Vaporization is arguably the most efficient and enjoyable way to consume cannabis strains and is quickly growing in popularity with the majority of cannabis consumers, with hundreds of new vaporizers being sold every day. These devices present users with a cleaner option to combustion, while also preserving the flavour of the material and the potency, when compared to traditional combustion methods. That being said, a dry herb vaporizer can quickly become ineffective and unpleasant, if not properly maintained. A clogged or dirty herbal vaporizer can harbour harmful bacteria, while residue from old herbs can damage the heating components of your herbal vaporizer.
While the majority of cannabis users can now use herbal vaporizers, thanks to their ease of use, the majority do not know how to properly clean and maintain them. The process of cleaning your herbal vaporizer may seem somewhat complex, but the entire process is actually quite simple and can be easily done in a matter of minutes. This guide should give you a basic understanding on how to clean your herbal vaporizer, and should be universal to a wide variety of devices. If you are having issues with a specific device, refer to the owner’s manual which should have a section on cleaning.
Cleaning Your Herbal Vaporizer
Disassemble your dry herb vaporizer
While it is possible to do some minor cleaning while your device is assembled, the best way to clean a herbal vaporizer is if it is fully disassembled. Not only will disassembling your device give you a better understanding of how each piece functions, it will also give you the ability to minutely clean each piece for optimal performance. Generally speaking, all herbal vaporizers will be made up of a battery, screen, mouthpiece, and heating chamber. These parts may all be removable — or replaceable — and can be cleaned with little to no effort.
Remove herbs from the chamber
This should go without saying, but please be sure to check your chamber for any cannabis before you begin the cleaning process. This includes all crumbs and leftover material, as it can make cleaning a lot harder and less effective. When cleaning out your heating chamber, be sure to not lose the screen or clean it in a vessel where you know for a fact you will not lose the screen.
Clean the heating chamber
Thankfully, the majority of herbal vaporizers will come with a specific brush to clean their heating chamber. This tool is purpose-built to effectively remove dry particles from the chamber, while not causing any damage to the heating chamber. If your device did not come with a cleaning tool, a Q-tip will suffice but take care when using it.
When cleaning the heating chamber of your device, take care to focus on clearing any residue or buildup. Pockets of residue will drastically lower the quality and flavour of your herbal vaporizer and can even cause users to inhale harmful chemicals. If you need to do an extensive clean of the chamber, please use a cleaning solution, as water can cause damage to the interior components of most devices.
Clean the mouthpiece
This is by far one of the easiest and most important pieces to clean, but is often forgotten by users. To clean the mouthpiece, simply use a cotton ball or Q-tip to remove dirt and residue on the mouthpiece. This should be done on both the outside and inside of the component, and don’t be afraid to use a cleaning solution if you find that that scrubbing just isn’t doing the trick.
Clean the screen
If you’ve been using your vaporizer for long enough, your screen is often the first thing you should clean and one of the components you should be checking on a regular basis. In the dry herb vaporizer, the screen serves to separate the herb from the internal components of the device and has a tendency to accumulate dust and various debris. To clean the screen, simply remove it and soak it in isopropyl alcohol. Conversely, you can also replace the screen, as this component is meant to be replaced after some time.
Check the battery
Before reassembling your device, give you battery a quick inspection to ensure there is no debris in the battery chamber or on the battery itself. You should also check to see if the battery has any swelling because this should cause alarm and you should dispose of the device if the battery has swelled.
Reassemble the device
Once you have cleaned and inspected every aspect of your device, you can finally reassemble it and wipe the exterior gently for a new and shiny look. At this point, you should be ready to vape again and enjoy clean and flavourful puffs off your herbal vaporizer.
Note: When we talk about “cleaning solutions” we are referring to isopropyl alcohol. While this can be a perfect cleaning solution for metal devices, it should not be used on vaporizers made with wood, as isopropyl alcohol will stain or discolour wooden parts.
How Often Should I Clean my Dry Herb Vaporizer?
While this will depend on how often you use your dry herb vaporizer, we recommend cleaning the device once a week at the bare minimum. There are a host of factors that can affect how often you need to clean your vaporizer — beyond usage — and will come down to the type or herb or product you use, the heat you vape at, the number of vapers using the device, and even the device itself. It should also be noted that you may want to consider doing a deep clean whenever you switch strains, in an attempt to get the most out of any new herb you put in your device.
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