How to Clean a Vape Tank

Although the nature of vaping means you occasionally need to replace parts, such as your tank and drip tip, you can extend their lives by looking after them.

Caring for your vape tank will ensure that it lasts for longer and will help prevent many issues such as leaking and unpleasant flavour notes. if you use a vape tank, it certainly pays to clean it occasionally.

If you are new to vaping or using vape tanks, you will find everything you need to know about why and how to clean your vape tank here in our comprehensive guide.

Why do I need to clean my vape tank?

There are several reasons why you should clean your vape tank.

Flavour — e-liquid residue can be deposited in your tank, especially flavours that are high in vegetable glycerine (VG) or are sweet blends. The build-up forms a film on the walls of the tank and will then taint your flavours.

Health & Hygiene — obviously, anything that you place in your mouth should be clean. Your mouthpiece will pick up any residue together with tissue from your lips, saliva, food, drink and whatever might be in your pocket. This is a great environment for germs and fungus to form.

Vapour — the air vents in your vape tank can become clogged by airborne particles. In addition, drip tip build-up can impede the passage of vapour. Either way, your device will become less efficient at delivering vapour.

Battery connection — e-liquid seeping down to the bottom of the atomizer can affect the battery connection. Misfires or short-circuits could be signs that e-liquid has found its way onto the conductive plate.

O-rings — the O-rings (silicone gaskets) in your tank prevent leaking by sealing connections and creating an internal vacuum. Over time they deteriorate and need replacing. Most tanks come with a set of spare O-rings for this reason. Cleaning your tank gives you the perfect opportunity to inspect the gaskets and replace them before they cause problems.

When should I clean my vape tank?

Consider creating a routine for your tank cleaning. Here are our recommendations:

External tank body and mouthpiece

Wipe down your mouthpiece with some paper or cloth a few times a day.
Routinely wipe the tank body and mouthpiece down at the end of the day. Use a cotton bud or lint-free cloth dampened with alcohol (vodka or ethanol for the mouthpiece, isopropyl is fine for the body) or a mild soap solution. If you use a soap solution, use a damp cloth to wipe it off before drying the tank. Alcohol will evaporate naturally.

Full tank clean

Clean your tank:

Every time you change the coil and/or flavour.
If your flavour or vapour has diminished.
Fortnightly, if any issues don't prompt an earlier clean.

Which parts of my vape tank need to be cleaned?

There many tanks on the market and their constructions vary. However, the basic components you need to clean are:

Base cap — connects to the battery in your device and conducts electricity to the coil. If your tank features bottom adjustable airflow this element will include an airflow ring with venting holes.

Chimney — the tube between the coil and the mouthpiece through which vapour passes to your mouthpiece.

Glass tube — the e-liquid reservoir. Usually fashioned from heat-resistant borosilicate glass. The tube won't be shatterproof and so should be handled with care.

Top cap — holds the tank together at the top and is the section to which your mouthpiece is attached. Tanks with top adjustable airflow will have top caps that include an airflow ring with air vent holes.

Drip tip — also known as the mouthpiece.

O-rings — keep your tank from leaking and should be inspected every time you clean the tank. Remove and clean them if wet, or change them if they have degraded.

What should I use to clean my vape tank?

It's important to utilise appropriate substances when cleaning your tank.

Cleaning liquids

If you clean your tank frequently, you shouldn't need to use any solution that is stronger than warm tap water to rinse your tank.

However, if it is the first time in a while that you have cleaned your tank you may need to use:

Alcohol — pure ethanol/ethyl (not denatured) alcohol, or cheap unflavoured vodka are good choices for dissolving gunk. Alcohol evaporates quickly, but make sure threads and nooks and crannies are dry before reassembling your tank. High purity Isopropyl alcohol can be used on the tank's outer surfaces, but not internally as it's not safe to consume.
Bicarbonate of Soda — a non-abrasive, effective scrub that leaves residue unless thoroughly rinsed with water.
Lemon juice — filtered lemon juice can be used to remove any solids. It should be mixed with water (10% juice). It is an acidic substance, and so should be thoroughly rinsed away.
Liquid soap — a plain dishwashing liquid or pure soap without hand softeners can be used. Simply add a drop or two to a bowl of water. Always rinse thoroughly after using soap.
Propylene glycol — some vapers prefer cleaning their tank by soaking the parts in PG, a dihydric alcohol. As one of the ingredients of e-liquid, PG ensures that cleaning does not impact flavour.
Vinegar— distilled acetic vinegar is available in different strengths, 5% being the standard food grade. Mix with water in approximately a 1:4 solution (or equivalent, if you have a different strength). As vinegar is acidic, use it as a surface cleaner only. You can utilise a stronger solution on the glass, if you think it would help. Rinse all parts very thoroughly to ensure the vinegar doesn't taint your e-liquid.

Cleaning aids

What else might you need to clean your vape tank safely and efficiently? Here's an overview of materials that are commonly used:

Latex gloves — though not essential, you can protect your hands from absorbing nicotine from your e-liquid by wearing gloves. One glove on the hand that handles the components should be fine. Gloves can also be used for rubbing away light residue.
Lint-free cloth — microfibre cloth is a popular choice. If you favour an eco-friendly option, we can recommend pure linen or muslin. Of course, any lint-free cloth will do.
Non-abrasive brush — an old toothbrush, artist's paintbrush or a tiny bottle brush will do nicely.
Paper towels — if you intend to clean using paper towels, choose strong ones, so you don't end up with bits of disintegrated paper all over your tank parts.
Cotton buds — great for tackling awkward crevices and around the threads of your tank components. Note that cotton buds used dry on dry can leave fine cotton fibres.
Ultrasonic cleaner — many vapers swear by this equipment. You can use one in conjunction with with pure tap water, distilled water or a weak soap solution (don't use ultrasonic cleaning fluid).

How do I clean my vape tank?

All set and ready to go? Don't forget, if you are going to clean your tank on a surface you don't want to be stained, lay down a protective cloth.

Disassemble

Remove the tank from the vape mod (never steep the mod in liquid). Then follow the manufacturer's instructions for disassembling your vape tank. If it's not clear from your instructions or the tank manufacturer's support pages, you can probably find a demonstration of your tank model, or a similar one, being disassembled online.

The tank must be put back together correctly, so it's a good idea to make a record of the process you have used and how everything fits together.

For most modern tanks, this procedure should work:

Unscrew the base and top tank parts with a counter-clockwise motion.
Remove the coil head and put to the side, to let liquid run off, clean or replace.
If there's any e-liquid left in your tank, pour it out.
Gently remove the tank's glass enclosure. Do this carefully because sub-ohm tanks are made from thin glass that's easily cracked and if that happens, you'll need to replace it. It's advisable to have a spare to hand.
Remove the drip tip.
Remove O-rings if they are damaged, misaligned or it's very wet around them. If they are difficult to remove with your fingers, try loosening them with the back of a finger nail or a pair of blunt tweezers. Look out for signs of stretching or breaks on the gaskets. If you find any deterioration, discard them.

Rinse

Rinse off all components to remove liquid. Use a running tap, or agitate them in a bowl of water. Take care with the glass tube. Any tank parts that are clean after the rinse can be placed on a cloth to dry. O-rings, should not need further cleaning.

Scrub

To tackle any sticky residue, you might need to scrub a little. If you use any other material than those recommended above, ensure it is non-abrasive.

If you use a cotton bud to remove particles around the air vents, go gently so you don't get any fibres stuck.
Take care with the glass tank, which can break with rough handling. To scrub its inside, a small brush or rolled up cloth or paper is usually very effective.
The mouthpiece, in particular, will benefit from an inside out wipe down with alcohol, to eliminate germs.

Soak

If the gunk won't shift or you would rather not scrub, try soaking components in your preferred fluid (nothing acidic) for up to two hours. Scrub off any persistent residue. Repeat if necessary. If any tank part is in sore need of an overnight soak, we recommend that you use PG.

An ultrasonic cleaner soaks and agitates to remove residue. It's an efficient, self-contained cleaning method that means you won't need to scrub.

If you own this equipment, ensure tank components are not touching each other in the basket. Fill to the level recommended in the instructions (there's usually a fill line) with clean water or a weak soap solution. If your machine doesn't feature a heater, use hot, not boiling, water. Do not use ultrasonic cleaning liquid, in case of toxicity. Then run the cleaning programme. You might need several runs, depending on residue levels and your ultrasonic device.

Final rinse

If you've used a cleaning liquid other than plain water, alcohol or PG, you must rinse everything under the tap. Feel and sniff (if you used lemon or vinegar) to make sure there is no residue, cleaning liquid or smell remaining.

Dry

Air drying is the best thing for your tank components. Pat most of the water off with cloth, paper and/or cotton buds, then put the parts on an absorbent surface in a well ventilated, warm place until completely dry.

If you're in a hurry, a hair dryer on cool or low heat setting is fine to use, but not for drying O-rings.
Use a cotton bud or rolled up cloth to dry off narrow, awkward areas and around threading.

Re-assemble

When everything is clean, 100% dry you can proceed with re-assembly.

It is important that the O-rings are replaced exactly where they belong and are seated properly when you re-assemble your vape tank. If they are not seated correctly, the tank won't function properly and is likely to leak. Gaskets or threads that drag or catch can benefit from a very light touch of e-liquid, to decrease friction.
Make sure the glass tank is in perfect condition. Even the tiniest nick can lead to leaking.
Check that the glass is sitting straight within the top and base. Putting pressure on it if it's askew will damage it.
Screw all parts together carefully, if they don't twist together easily, it's likely you have crossed threads. Back up and try again. Forcing things can ruin the tank.
Tighten just until the components become difficult to twist further. If you over-tighten, the O-rings can come out of alignment or be damaged.
If your coil is new, has been cleaned or has dried out, remember to prime the coil before you start vaping.

Happy vaping!

Now you're all set and ready to fill your tank with your favourite e-liquids.

Enjoy the best possible flavour from your squeaky clean vape tank!