So, what is the residue that'll stay on your windshield/windows..?

[nyiddle]

I was talking about this with a friend who expressed concern (for a fairly legitimate reason).

As it's getting colder, people have been vaping in their cars/homes with their windows up, and I've seen several threads of people asking about it: What is the buildup/residue that appears after vaping with the windows up? It seems to build up noticeably faster when the weather is colder.

At first I thought it was just condensation/moisture, but this was essentially thwarted by the fact that normal condensation would disappear over time, and it would be easily wipeable. This is almost a waxy film, and it seems to take a fair bit of rubbing with a cloth or something to get it out.

What is it? Anyone know/have any ideas? If it's building up on my windshield, is it building up inside my lungs too? Not trying to fear-monger or anything, but I think this is a slight cause for concern/questions.

 

[Jdurand]

Take a rag with pure VG and wipe it over the inside of your windshield. Let it dry and then ask this question again. I'm not trying to be an idiot here, but it just makes sense that anything vaporized by heat, once cool, will return to it's liquid form.

 

[bluecat]

You vape PG/VG and exhale it. What stays on the window is not water vapor but PG/VG vapor. Awful stuff to get off in the wintertime.

 

[Circa Survivor]

Yup, it's -1 here and it's such a PITA to wipe off xD

 

[vincom]

pita to clean my windows, vaping 70% vg

 

[yzer]

That's one of the reasons that I have no interest in cloud chasing. I have to clean my own windows in the car and house. Surplus vapor isn't worth the extra cleaning for me. Exhaled vapor will fog up mirrors, too.

In this respect, vaping doesn't offer much of an advantage over smoking.

 

[Spidey2011]

Yup, it's -1 here and it's such a PITA to wipe off xD

Only -1? It's was -13 here this morning. Finally warmed up to -6. Lol

I've noticed it on my cars windshield too. Gonna hafta clean that soon. Lol

 

[nyiddle]

So I guess that makes sense. My follow-up question would be:

Is there any concern vaping around electronics for this reason? I mean, obviously I'm not blowing clouds into my computer tower or anything like that, but is there any reason to believe that normal usage around a computer, over time, might have any adverse effects?

 

[yzer]

Any precipitate like you get from cigarette smoke or vapor will land on electronics too. The cooling fans of a computer tower are going to suck the vapor right into the chassis. The results are that any dust will tend stick to electronic components a little more tenaciously and will require more work to vacuum out. My computer says it feels more relaxed and can concentrate better, though.

 

[93gc40]

Well, if you took the 2 minutes to clean the windows, BEFORE, they film over. It's not a Problem.
Figure that MOST of anything you inhale is expelled from the lungs on exhale. That exhaled gunk has to go somewhere. That piece of glass in front of your face, is a convenient repository.

 

[philoshop]

It's a condensate of whatever moisture is in the vehicle. Mostly water, but mixed with smoke, pg/vg mix, or whatever soap and shampoo you used before climbing in the car. Moist air meeting a cold surface.
Running the defroster fan will help to keep it off your windshield. Your glass cleaner of choice will take care of the rest of the windows.

 

[Jdurand]

The electronics part is an interesting take on this. I have to say OP I never considered that. Hmm, I guess there would be a residual effect on electronics. I figure it would be the same case with the analogs. Will it cause damage, I guess it could. I figure the human body would tell you if it can't process it out of your lungs, which I believe it can due to the lack of smokers cough, but the effect on inanimates does pose an interesting question.

 

[yzer]

I have cleaned vintage electronics that had been exposed to decades of cigarette smoke. The precipitates are not easy to remove. It takes a wash with deposit-free electronics cleaning solvent to do the job. I don't expect residue from vaping to be quite as difficult to remove from electronics but I have absolutely no experience to back up this suspicion. People have been vaping for only a few years. Cigarette smoke is a stew of tar and resins while ecig vapor is not, especially if vaping non-flavored. I vape non-flavored juice that doesn't contain flavors or coloring.

 

[ndnshift]

noticed this for a long time... however, due to the greasy nature of PG/VG, its almost impossible to completely clean with windex... water and vinegar seem to work well. anyone else have tips for cleaning it off?

 

[Brandon David]

noticed this for a long time... however, due to the greasy nature of PG/VG, its almost impossible to completely clean with windex... water and vinegar seem to work well. anyone else have tips for cleaning it off?

Zep works well. We use it on aircraft windshields at work.


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[yzer]

I have used this on my cars and boat for years, inside and out. I found that it works much better on automotive and household glass than Windex. Works better than Windex on vaping haze. Used as directed it leaves a high gloss that beads water.

 

[catlady60]

noticed this for a long time... however, due to the greasy nature of PG/VG, its almost impossible to completely clean with windex... water and vinegar seem to work well. anyone else have tips for cleaning it off?

I had my best luck with Invisible Glass. I needed 2 passes to get all the VG film off; the first one got most of it off and the second pass got the rest.

 

[GT86]

I had my best luck with Invisible Glass. I needed 2 passes to get all the VG film off; the first one got most of it off and the second pass got the rest.

Yep! That's my go to glass cleaner with a waffle weave microfiber glass towel.

Oh, and just to add, don't use Windex or anything with ammonia in it on tinted windows.