Cannabis concentrate vape cartridges are a convenient and discreet method of marijuana consumption. But how do you make the most of your oil cartridge?
Well, one way is to keep it from getting gunked up with leftover residue that limits how much THC content you can get when you use the cartridge again. It’s why we recommend you follow these easy steps on how to clean a vape cartridge.
Follow our step-by-step guide below and you’ll be back up and running in no time:
How to Clean Your Vape Cartridge
[STEP 1]Before you start cleaning your vape cartridge, it’s important that you gather all the necessary materials. You will need a small pin or paperclip, your cartridge and a clean micro dabber (I recommend these). You may also want some rubbing alcohol or ISO isopropyl alcohol.
Finally, you’ll need to gather some q-tips and an old toothbrush. As we explained earlier, we don’t recommend using cotton swabs since they can leave fibers behind.
[STEP 2] Take apart your vape cartridge and remove the mouthpiece.
Put everything in a safe place so that it doesn’t get lost while you’re cleaning out the cartridge.
Take apart your vaporizer, clear off all its pieces and put them in a safe place.
[STEP 3] The first thing you need to do is use the paperclip or small pin and poke up through the bottom of your cartridge.
This will release any oil inside, which you can conveniently dab with your micro dabber . It’s important to remember not to dab directly from your cartridge, as you could ingest contaminates.
Make sure to use the folding technique to avoid excess oil build-up on your dabber .
One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to scrape all of the concentrates off the walls using a metal tool. This can lead to leaks and should be avoided at all costs.
[STEP 4] Next, gather the q-tips and the toothbrush.
Soak one of your q-tips in some rubbing alcohol or ISO isopropyl alcohol .
Gently scrub the inside walls of your cartridge with this soaked q-tip. You can also use an old toothbrush for this step, but you’ll need to make sure that it is completely dry before using it.
This will help you get rid of any residual concentrate or oil stuck on the walls of your cartridge.
[STEP 5] After scrubbing, soak another q-tip with some ISO alcohol or rubbing alcohol.
Swab the inside of your cartridge one last time to remove any remaining dirt or oil residue from the walls.
If you have a way of heating up your concentrate, now is also a good time to do it. This will help “melt” away any stuck on concentrates that may still be trapped in the threads of your cartridge.
After heating up and melting away any excess concentrate, immediately let your cartridge cool down. This will prevent any leaks in the long run.
[STEP 6] Reassemble your vape cartridge and dab how you normally would!
The final step is throwing everything back together and enjoying a nice clean vape.
Thanks for reading our how to clean your cbd oil vape pen guide!
Why Remove Oil from a Prefilled Cartridge?
Removing residual oil from a prefilled cartridge can be beneficial for several reasons. For one, it saves you money because you are only using the actual extract rather than having to purchase e-juice to fill your device. It also makes loading and refilling your vape pen much easier and cleaner as well as making the prefilled cartridges last longer.
Is it Safe to Remove Oil from a Prefilled Cartridge?
The short answer to this question, as you might have already guessed, is no. In order to avoid contaminating your materials with other chemicals or substances, it’s best not to empty out the cartridge if it already contains oil. This doesn’t mean that you can’t reuse a cartridge; there are certain safety measures you can take in order to prevent other substances from interfering with your vaping experience.
Why Can’t you Empty out the Cartridge?
The reason why it’s not safe to remove oil from a prefilled cartridge has to do with how high heat affects its contents. Most cartridges contain polyethylene glycol, or PEG for short, which is used as an additive to thicken the oil. While PEG is safe for topical application or ingestion, it becomes dangerous when exposed to extreme heat; this chemical breaks down into several byproducts which can cause serious injury if consumed.
How do you Reuse a Prefilled Cartridge?
If you’re committed to recycling your prefilled cartridges instead of throwing them away, you should know how to remove oil from a prefilled cartridge without exposing yourself to any dangerous chemicals. There are several ways that you can go about doing this safely:
Steam Distillation
One of the safest ways to empty out a cartridge is through steam distillation. This process requires only water and unrefined salt; the mixture is boiled in order to separate the oil from the cartridge. Steam distillation can take up to 48 hours, but this method has been proven to be completely safe and effective.
1- Fill a pot with water (enough for it to reach the top of the prefilled cartridge)
2- Add salt (unrefined sea salt is the safest option)
3- Place cartridge in pot with water and salt
4- Cover pot and heat over medium-low heat for 24 hours
5- Remove the cartridge from the pot and let it cool completely before using it again.
6- Do not touch cartridge until it is cooled completely; the oil may still be hot enough to burn your hands
Boiling and Cooling
This method is similar to the one used in steam distillation, but it skips the process of distillation and simply cooks the oil with hot salt water and then cools it. It’s important to note that this is also a slow process; it may take up to 12 hours for your prefilled cartridge to be completely drained.
1- Fill a pot with water (enough for it to reach the top of the prefilled cartridge)
2- Add salt (unrefined sea salt is the safest option)
3- Bring water to a boil
4- Reduce heat until boiling stops
5- Allow the cartridge to sit in boiling water for 4 hours, with the lid on the pot.
6- Remove the cartridge from the pot and let it cool completely before using it again.
7- Do not touch cartridge until it is cooled completely; the oil may still be hot enough to burn your hands
This process will ensure that all of the harmful chemicals and substances in your prefilled cartridge have been removed, making it safe for you to use again. As long as you follow these steps correctly, there isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t be able to reuse your prefilled cartridge!
If you have any more questions about how to safely empty an oil cartridge, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do our best to answer any of your questions and help you out as much as possible!
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