How to clean a dry herb vaporiser

Screens clog fastest and change how the device draws.

• Brush both sides gently to clear loose debris after use.
• For a deep clean, soak the metal screen in isopropyl, then rinse in warm water and dry fully.
• Do not force or bend a screen. If it stays clogged or is torn, replace it.

For hygiene, this is the part to keep cleanest.

• Wipe it after each use with a dry cotton bud or microfibre cloth.
• If removable, soak it in isopropyl during a deep clean, rinse and dry fully.
• Check any seal or O-ring on the mouthpiece and replace it if worn.

Residue collects along the whole path and dulls flavour.

• Take out the cooling unit if your device allows it.
• Run a pipe cleaner or cotton bud, dipped in isopropyl, through until it comes out clean.
• Soak fully removable metal or glass sections, then rinse and dry.
• Reassemble only when every part is completely dry.

The electronics must stay dry. Never soak or rinse the body.

• Wipe the outside with a dry or barely damp microfibre cloth only.
• Keep liquid away from the charging port, buttons and screen.
• Clear the charging port of dust with a dry cotton bud or a puff of air.
• If the body ever gets wet, do not charge it until you are sure it is fully dry.

Residue settles in a ring at the water line and inside the neck. Regular rinsing keeps it from ever setting hard.

• Empty and rinse with warm water after every session.
• For a weekly clean, pour in 99% isopropyl alcohol with a good spoon of coarse salt, plug the openings with silicone caps or your palms, and shake gently for a minute or two.
• The salt does the scrubbing where a brush cannot reach. Leave it to soak if marks remain.
• Brush the neck and the water line, then rinse several times with clean warm water.
• Rinse until there is no smell of alcohol at all before you use it again.

These clog first, and a blocked downstem makes the draw feel tight.

• Take the downstem out every time you clean. Never clean around it.
• Soak it in isopropyl for twenty to thirty minutes, then work a pipe cleaner or thin brush through it.
• Clear each diffuser slot. Held up to the light you should see through every hole.
• Percolators trap water and residue. Rinse them until the water runs out clear.
• Replace a downstem that stays blocked or is cracked. They are cheap and easy to source.

The adapter carries hot vapour and takes all the strain, so keep it clean and check it often.

• Only use an adapter made for your device and the right joint size, usually 14mm or 18mm.
• Wipe the joint after each session while it is just warm. Residue there makes it stick.
• Soak a glass adapter in isopropyl during the weekly clean, then rinse and dry fully.
• Never force a stuck joint. Run warm water over it or let it soak, then ease it apart.
• Support the vaporiser rather than letting it hang from the joint, and check the joint for chips before every use.

Rubber and silicone perish long before glass does, and a worn grommet leaks vapour without you noticing.

• Wash silicone and rubber parts in warm soapy water rather than alcohol, which dries them out and shortens their life.
• Rinse well and dry fully. Silicone holds water in its folds.
• Replace a grommet or O-ring that looks cracked, feels loose or has gone hard.
• If your piece uses a silicone hose or whip, rinse it through and hang it to dry so no water is left inside.

Glass stems and mouthpieces used dry stain quickly, but they clean up easily.

• Push a pipe cleaner through after each session while the stem is still slightly warm.
• Soak in isopropyl for a weekly clean, then rinse in warm water and dry fully.
• Hold it up to the light. You should see a clear, even bore all the way through.
• Keep spare stems if you medicate several times a day, so one can dry while you use the other.
• Retire any stem that is chipped at the mouth end.

Any extra piece in the path is another surface to clean and another joint to check.

• Clean these with the same alcohol and salt method as the main piece.
• Empty any water they hold every session. They are easy to forget.
• Check both joints for chips, since these pieces take knocks.
• If you are only vaporising, consider whether you need one at all. Less glass in the path means less cleaning and a stronger dose.