better when letting them sit for that length of time.

 

[willbeein2003]

I still learn something on this forum almost daily. I never knew I could clean a cartomizer, so after about 4 or 5 uses I would throw them out. After going through several of them I just decided it wasn't worth the money. Now I will have to get more and try cleaning them. Thanks for helping me to improve my vaping knowledge and experiences.

 

[Tom_E_Calm7]

Thanks guys!

Really? Seems like filling fro the batt end goes so much quicker and less messy than anything else to me! Ah well, to each their own.

I'll see what I can dig up, thanks guys!

Leave the original end cap off and replace with a drip tip.
When you need to refill, just take off the drip tip and fill.
It's simple, yet effective.
I use cartos on my Fog Machine and its awesome.

 

[cashresolution]

Cleaning cartomizers and atties are SO beyond me. I've had a LR 510 cartomizer on my ego for about 2 weeks now. I've refilled it ATLEAST 2 times a day and I have NEVER cleaned it. Still hits like a hard core little monkey, and the taste is alright. This is an LR so the taste really wasn't there to begin with. My only point I try to make to our customers is for the price we sell the 5pk for (7.99) I think people would be cheaper to get the carto's. They hit just as good. The condom method for refilling is AWESOME. quick and easy..that is our motto.. I love my carto's now..

 

[deback]

The condom method for refilling is AWESOME. quick and easy..

It's much quicker, easier, and less messy to just pull off the mouth cap and drip 18 to 20 drops into the filter, holding the carto at a 45-degree angle. Put the mouth cap back on, put a condom on each end, store them threaded end down for 24 hours, and it's done. The taste is much better than "alright" 24 hours later.

I just filled 6 cartos that way in less than 5 minutes and had nothing to clean up when I was done. No juice on my hands, no condoms to clean, no cartos to wipe off, no q-tips or tissues to throw away, and no drops of liquid on my desk anywhere. It's the quickest and cleanest method to refill cartos.

 

[MitchellBeans]

I have been using a blunt tip syringe to refill thru the battery end. about .. .5ml at a time. This will last half a day or more for me... not lost juice since i figured this out either!

 

[WillieB69]

I just saw a neat way to clean my carts in this thread hope I did that right. The condom method of refilling works great for me.

The tool needed is less than $2.00 at Walmart: a 10ml syringe kit, with a rubber cone and a 5ml measuring cup (which isn't used to clean cartos).

One of these is now on my shopping list.
I've had little success just boiling or soaking cartos so I'm hoping this will work a bit better.
$25-$30 for cartos every couple of weeks is costing me almost as much as analogs once I factor in juice as well.

 

[WillieB69]

It's much quicker, easier, and less messy to just pull off the mouth cap and drip 18 to 20 drops into the filter, holding the carto at a 45-degree angle. Put the mouth cap back on, put a condom on each end, store them threaded end down for 24 hours, and it's done. The taste is much better than "alright" 24 hours later.

I just filled 6 cartos that way in less than 5 minutes and had nothing to clean up when I was done. No juice on my hands, no condoms to clean, no cartos to wipe off, no q-tips or tissues to throw away, and no drops of liquid on my desk anywhere. It's the quickest and cleanest method to refill cartos.

This is how I generally do it except I'm usually vaping them as soon as I fill them.
(What can I say.... I have no patience. )

 

[deback]

This is how I generally do it except I'm usually vaping them as soon as I fill them.
(What can I say.... I have no patience. )

I don't have patience, either, and that's why I ordered several cartos -- especially after I realized (from reading other posters' opinions) that the taste and vaping experience is SO much better if the juice inside the cartos has had a chance to age, soak, and mix in with the filter. I've tested them after different number of hours, and 24 hours has been the best for me.

 

[deback]

I have been using a blunt tip syringe to refill thru the battery end. about .. .5ml at a time. This will last half a day or more for me... not lost juice since i figured this out either!

There's no lost juice dripping directly into the filter from the mouth end, either. And I don't have to mess around with a syringe and needle. It's just so much quicker dripping right from the bottle that contains the liquid mixture, as long as the hole in the bottle dripper has been widened a little with a big paper clip. There's no clean-up, no wiping of the carto, and lots of time saved to do other things.

 

[deback]

One of these is now on my shopping list.
I've had little success just boiling or soaking cartos so I'm hoping this will work a bit better.
$25-$30 for cartos every couple of weeks is costing me almost as much as analogs once I factor in juice as well.

I tried the soaking method once and then blew them out, as recommended by other posters. That method just doesn't work, because the filter is still soggy and doesn't get completely dry overnight or even in two or three days. Vaping water is a miserable experience. I was constantly spitting out water that would end up on my tongue after every vape.

I tried the boiling method once and discovered the filters inside had shrunk by about 1/2.

That's when I remembered seeing someone use this little tool in a YouTube video. The best part was that I had already bought this syringe kit from Walmart, so I started cleaning them using this method, and the cartos don't taste funky anymore and seem like they're brand new. It's because this method allows you to get more of the water out of the filter before placing the cartos in front of a fan.

Cartos can't last forever, but using this method should help them to last for several weeks and maybe a couple of months or more.

 

[deback]

One of these is now on my shopping list.
I've had little success just boiling or soaking cartos so I'm hoping this will work a bit better.
$25-$30 for cartos every couple of weeks is costing me almost as much as analogs once I factor in juice as well.

Another advantage to using this method is that it's very quick to clean cartos. Each one takes about a minute or so.

 

[cozzicon]

Hey folks! Question about cartomizers.

Some of you amazing, magical people are managing to get 20+ uses out of your cartos. I even saw a post from one woman who was getting 50. Woah!

Naturally I'm interested in what sort of magic spell is required to do this.

I've only got 4 cartos (more coming, don't worry) and I've probably refilled all of them 4-6 times now. They're starting to lose their flavor, and I think the draw may be stiffer too. So, time to clean them?

I don't have vodka, just gin. But I read vodka worked really well. Any other stuff that works to get them super-clean and doesn't destroy the carto?

I was thinking let them soak in very hot water... for 10 or 15 minutes? And then use my syringe to suck in and push out cool water through them a few times. Blow 'em out with the syringe a few times, and leave them to dry over-night.

...And that will bring them back to having a better flavor and being less gunked up so I can abuse them a few more times, right?

P.S. I've been playing with re-filling methods, and my favorite way I found was dropping one drop at a time into the battery end, and letting the hole kind of "suck it in." I picked it up off a GrimmGreen video. It's ok to do it this way, right?

Regarding cleaning:

Goat Urine... all the way.

I used to use isopropyl alcohol. But then.. I found the magic bullet

 

[MitchellBeans]

There's no lost juice dripping directly into the filter from the mouth end, either. And I don't have to mess around with a syringe and needle. It's just so much quicker dripping right from the bottle that contains the liquid mixture, as long as the hole in the bottle dripper has been widened a little with a big paper clip. There's no clean-up, no wiping of the carto, and lots of time saved to do other things.

The cartomizers i have, which are from cignot and genuine joye, need a sharp object to pierce the foil, thn you have to drip with a syringe down that anyhow. I guess there are other cartos that are not so finicky, but I figure the ones I have the best way is thru the battery side hole...