Cotton Wicks?

[herb]

I bought a big cheap grocery store brand bag that says cotton balls. I don't do anything but use it. After a bunch of clearo head recoils and rda/rba trials, I still haven't used the first ball.

If you ever went to a dentist and had cotton stuffed in your mouth, that is the taste for a couple of puffs. Or chewed on a t-shirt.
I would worry more about the wet cotton getting moldy after you boil it.

Been there, done that , especially the knawing on the T shirt part , not recommended.

 

[beckdg]

by definition, sterilized doesn't mean there's not bad cooties. it means the bad cooties cannot reproduce there. it's a sterile environment not conducive to supporting reproduction of organisms small enough to live in it.

peroxide would be a lousy long term solution. once it's wet, a minute later it's broken down to oxygen and water. that's far from sterile.

i would wager my life that peroxide isn't what's in the cotton balls that some folks feel require boiling, also. again... once it's wet, it's almost immediately water and oxygen... which nobody would taste on their wick and coil with e-juice.

organic does not at all mean safe. it means there were no oil based pesticides used on that crop that year. it doesn't even mean there wasn't any in the soil or the crop sequestered from the soil from previous years where the farm was growing things that didn't meet the organic guidelines.

i have tried the sterile and organic cottons from the local stores. you can taste them. period. i thought i couldn't taste my cvs cotton at one time. thought it just tasted like cotton. then i tried koh gen do. NIGHT AND DAY difference. unbelievable!

i'll third the koh gen do cotton. only cotton i'd personally recommend at this point. only cotton i'll vape on.

EDIT: though, i must admit, that sisheido cotton is getting to be rather intriguing.

 

[ModBox]

There seem to be a lot of myths and pseudoscience regarding cotton balls

I don't have much knowledge on the subject but would like it if someone who does could confirm/dispel my thoughts on things that are commonly said about cotton balls:

1) I'm wondering if all cotton balls are sterile anyway. Aren't they all put in an autoclave at high temperatures during the manufacturing process?

2) Linking to the first question - if this is the case wouldn't all pesticides be thoroughly removed anyway if using non-organic cotton? (Assuming heat does indeed remove pesticides)

3) When boiling wouldn't any chemicals that come out into the water just be re-absorbed by the cotton anyway. (Or do the chemicals definitely evaporate)

4) Getting rid of hydrogen peroxide isn't like trying to kill germs is it? Would boiling these chemicals even make a slight bit of difference to their safely?

5) Aren't you more likely to contaminate your cotton this way putting it into contact with your hands, pots, water etc.

6) Does boiling cotton get rid of the 'cotton taste' possibly hinting that it is doing some good at least.

 

[beckdg]

There seem to be a lot of myths and pseudoscience regarding cotton balls

I don't have much knowledge on the subject but would like it if someone who does could confirm/dispel my thoughts on things that are commonly said about cotton balls:

1) I'm wondering if all cotton balls are sterile anyway. Aren't they all put in an autoclave at high temperatures during the manufacturing process? no and no. just taste them then taste koh gen do. you'll see.

2) Linking to the first question - if this is the case wouldn't all pesticides be thoroughly removed anyway if using non-organic cotton? yes... if it were the case. but the answer to your first question was no. so no.

3) When boiling wouldn't any chemicals that come out into the water just be re-absorbed by the cotton anyway. no. of course, method of extraction and the chemicals properties in water would determine how much recontamination would occur, but 100% is likely impossible.

4) Getting rid of hydrogen peroxide isn't like trying to kill germs is it? Would boiling these chemicals even make a slight bit of difference to their safely? hydrogen peroxide becomes water and oxygen when introduced to water. almost immediately. thousands of people use it in their very expensive aquariums to bleach unsightly algae off of very sensitive plants and corals. the chemical makeup of hydrogen peroxide is H2O2. this changes to H2O and O2 within a minute and nothing in the aquarium is adversely affected unless grossly over dosed. thus if cotton balls were simply treated with hydrogen peroxide, boiling would not be necessary. it would be no more beneficial to boil the cotton than to get it wet for a minute let alone boiling 3 times for 15 minutes each time that some people tend to see benefits in.

5) Aren't you more likely to contaminate your cotton this way putting it into contact with your hands, pots, water etc. wash your hands, man. a little common sense and cleanliness goes a long way.

6) Does boiling cotton get rid of the 'cotton taste' possibly hinting that it is doing some good at least. yes. though, i wouldn't say possibly hinting. i'd say it's pretty solid evidence. trust your taste buds. if you can't trust them, trust those of others. we have them to warn us of danger and tell us what to consume.

answers in red.

 

[PaulBHC]

Some pesticides are systemic. They go into the soil and are absorbed by the roots, then passed up through the plant with everything else.

Someone posted that poison ivy and dog poo are organic. Don't want to vape either one. The cotton is the last stage in the plant to seed cycle. The white fibre is there to hold the seeds. External pesticides are probably gone by this point. Not a farmer, just a guesser.

 

[wheelie]

I used wife's cotton balls out of bathroom when I started wicking. Have a bit of a taste but it goes away quick. I bought organic cotton balls which are much better. I hide my organic cotton balls.

 

[beckdg]

I used wife's cotton balls out of bathroom when I started wicking. Have a bit of a taste but it goes away quick. I bought organic cotton balls which are much better. I hide my organic cotton balls.

that's just wrong. think of what your wifes face is subjected to when she removes her makeup.

P.S. i don't blame you one bit.

 

[cope]

and to think we smoked..lol

 

[pauly walnuts]

Every cotton product ive used tastes like crap before I boil it. Even the yarn and the organic needs boiled in my opinion.
I use a big pot that probably holds 4 gallons of water. I boil it 3 times, a half hour per boil, replacing the water and rinsing the cotton each time. I boiled a half a bag of organic cotton balls from walgreens and I wont need to do that again for a long time.

 

[Coldrake]

I'll 4th the Koh Gen Do. No chemicals, no boiling, no break-in. The flavor is great. I wouldn't vape with anything else.

 

[eastwest]

This is the first I've heard of Koh Gen Do. I will definitely have to pick up some. Does Sephora carry it in store or only online?

 

[Coldrake]

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure they would carry it in store.

 

[xtreme101]

This is the first I've heard of Koh Gen Do. I will definitely have to pick up some. Does Sephora carry it in store or only online?

Some stores do but not all Sephora stores carry it. I suggest you call the specific store to check before making a special out of the way trip.

 

[Kr3wsk8er]

I just posted this in another thread regarding cotton wicking, IMPO I would advice against boiling of cotton for the potential of bacteria. After it is boiled and cooling/drying you now have a warm moist environment prime for bacteria to thrive. Anything from your hands, to surfaces you place the cotton can be an exposure risk. Just my 2cents

 

[ModBox]

@Beckdg - thanks for the helpful reply. With point 5 I was referring to what is described in the post above: "I just posted this in another thread regarding cotton wicking, IMPO I would advice against boiling of cotton for the potential of bacteria. After it is boiled and cooling/drying you now have a warm moist environment prime for bacteria to thrive. Anything from your hands, to surfaces you place the cotton can be an exposure risk."

I've just received my organic cotton (hydrogen peroxide cleaned) - Swisspers (Organic Essentials), Triple Size Cotton Balls, 80 Count is what I have. It's "USDA certified organic cotton organic, pesticide-free 100% cotton."

Do I still need to boil that? Will it have a taste?

@xtreme101 - Seems very difficult to get Koh Gen Do cotton from the UK. Can only see options of buying from america which comes to a whopping £17 including delivery just for a bit of cotton! What is the difference between Japanese organic cotton and regular organic cotton? Are Koh Gen Do and Shiseido the exact same thing just different brand names?

 

[ModBox]

Just tried my swisspers organic for the first time - from the first draw I haven't notice any unusual taste like I did with the other non-organic cheap and nasty stuff. I think it's good to go unwashed. I did open the bag and leave it in sunlight for a few days as some have suggested.

 

[saberflare]

+1 on the Koh Gen Do Japanese organic Cotton.

I do not boil it and there is zero cotton flavor unless you use too thick of a wick.

Here's a video I put together on it:

http://youtu.be/0vysSY3fxbc

It is in a different league of simplicity, ease of wick duplication and pureness.

I am going to head to the Seiyu and see if I can find this stuff. I am in Japan so it should be easy to find

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[thorn]

This thread seems to clear up what to do with certain cotton balls, except for the ones I just found, the only type at the local chain grocery store. The package says 100% cotton. It does not say sterile, it does not say organic, it does not say bleached. ???

 

[PaulBHC]

That's what I use. Right outta the bag.

 

[beckdg]

I've just received my organic cotton (hydrogen peroxide cleaned) - Swisspers (Organic Essentials), Triple Size Cotton Balls, 80 Count is what I have. It's "USDA certified organic cotton organic, pesticide-free 100% cotton."

Do I still need to boil that? Will it have a taste?

more than welcomed.

quoted in red is a warning. usda certified organic isn't very stringent for food stuffs. pretty loose, IMO. heating and inhaling should bring on a whole other level of safety above what USDA certified organic already doesn't cover.

so, in a nutshell, yes.

as far as bacteria that would survive in a warm, moist environment... the cotton will be stored dry once you boil it. that bacteria won't have a chance.

not to mention the hygroscopic nature of pg and vg and the fact that vaporizing either and/or water would create temperatures that would eliminate any pesties. not to say i'd want to inhale them even if they were dead. just that the risk is much lower than inhaling the unknown contaminates from growing, production and packaging phases.