vodka or rubbing alcohol?

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mostlyclassics

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Folks, let's make sure of what we're talking about here:

  • BOOZE ALCOHOL: This is ethanol for drinking: vodka, Everclear or moonshine. Flavored or colored boozes will lend "interesting" flavors to whatever device we're cleaning. All, except the moonshine, involve paying heavy federal and state taxes.
  • ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: Chemically, this is a different kind of alcohol that is poisonous to drink straight out of the bottle. But, if it's labelled "USP," it's safe for cleaning anything we'd insert in our mouths (drip-tips, attys, cartos, the relevant parts of Vivi Novas, Stardusts, RBAs, etc.) provided you let whatever you cleaned with it dry thoroughly!! The 91% concentration will kill anything that lives on God's green earth. It's also dirt cheap compared with booze alcohols (again, excepting moonshine).
  • RUBBING or DENATURED ALCOHOL: Chemically, rubbing alcohol is ethanol (i.e., booze alcohol) that's been denatured (which is a fancy word for "poisoned") so you can't drink it and thereby cheat the taxmen. Sometimes, it's only denatured with methanol, but many states require the addition of non-volatile poisons. Methanol will evaporate, but any other poisons added won't. Word to the wise: don't use rubbing alcohol!

I've used isopropyl alcohol for almost every cleaning chore, when refurbishing pipes earlier on, and now for cleaning PV hardware, for over forty years without ill effect. Word to the wise: read the label.
 
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Ken62

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I use 120 proof moonshine :drool:

haha, I'm picturing - one for atomizer, one for me, one for tank, one for me, one for me,,,

drunk-smiley-emoticon.jpg
 

Janusxvii

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Feb 5, 2012
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This reminds me of a time not too long ago that I caught another vaper that I work with soaking his CE4 in denatured alcohol (the whole clearo was just sitting at the bottom of a cup). Needless to say that I had a little bit of a freak out moment... especially after he told me that is how he normally cleans them. I tried explaining that it is a horrible idea and that dirt cheap, no-name brand vodka works just fine.
 

StereoDreamer

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I use Everclear to clean drip tips, attys, cartos and the heads from my Vivi Novas, because it cleans AND sterilizes.

If you are using regular vodka (40 proof) to clean your gear, it will clean the juice, dirt, oil and saliva off, but it will NOT kill bacteria or viruses. Seems like a pretty expensive cleaning solution to me, if it won't sterilize (which it won't).

Regular 40 proof vodka will not sterilize equipment unless it is "overproof" (at least 100 proof).

The rule with alcohol is, if it won't burn, it won't sterilize...
 

lexpres61

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Jan 7, 2013
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I took the advice of another poster and cleaned my clearomizers with rubbing alcohol. Empty the juice out. Fill tank with alcohol and shake. Let sit for 10 mins. Empty. Repeat until you feel it is clean enough. Then I rinse it out with hot water and let set overnight to dry.
It worked great for me though I am switching fom clearomizers to a dual coil tank.
 

EDGECRUSHER

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I use denatured alcohol to clean my eGo batteries and both models of Vivi Nova. It's become a method I use and suitable to how I am with cleaning, you know? I take apart the entire tank, unscrew the atty head, and wet/dab dry/repeat until the wicks are as clean as they will get.
The silica wicks clean easier than the bamboo ones, but by and large it's more practical to re-coil the bamboo ones after only one wet/dab session. It dries super fast, and in less than 30min ready to reassemble.
The point is, though to each their own, I can't bring myself to use water. Ever.
 
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