Quick question about cleaning Cartos

[rel322]

I've been doing research about cleaning cartos and attys. I guess the basic question that I have is...

a) Can I use the same cleaning techniques shown on attys on cartos? and vice versa. Is it safe?

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Some people use the same cleaning methods on their cartos as they do on atomizers. I prefer to keep it simple with cartos and just rinse them in the sink under hot water, blow them out real well and then let them dry out for at least two days. Most of the time it works, but I don't get upset about losing a carto or two. They're cheap enough to just toss them and my cartos usually last around 3 weeks or longer.

 

[Jwroao]

I soak mine in hot water overnight and then rinse and dry. Same thing WomanOfHeart said, but I find soaking them overnight gives me a "cleaner" carto than rinsing alone. To each their own..>

 

[MisterCombo21]

I am still struggling with this though I have been using cartomizers for a year... Cleaning them like attys should be fine... Mine only last about two days, and that is with topping off with 4 to 6 drops as soon as it gets even slightly dry on the top (I keep a drip tip on the end)... They will come out clean and white with cleaning and thoroughly drying, but definitely get weaker, less popping and flavor, etc... I'm not sure if cleaning it somehow makes the resistance higher or what, but they never perform like new again... I'm having a hard time with a Bananas Foster, vg 80/ pg20, that I love now... I get about half a day from a carto with it before the filler turns dark brown to black and tastes burnt... The liquid isn't an overly thick or dark color but maybe the complexity of ingredients gunks it up very quickly (banana, cinnamon, vanilla, cream, nutmeg)... I use Boge LR's and an Omega/ Roughstack with an 18650...

 

[zzzcha]

I soak and stir my atty in hot water for 10 minutes or so and then let it dry overnight. Drying thoroughly is a must.

 

[otrpu]

Beats me. I used to use a ultrasonic cleaner on my carto's. Got damned boring damned fast. Now, I use nuttin but CE2's, one form or another. If I can't clean it by dry firing the danged thing it's time for me to toss it out. For an ex three pack a day smoker I find it alittle ridiculous to be a frettin over the cost of a carto'n'juice. Some find all the antics fulfilling for one reason or another. To each their own. . .I don't. JMHO

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[dormouse]

No you cannot use the same method. Cartos won't air dry

And few people succeed at cleaning and drying cartos and ever having them work as well as before. Cartos are meant to be disposable. I use soft-cap cartos, thin clear juices, get 1-2 weeks use out of each carto (sometimes more), then stick it in a bag in case I ever feel like going through the possibly fruitless exercise of cleaning them. I only put juices I know I like in cartos.

And are you really asking about cartos? The screw-on one-piece combined cart and atomizer parts? If you mean cartridges aka carts (that push onto an atomizer), yes you can take out the stuffing, rinse and dry, refluff the stuffing (or better throw it away and replace with a blue foam plug)

 

[440BB]

I've been doing research about cleaning cartos and attys. I guess the basic question that I have is...

a) Can I use the same cleaning techniques shown on attys on cartos? and vice versa. Is it safe?

In answer to your question, it's not exactly the same, as cartos have filler material, as well as a center tube to draw vapor through. As a result, there are two more things to take care of:

1) The filler must be thoroughly cleaned and dried. Look up "taryn spin" here on ECF for a technique (centrifugal force) to get most moisture out of the filler immediately, which is important as you soak the filler a couple times to get clear liquid, whether using alcohol, water or both. It takes a couple good rinse/spins to get that filler clean.
Drying the filler requires dry heat to make it ready to accept liquid. Some people on ECF use an oven at low heat for a period of time. I set them threaded side down on top of the light bulbs in one of our bathrooms that has exposed bulbs. 30 minutes does the trick. As for safety, I believe between alcohol flushes and heat it's a clean outcome.

2) The center tube needs to be clear, so that you can see light through it looking from the mouthpiece side. If not, the draw gets very tight and refilling tends to hit the center and gurgle. Big reason for giving up on a carto early, in my opinion. If I can't see light after cleaning, before drying, I use a small paper clip straightened out to gently go from the threaded end through to the mouthpiece and open up the hole. Some people on ECF use a needle. I do it when they're damp so that they dry with the tube opening cleared.

Quite a bit more work than an atty! I do them in batches - my wife and I use them during work days and toss them in an ashtray, then I do a batch on the weekend and load them up for the next week. Takes about an hour to do a dozen.

I like reusing materials, including the ashtray! Only burning or excessive draw tightening are reasons to toss for me. Some have made it through 30 refills and still hold 25+drops and draw well!

I guess some people enjoy tinkering and some don't. You can definitely get them very clean and extend their life if you want to. I don't think it's a waste of time, as it's free time I'd probably spend on ECF! I just wish there was a pooling of regular cartos from those who don't care to clean them, so we could sanitize them and pass them on to those who can't afford much.

 

[rel322]

Thank you guys so much! I may be a newb but i've picked up enough lingo to know the difference between a carto and a cart Thanks for the search 440426

 

[440BB]

Glad to help! ECF research saved me tons of trouble and it's great to see it's helping you too. Now if we put our heads together and opened a shop (I'm in Royal Oak) we could rock the D!

 

[Lauralie]

I
1. Take the tip out
2. soak in real hot water for about 10 minutes (usually nuke the water first to get it real hot)
3. Then I take the plunger out of a syringe (usually one leftover from my daughters medicine)
4. Place the carto in the syringe battery end facing the plunger
5. Draw water into the syringe and push out about 8-10 times
6. Let air dry for quite awhile (week or more sometimes)

I did just read somewhere to place them in white rice right out of the box to dry them and intend to try that once I get to the store to buy some. Rice pulls moisture out of things and it has saved a cell phone and a camera for me in the past so thought I would give it a try.

Of course the cartos usually don't perform as well but they are good back up for the emergency situation when USPS sends your order in the wrong direction

 

[rel322]

Royal Oak eh? well, I'm closer to West Bloomfield, I've got no business experience though....