If you want to use a vape pen, keeping your device clean is going to become a regular part of your maintenance routine – and in particular, you’ll need to have a strategy for cleaning the mouthpiece.

Why is knowing how to clean a vape pen mouthpiece so important? For one thing, oil can condense on the interior of the mouthpiece as you vape, hampering the airflow and eventually causing the cartridge to clog. Also, cleaning the mouthpiece of your vape pen is good for hygiene. Vape pens are great for sharing, but that doesn’t mean you want to share your friends’ germs. Even if you’re the only person who uses your device, though, a vape pen spends a lot of time in your mouth and is certain to collect some bacteria along the way.

So, when it’s time to clean your vape pen’s mouthpiece, how do you do it? As you’re about to learn, the answer depends partly on what you’re trying to accomplish and partly on the construction of your device. In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Stick around to the end, because we’ll also include some bonus tips for cleaning the rest of your vape pen. Let’s dive in.

Rubbing Alcohol Is the Most Important Tool for Cleaning a Vape Pen Mouthpiece

Regardless of what strategy you ultimately end up using for cleaning your vape pen’s mouthpiece, the first thing you need to know is that rubbing alcohol will always be the most important tool in your arsenal. That’s because vape oil is alcohol soluble, so it’ll always rid your mouthpiece of condensed vape oil with little effort on your part. As an added bonus, it’s also a powerful disinfectant – so you really don’t need to bother with any other detergent or cleaner.

Are you concerned about using rubbing alcohol to clean something that goes in your mouth? There’s no need to worry because you’ll rinse or wipe the alcohol away before using the mouthpiece again. If you’d rather, though, you can also use Everclear or another high-proof alcohol that’s safe to drink. It might be a little slower than rubbing alcohol, but it’ll still get the job done.

Do you want to share your vape pen with your friends? Alcohol wipes are great for disinfecting your vape on the go and are very versatile tools to add to your vaping arsenal.

How to Clean Your Vape Pen’s Mouthpiece

High-quality vape pens and vape carts from companies like rokinvapes.com have mouthpieces made from a wide variety of materials including metal, plastic and wood. In addition, vape cartridges come in both refillable and disposable styles. A disposable vape cartridge will often have a non-removable mouthpiece, so your strategy for cleaning it will need to be a little different. Here’s what you need to know.

Cleaning a Removable Vape Pen Mouthpiece

Follow these steps to clean a vape pen mouthpiece that’s removable.

• Pour a little alcohol into a bowl and place the mouthpiece inside. Make sure that the mouthpiece is completely submerged and swish it around for a few seconds to provide agitation. Within about an hour, the alcohol will dissolve all of the residue.
• Remove the mouthpiece from the bowl and rinse it in fresh water.
• Dry the mouthpiece with a paper towel or allow it to air dry.

Cleaning a Non-Removable Vape Pen Mouthpiece

Follow these steps to clean a vape pen mouthpiece that’s not removable.

• Run an alcohol wipe around the outside of the mouthpiece.
• Follow with a damp paper towel to clear away any residual alcohol.
• Follow with a dry paper towel to remove the water.

Clearing a Clog from a Vape Pen Mouthpiece

Are you trying to clean your vape pen’s mouthpiece because it has a clog that’s blocking airflow? Here’s how to do it.

• Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and run it down the center of the mouthpiece.
• Follow with a water-dipped cotton swab to remove any residual alcohol.
• Follow with a dry cotton swab to remove the water.

Don’t want to bother with the wet cleaning method? In some cases, it may be possible to dislodge a clog in your vape pen’s mouthpiece with a toothpick. It might take a bit of extra work, though, because vape oil can be very thick and sticky.

What Are Some Potential Concerns When You Clean a Vape Pen Mouthpiece?

Aside from the fact that you obviously don’t want to ingest it, there are two other potential concerns that you need to know about before you use rubbing alcohol to clean your vape pen’s mouthpiece. These have to do with the materials that are sometimes used in vaping products.

• Strong alcohol can dissolve certain types of rubber if it’s left in contact with the rubber long enough, and the sealing gasket at the bottom of a vape pen mouthpiece may be made from rubber. You’ll want to remove the mouthpiece from the alcohol as soon as the residue is dissolved.
• Some vape pen mouthpieces are made from wood, and alcohol can potentially strip the oil or wax coating on the wood’s surface. If you’re trying to clean a wood mouthpiece, you may want to skip the soak and just use a cleaning wipe instead. 

Tips for Cleaning the Rest of Your Vape Pen

Now that you’ve cleaned your vape pen’s mouthpiece, why stop there? We’ll end this guide with some tips that can help you get the rest of your vape pen as clean as the mouthpiece.

• Cleaning the body of your vape pen: You can clean the main body of your vape pen with a soft cloth. Since your vape pen has a lithium-ion battery and other electronic components, you should never clean it with anything wet.
• Cleaning the threading: You can dissolve oil from your vape pen’s threading using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Make sure that the threading is completely dry before using your vape pen.
• Cleaning removable components such as bubblers and wax coils: You can soak these components in alcohol as described above. Before using the components, rinse them with clean water and make sure that they’re completely dry.

Cleaning the charging port: You can remove dust and lint from the charging port with a toothpick.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE IN SUPPORT OF OUR NONPROFIT COVERAGE OF ARTS AND CULTURE