New vaper here! Question about cleaning/sanitizing.

[adot]

Hello all! I'd like to start off by saying I love the forum, anytime I google a question pertaining to vaping this site is the first to pop up. So I decided to make an account to ask a question of my own. Sorry if it's long

A little background story to my question: I purchased a eGo T CE4 Vaporizer Twin Starter Kit in early November. Ordered some e-juice from ECBlend (their pina colada tastes great, btw!). On November 15th I vaped for the first time (I've been to hookah bars in the past tho) and the next day (Nov. 16th) I woke up with a sore throat. It wasn't too bad, thought it was any regular sore throat since I was still able to speak and eat/drink without any issues. Then Sunday I wake up with an EXTREMELY painful sore throat. Couldn't speak, eat, and barely could drink. Went to the ER and they said it was strep. Now, on Saturday I was still vaping seeing as how I didn't know it was strep at that time and thought it was just a regular sore throat due to it now being winter & stuff.
Anyways, I was put on antibiotics for 10 days. I finished the last of it on my birthday (November 27th). Didn't vape again until last night (Dec. 6th).
Now, my question is...how do I sanitize/clean the drip tip? Since I have two vape pens I went ahead and boiled the drip tip for the one I didn't use yet. I boiled it for 3 minutes. It ended up bending ever so slightly which I thought wouldn't be a problem but it is, because e-juice can now get into the metal part of my vape pen where it isn't supposed to go. Now, for the vape pen I was using when I first got strep, I cleaned with a Lysol wipe. Let it dry. Then I went and cleaned it with some Germ-X. I wanted to boil it but I don't wanna risk bending it like the previous one.

My question is, do you think the Lysol & Germ-X would do the trick? Last night I was thinking it would so after I cleaned it with them I did vape about 3-4 puffs. But me being me, I always get paranoid after the fact when it comes to things lol.
Also, any recommendations on how to sanitize drip tips in general? Any info would be great. Thanks!

 

[Arnie H]

Hello and welcome to ECF.

I'm not a doctor, but you might have an allergy to something in the e-liquid (like PG). Are you saying it was an infection from the drip tip? Plain isopropyl alcohol should be sufficient I'd think. But I don't know much about germs.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Everclear will kill anything. That is what I use to clean and sanitize.

And welcome to ecf.

 

[stevensillyburger]

Honestly, I use hot water on metal stuff and warm water with a wash cloth on the plastic. It's all about keeping your ecig in a clean place and washing your hands often. I've had strep throat before I got into vaping, and I'm pretty sure you didn't get a reaction from your set up. If you really really wanna get in there, I would just use a slight kosher salt to water ratio and SUPER clean the thing with regular water afterwards. Don't use lysol as it's ammonia based and that's not good to put in your mouth! I wouldn't use an alcohol personally, but I'm wary about all flammables.

All just suggestions based on what works for me.

 

[Amraann]

I think OP is saying that having been diagnosed with strep he/she would like to make sure the drip tips are clean so as not to contract strep from them again.

OP I would soak in some vodka then rinse with water and let air dry.

Also PG can cause a sore/ dry throat.. (obviously since your DR said it was strep this time it was strep)
But just so you know to drink plenty of water because vaping can dry out your throat and dehydrate you.

 

[adot]

Thanks everyone!

I never thought to use Everclear lol now that I'm 21 I can get my hands on some. I'll have to try that!

I don't think I got strep from vaping. I'm pretty sure I got it when I went up to my campus to take a midterm. Doctors say strep usually takes 2-5 days to show signs. However I wasn't aware I had strep until I felt the soar throat on that Saturday & I was still vaping throughout that day. So I'm assuming some bacteria/germs from strep got in my drip tip.

I'll just have to to wait it out & see in 2-5 days if I feel any pain in my throat to know if the Lysol and germ-x worked.

Thanks for the suggestions! Definitely gonna try the Everclear haha.

 

[nicetucu]

If you're worried about germs you could soak it in a cheap vodka. I just use hot water or hot water out of the water cooler at home.

The reason I say cheap vodka is why waste good vodka lol. Everclear would work well, but I'm not sure if they sell that everywhere.

 

[Txaggiesaunt]

I clean everything in distilled vodka. Works great. Good luck & VAPE ON

 

[nmackan]

welcome my friend. Drink lots of water is my suggestion. Use water both drinking and cleaning

 

[Mark Anthony]

Another vote for vodka or everclear..... Works great!!

 

[Dconnor]

Cheap vodka +1


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[cathleenmarie]

Anyone recommend peroxide?

 

[WindyCityJoe]

Welcome to ECF and another vote for cheap vodka

 

[yzer]

Antibacterial dish washing liquid works wonders.

 

[flytyer54]

Do you guys use vodka to sanitize lab-ware (bottles, syringes, droppers etc.) Any thoughts on sanitizing with a bleach bath and air dry (aka restaurant type sanitizing). I figured that the experts on the forum would have ideas on the process, if the bleach residual was negligible, or a problem used on something that will contain liquid to be vaped. Any ideas would be appreciated.Thanks.

 

[Lucky_Pierre]

Do you guys use vodka to sanitize lab-ware (bottles, syringes, droppers etc.) Any thoughts on sanitizing with a bleach bath and air dry (aka restaurant type sanitizing). I figured that the experts on the forum would have ideas on the process, if the bleach residual was negligible, or a problem used on something that will contain liquid to be vaped. Any ideas would be appreciated.Thanks.

If you want to sanitize with bleach (I cannot verify that this method will nor ruin any component) you would use a 10% bleach solution. Let soak for 10 minutes. Follow up with multiple soaks in distilled H2O. Bleach will pit stainless steel.

Bleach must be rinsed very well. You are better off soaking in 70% ethanol if you can find it. 70% isopropanol will work, also, but might dissolve glue.

If you have a cartridge with a non-removable wick/coil (I am still not sure of the terminology) I would definitely NOT use bleach.

Bleach is excellent at killing viruses and blood borne pathogens. Alcohol is fine for bacteria, but you must soak for at least 10 minutes.

Yes, I am a scientist. This is how we decon a lot of the equipment in the labs.

HTH

 

[AmandaD]

Can you use Chlorhexidine? I have a huge bottle of that, and it would make sense to use it up!

 

[Ryedan]

Anyone recommend peroxide?

Peroxide should work well. Rinse it with water after you're done.

 

[flytyer54]

I was actually asking about sanitizing mixing equip......beakers, syringes, needles, etc...the bleach bath I was thinking of is the sanitizing method used in restaurants, wash, rinse sanitize, air dry....tha sanitize solution is NO MORE than 1 teaspoon to 1 table spoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water, (65-200 ppm). In Oklahoma at least, restaurants are required to sanitize anything that can't go into a device that heat sanitizes, including stainless, aluminum, plastic etc., but MUST be allowed to air dry. I think the equipment would be OK, I just wasn't sure about the residual chlorine,even dried, when it comes to vaping....would it affect the liquid, would it be a problem when heated......Maybe I'm cheap, but I think if I used vodka to wash all my mixing equipment each time I mix it would not very cost effective, I might as well buy juice and drink the vodka.....

 

[ranger]

distilled vodka! its the best