Do you clean your drip tips?
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Yes I clean them, I soak them in a cup of water for awhile then rinse well with water - along with condoms too that I reuse. Sometimes when I am cleaning off my mods and stuff I will also wipe them clean too. I use a little bit of hydrogen peroxide on a paper towel to wipe down mods, cartos and drip tips when they are dirty or greasy from juice. Makes everything shiny, takes away the greasiness, and it also cleans and is anti-bacterial.
I get it! Danged vodka ... goes bad just when you least expect it, so it's always a good idea to "check it" before you use it for cleaning nasty ol' tips.
Yeppers!
I hadn't cleaned mine "in a while".....but after reading this thread today, they all soaked in soapy water for an hour, followed by a good rinse. They hydrogen peroxide is a good idea.....I'll try that as step 2 next time.
I clean drips every day while filling cartos. I just swab them out with a Q-Tip. Once a week or so I wash them under warm water with anti-bacterial dishwashing soap.
There doesn't seem to be a standardized bore size for drips. I only have two. One is a nickle plated brass straight and the other is solid aluminum in the baby bottle nipple shape. The straight drip tip has the wider bore and is my favorite. It draws better than the other and is a better fit for the Q-tips.
There doesn't seem to be a standardized bore size for drips. I only have two. One is a nickle plated brass straight and the other is solid aluminum in the baby bottle nipple shape. The straight drip tip has the wider bore and is my favorite. It draws better than the other and is a better fit for the Q-tips.
In addition to outside contamination remember that both propylene glycol USP and glycerine USP are compounds that provide the backbone of amino acids. Given time and the right conditions including introduced bacteria these chemicals will grow stuff. Best to clean drip tips often. I don't use a carto longer than 10-14 days for the same reason.
So far, all I have is a black delrin. I've been wiping out the gunk with a rolled up paper towel. Was thinking of getting some pipe cleaners, but q-tips are better and I have some.... I'm about to try to clean out my first carto, so I will do the tip at the same time. Who the heck knows what is in there if you can't see through it.... ewwww...
I would not deign to participate in such drudgery myself, as it does not befit a man of my station; however, my attendants regularly clean my drip tips by soaking in the highest-quality Corinthian wine. The diamond ones do not attract filth easily, but the emerald & ruby tips seem to become dirty more swiftly for some reason. To tell the truth, the Provincials typically offer drip tips within their monthly Tribute, so I usually throw older ones away before cleanliness can become a serious issue.
I clean mine every day with antibacterial dish soap and hot water. I wanted to drip some bleach into the water, but I was concerned that I would ruin the o rings. Anyone have issues with the o rings wearing out from washing too often?
No problems with O-rings with using the method described in post #27 for several months. A little juice on the O-rings after cleaning will provided some lubrication, reducing wear.
I'd hesitate before using bleach as it is quite caustic and may damage O-rings (and you, if not completely rinsed off). I have full confidence in the properties of anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid for this purpose. If that doesn't kill the bugs well enough for your satisfaction I'd recommend using a rubbing alcohol rinse followed by a final and thorough rinse in clear water. Keep in mind that I do not know what what material the O-rings you use are made of. Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol and water) can break down some plastics and rubber.
As others suggest, a high proof liqueur may make a more sensible substitute for rubbing alcohol. I've got some 92 proof Sailor Jerry's rum that might do nicely for that.
I'd hesitate before using bleach as it is quite caustic and may damage O-rings (and you, if not completely rinsed off). I have full confidence in the properties of anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid for this purpose. If that doesn't kill the bugs well enough for your satisfaction I'd recommend using a rubbing alcohol rinse followed by a final and thorough rinse in clear water. Keep in mind that I do not know what what material the O-rings you use are made of. Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol and water) can break down some plastics and rubber.
As others suggest, a high proof liqueur may make a more sensible substitute for rubbing alcohol. I've got some 92 proof Sailor Jerry's rum that might do nicely for that.
I'm noticing the rubber drip tips included with the SmokTech EMDCC and the Askton Huge's MK-I will gather quite a bit of condensation, and if left unchecked will eventually leak onto your lips. Rather unpleasant experience. I just use a q-tip real quick to get the liquid out of there.
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