Keeping the >>outside<< of your gear clean

[The Torch]

I couldn't find a thread on this and I got curious at how often do you folks think of cleaning the surface of your gear and how you do it?

Let's face the sad truth directly: we put our hands everywhere and we probably grab our PV more often than anything else. More important is that this is a device we put our lips around the tip of, disassemble for the occasional blow through to get rid of excess juice and probably scratch our eyes between vapes.

I don't want to sound germophobe, but this is one device that is bound to get dirtier on a micro scale than perhaps your computer keyboard and mouse. You take it in the car, shopping, at work and carry it in your pocket or purse, so who knows what we are really putting it through?

I personally just wipe the exterior once a day with a humid microfiber cloth and rinse the tip then dry it the same way. I.m starting to wonder if I shouldn't be more paranoid and pragmatic than that with the tips even though I do my possible to keep them from touching anything.

 

[Kryyptyk]

I really wouldn't worry about it too much. Your cell phone is way more grody than your PV will ever be.

 

[MJCSD]

i clean my pv equipment 2 times a day

 

[The Torch]

I really wouldn't worry about it too much. Your cell phone is way more grody than your PV will ever be.

Interesting point. I admit not wiping my cellphone even once a week, but I don't blow in or out of any part of it. Obviously, if it was a major issue we'd definitely hear about it. As a precaution, though, I prefer not to let just anyone touch my PV while it's sitting on the table after seeing how some of my colleagues do the dishes.

 

[The Torch]

i clean my pv equipment 2 times a day

Mind to give a little detail on how? Just wiping as I do?

 

[Cyrus Vap]

I give my drip tips a quick soak in 91 or 99% iso and a tooth brush and soap scrub on the regular. PVs get a wipe with the same iso. The potential for grossness is quite high

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

We're supposed to clean these things? 8-o

 

[InTheShade]

Amazon.com: 100pk 420 Sterilizing Wipes: Kitchen & Dining hate the name, love the product. A quick wipe with these a couple of times a day plus a deeper clean when I change batteries keeps everything as clean as it can be.

These aren't the exact ones I use, but it's the same company. They are basically little alcohol wipes similar to the ones you get in first aid kits. They don't leave any funky taste though.

 

[marshbunny]

I use a lot of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. I keep a bottle at my desk (where I vape the most) to wipe down my mods. Not so much for germs, more for my clumsiness with over filling my drippers. My metal drip tips get pretty cruddy in a short time for some reason. I don't have as bad a problem with glass, plastic or stone. I take my top off the drippers (leave the tip on) and put finger on drip tip, fill with a few drops of dawn and flush with hot water. I have to use a soapy Qtip to scrub inside the drip tip then a long flush with very hot water. I do this every day or so. When it's time for a rebuild (or when I get a new dripper) I put the drippers, tips and bases in my ultrasonic (it has a 90 minute timer w/heat) and let it run for 30 minutes or so. Every so often (well, not that often) I break down my mechs and clean each section with the alcohol then lub & polish.

 

[Singaw]

I clean my battery contacts whenever I change batteries and wipe my attys down with alcohol but only clean the outside of my mods with my shirt if I happen to drop it into the mud. Still alive and too scared to change what I know works.

 

[Bookworm]

I use sanitizing wipes as well. I use my phone a lot during the day, and got in the habit of wiping it down a few times each day after reading something about how filthy cell phones were. So I just wipe down my device at the same time. Just a quick wipe down, it dries quickly and is good to go.

 

[Funk Dracula]

I give them a bath and soapy scrubbing under a faucet of running warm water in the sink. (Don't try this with regulated devices, peeps)


Cheers

 

[The Torch]

Amazon.com: 100pk 420 Sterilizing Wipes: Kitchen & Dining hate the name, love the product. A quick wipe with these a couple of times a day plus a deeper clean when I change batteries keeps everything as clean as it can be.

These aren't the exact ones I use, but it's the same company. They are basically little alcohol wipes similar to the ones you get in first aid kits. They don't leave any funky taste though.

Nice! Still, I like a little funky taste once in a while (when I know where it's coming from)

I use a lot of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. I keep a bottle at my desk (where I vape the most) to wipe down my mods. Not so much for germs, more for my clumsiness with over filling my drippers. My metal drip tips get pretty cruddy in a short time for some reason. I don't have as bad a problem with glass, plastic or stone. I take my top off the drippers (leave the tip on) and put finger on drip tip, fill with a few drops of dawn and flush with hot water. I have to use a soapy Qtip to scrub inside the drip tip then a long flush with very hot water. I do this every day or so. When it's time for a rebuild (or when I get a new dripper) I put the drippers, tips and bases in my ultrasonic (it has a 90 minute timer w/heat) and let it run for 30 minutes or so. Every so often (well, not that often) I break down my mechs and clean each section with the alcohol then lub & polish.

Sounds like really clean gear to me!

Metal tips tend to stick to a bunch of stuff (including some of the skin on our lips, especially when we get out of bet) and the shine really lets us see what's there.

I clean my battery contacts whenever I change batteries and wipe my attys down with alcohol but only clean the outside of my mods with my shirt if I happen to drop it into the mud. Still alive and too scared to change what I know works.

A few germs are good for the immune system. I also clean the threads on my Provari at least once a week to prevent extra resistance in the circuit.

I use sanitizing wipes as well. I use my phone a lot during the day, and got in the habit of wiping it down a few times each day after reading something about how filthy cell phones were. So I just wipe down my device at the same time. Just a quick wipe down, it dries quickly and is good to go.

And some people text while they're eating... They're usually the ones that say they wipe it once a week

I give them a bath and soapy scrubbing under a faucet of running warm water in the sink. (Don't try this with regulated devices, peeps)


Cheers

Seems like I need to step-up my cleaning habits. Good to know I'm not the only one thinking about this

 

[murphyramone]

I wipe mine off a few times a day with a damp cloth... when I drip to much juice and it spews out the air hole and gets allover my hands.

 

[Micchi]

I have some 50% isopropyl alcohol that I dip a q-tip in and wipe down my tips a few times a day. I'll wipe down outsides of things if they look a little grody, but other than that...eh. I wash my hands when I go to the bathroom, I figure I'm good to go there.

And if I'm not I do not want to know about it. Ignorance is bliss when you're paranoid about things being clean all the time anyway. LOL.

 

[Buggainok]

I'm an old grandma, and I've been healthy and active all my life. I'm seldom, if ever sick, not even colds. I think cleaning things too much is bad for your immune system, so I'm pretty laid back about this. I don't actually clean my gear, (or my phone either), just wipe it with a damp paper towel if it's sticky or icky.

 

[erazzz]

I wash my drip tip with soap and water whenever gunk starts building up on it.

Wipe my mod down with alcohol wipes.

Definitely not enough to sterilize it or anything, but helps cut down on the grime and germs.

 

[AgentAnia]

.... I think cleaning things too much is bad for your immune system, so I'm pretty laid back about this.... /QUOTE]

Absolutely agree with you!

I use a lot of hand lotion and lip balm, so I wipe down drip tips and batts as needed w/ a little microfiber cloth and some rubbing alcohol. Yes, there may be germs, but they're *my* germs and I love them!

 

[Myrany]

I really don't worry too much about the PV but I am very particular about keeping drip tips clean and keep carto condoms over them when not in use.

Liberal use of a vapertowel and Iso Alcohol works just fine.

 

[The Torch]

I'm an old grandma, and I've been healthy and active all my life. I'm seldom, if ever sick, not even colds. I think cleaning things too much is bad for your immune system, so I'm pretty laid back about this. I don't actually clean my gear, (or my phone either), just wipe it with a damp paper towel if it's sticky or icky.

I wash my drip tip with soap and water whenever gunk starts building up on it.

Wipe my mod down with alcohol wipes.

Definitely not enough to sterilize it or anything, but helps cut down on the grime and germs.

I'm personally more worried about grime than germs, except when people around me are sick and cough like THEY were the smokers or if they put their germs on personal things I manipulate often like my phone, PV and water bottle.

We are equipped to deal with germs (why should objects around me be more germ free than I could ever be?). But when it comes to grime, there all sorts of contaminants that were not there during the evolution of our immune system. The surest way to have an infection if to not wash away contaminants... even in first aid they don't tell you to disinfect cuts, but to just wash it.