The case against cotton wicks

[fogging_katrider]

Anyone have access to a chemistry lab at their university or alma mater? It would be interesting to see what is in those CVC organic cotton balls.

Sterilized Cotton.
If there were any trace amounts of chlorine or peroxide in them it would be reduced to water and destroyed by being boiled before use. Even if it were not boiled by the wick user, such trace amounts would be destroyed by the heat of vaporization.

There is really nothing to worry about.

 

[Marko76]

Everyone has told me I should try cotton wicks because of the better flavor, but every time I've tried it my chest felt like I had just chain smoked 3 packs of analogs. I wonder if it has anything to do with the info in this thread??

 

[super_X_drifter]

As small an amount of cotton being used I highly doubt that there is enough of anything in it that would be any more harmful than breathing the air? Or the nic in the juice itself being vaporized ? I don't do flavors but I bet they lend their own tidbits of unhealthy components to the vapor ?

This is my typical wick size :

It's almost nothing. Unless one were to burn it, it Feels a whole lot better than inhaling the smoke from 30+ cigarettes a day.

I did eliminate as much brass as possible from my vaping diet because of concerns with lead in it but I'm in contact with so much cotton every day / night that the TINY amount I use to transport ejuice to my coil can't even be a factor

I'm thinking that all the sheets most of us sleep in and the clothes we wear would expose us to much more harmful stuff than a little bit of cotton in an RBA?

 

[williebb123]

i guess there are some things we have to live with i mean the last i looked there are no new farms popping up there are only farms that at one time or another used pesticides and that was ddt when ddt was cool just like roundup is used today i choose not to sweat what is out of my control

 

[Brennan4x4]

interesting read. thank you for sharing.

 

[goodoleboy45]

Bluh bluh bluh that's why we boil it. Stick wit analogs with what you say there healther

 

[f1vefour]

This is my typical wick size :

It's almost nothing. Unless one were to burn it, it Feels a whole lot better than inhaling the smoke from 30+ cigarettes a day.

That's a spiffy looking coil.

I agree with what you said and I even grew up around cotton fields and know the smell of pesticides all too well.

There are worse things we breath than cotton, unless the cotton was sprayed with Temik (then I wouldn't use it, no amount of boiling would change my mind).

 

[Muero]

At this point, anything most of us say is "bro" science. My opinion is that cotton would appear to be safest way to go. (concerns with silica aka fiberglass) But you know what they say about opinions.

 

[f1vefour]

At this point, anything most of us say is "bro" science. My opinion is that cotton would appear to be safest way to go. (concerns with silica aka fiberglass) But you know what they say about opinions.

My comment about Temik isn't bro science whatsoever, I have first hand witnessed how deadly this stuff is. One teaspoon is enough to kill an Elephant or similarly large mammal. They were using it on peanut crops but it was outlawed in 2012/13, they are still using it on cotton crops until it is totally outlawed in 2018 I believe is the year.

This is nasty 'pesticide', in other countries they use it as poison.

I would wholeheartedly recommend only using medical grade sterile cotton if you can get it.

 

[fogging_katrider]

I would wholeheartedly recommend only using medical grade sterile cotton if you can get it.

Is that anything like sterile grade sterile cotton ?

j/k

 

[f1vefour]

Is that anything like sterile grade sterile cotton ?

j/k

Not the same thing, sterile cotton is free from external contamination. Medical grade should be free of internal (within the grown fiber) contamination.

Sterile being fine unless burned, medical grade being fine even if burned.

Here is a exhaustive thread on various wicks if your interested:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=284030

Oh and to the OP, bleached organic cotton is generally bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

 

[fogging_katrider]

cvs sterile rolled cotton IS sterile ffs

Its found in the bandage isle of cvs pharmacys, meant to be used as a bandage component.
Along with various types of sterile gause it is used in contact with wounds as an absorbant component in the dressing.

In my not so humble opinion...that would be "medical" enough.

The point being "sterile" is "sterile"

 

[f1vefour]

cvs sterile rolled cotton IS sterile ffs

Its found in the bandage isle of cvs pharmacys, meant to be used as a bandage component.
Along with various types of sterile gause it is used in contact with wounds as an absorbant component in the dressing.

In my not so humble opinion...that would be "medical" enough.

The point being "sterile" is "sterile"

I disagree with your quantification of sterile is sterile and I suppose that is my so very humble opinion.

I simply agree to disagree and will leave it at that.

 

[fogging_katrider]

Yes, I'll just stick with the literal medical definition of sterility as certified in USP labeling of "Sterile rolled cotton".

 

[Marko76]

What am I doing wrong?? I have "sterile organic cotton balls" that I bought to wick with, but every time I use them by the end of the day my chest hurts like I have just chain smoked 3 packs of analogs!!! I simply don't get it!!!

 

[fogging_katrider]

Marko,
First and most important...when using cotton wicking if you have it dialed in for best flavor and vapor production, many people find that they need to lower their nicotine level because its so efficient at delivering "the goods". I had to drop my 30mg to 24mg and now even at 24mg, it still feels high, so I am about to try going to 18mg nicotine strength. Cotton wicks are THAT good compared to silica...they really do deliver the nicotine much more efficiently than silica.

Second consideration, if you have any hypertension. ie: moderatly high to high blood pressure...nicotine can exacerbate it and drive it upwards.
I found out the hard way about blood pressure back when I was trying to quit cigs but cheating. I was chewing two pieces of 4mg nic gum and smoking a cig while I was on the way to a morning doctors appointment. Long story short...my bp upon arrival at the drs office was like 170 over 100 and the doctor told me to go to the emergency room where I stayed hooked up to monitors until the bp stabilized lower. Yeah that first thing in the morning need for me to get a nic boost caused me to cheat bigtime on the gum using a double dose along with the taboo use of a cigarette at the same time could have given me a stroke or a heart attack. They always warn against using more than one piece or smoking while trying to quit with nicotine gum...for a damn good reason.

Now Marko, twice here you've mentioned having chest pains after vaping...
I think it would be very prudent for you to get a physical or at the very least a blood pressure measuring device to make sure your nicotine intake isnt causing you any hypertension issues. Dont bother with the cheap ones that measure on a finger or wrist, they are very inaccurate and inconsistant compared to the better ones that measure your bp with an arm cuff. They are fairly cheap at most pharmacies, but I suggest the ones that cost about ten dollars more because they have extra functions that detect some types of heart rate irregularities.

hth,
jon

 

[Marko76]

Fogging_Katrider I do have hypertension, so I already have a good machine, its not my bp that's been making my chest hurt. It hurt when I would inhale. Someone told me it could've been the way I had my wick set up and asked if it had a burnt taste, which it did. I took my set up to a guy at one of the local B&M's and he actually took the time to break it down and show me what I was doing wrong. (Which is something that the other B&Ms I've been to haven't expressed to me.) It must have been the setup because I vaped on it the rest of the night and this morning and haven't had any problems with it. I figured out 2 things last night the first how to set up my cotton wick in my RSST and where I will be taking my vaping business from now on!

Oh! Btw, I was on 18% nico and am using 12% currently so I'm not O.D'ing on the nico.

Thank you for your input ;-)

 

[JeremyR]

The bamboo yarn I listed claims to be 100% bamboo. I have no seen any other source, yes I looked at other websites for a cheaper price, that say else wise. I even checked the manufacturers website. If you have found a site that says other wise please list it.

That's not what actual bamboo fiber looks like. That is in fact rayon and yes it can be made from bamboo but it's no different. Rayon is made from plant based cellulose. Its a synthetic natural based fiber. Most that claim to be bamboo aren't, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference in the end product anyway. And I have used rayon fibers quite a bit but moved on to hemp.

FTC.gov
How to Avoid Bamboozling Your Customers | BCP Business Center

 

[arth_d]

It's the world we live in. No wonder everyone is dying of cancer, the food we eat the air we breath, the synthetic carpet in our houses the paint on the walls, the radiation from our phones and wifi, the clothes we wear then we take drugs to fix us. How about we start to look at why are things the way they are. It all comes down to money and making products as cheaply as possible to maximise profit.
We're screwed basically so just enjoy your bobas bounty or pluid or whatever floats your boat. No one is here forever.

PS I'm drunk but that is the most logical post I have ever written.