How to Clean Any Pod Vaping System
If you’re fortunate enough to own one of the latest pod vaping systems from Premium Vape or another fine vape shop, you’ve experienced firsthand why pod systems have made such an enormous splash in the vaping industry over the past few years. If you want a device that’s small, stylish and easy to use while also being just as satisfying as a cigarette, a pod system is what you want.
No matter what type of vaping device you own, you’ve got to maintain it if you want to have the best possible experience with it – and a huge part of maintaining your vaping device is keeping it clean. One of the major differences between pod systems and other types of vaping devices, though, is the fact that pod systems can actually be fairly difficult to clean because they’re so small. Never fear; this guide is here to help. Whether you use a pre-filled pod system like the JUUL or a more complex refillable pod mod like something from the SMOK Novo collection, you’ll find the tips you need in this article explaining how to clean almost any pod vaping system.
Before we begin, let’s take a moment to learn more about why cleaning your pod system is so important in the first place.
What’s the Benefit of Cleaning a Pod Vaping System?
A good pod vaping system is designed to deliver a top-notch vaping experience, and most pod systems are also designed for extremely simple operation. Pod systems are usually so simple, in fact, that a smoker can pick one up and know what to do almost right away. Creating a vaping device that delivers both simplicity and great performance is a noble goal, but those two features aren’t always entirely compatible with one another.
When you use a pod system, you’re usually using a device with an automatic puff sensor. In order for a vaping device to detect your puffs and turn on automatically, air needs to flow through the device. That means the top part of the device – the area right under the pod – usually isn’t sealed.
Meanwhile, vape pods are usually designed to produce the biggest and most satisfying vapor clouds possible for their small size. To produce big clouds, a vape tank or pod needs to have reasonably large airflow holes. A tank or pod with very large airflow holes and wick openings, however, may be prone to leaking – and if it leaks inside a device that isn’t sealed, you’ve got a potential problem on your hands.
Cleaning your pod system periodically helps to ensure that it always works reliably and delivers the best possible flavor. More importantly, though, it also helps to ensure that your device will last as long as it can. At one time or another, you’re going to have a pod that leaks or leaves condensation in the top section of your device. If you don’t do your best to remove any e-liquid that leaks out of the pod, you could end up with residual moisture in your pod system – and if that happens, it’s almost a guarantee that the device will suffer an untimely demise. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.
We’ll continue with a guide explaining how to clean your pod-based vaping device, and then we’ll conclude the article with advice about cleaning the pods themselves.
Cleaning Your Pod-Based Vaping Device
To clean your pod-based vaping device, you’ll need a few cotton swabs and at least one paper towel. Start by wiping the outside of the device to remove any dust and fingerprints. Remove the pod from the device and set it aside.
After removing the pod, look in the chamber at the top of the device. It’s likely that you’ll find some condensation and may even see a small pool of e-liquid. Remove all of the moisture with the cotton swabs. If your device has spring-loaded pins that make contact with plates on the bottom of the pod, it’s likely that there’s also some e-liquid under the pins. Press the pins down gently with cotton swabs until the swabs come up dry.
If you found e-liquid under your device’s pins, there’s a good chance that even more vape juice has found its way into the internal electronics of your pod system. You’ll want to remove as much of the moisture as possible to preserve the life of your device. Do that by holding the device upside down and blowing firmly through the bottom. The air pressure should force any e-liquid into the top section of the device, where you can remove it with cotton swabs.
Do you have a pod system that’s already stopped working after a major e-liquid leak? Try sealing the device in a plastic bag with a desiccant packet or a handful of uncooked white rice. After a day, the rice or desiccant may absorb enough moisture to get the device working again.
Cleaning Your Vape Pods
Vape pods are disposable, so cleaning them is unnecessary if you don’t feel like going through the trouble. When a pod no longer delivers acceptable flavor quality, you can always simply throw it away. The main reason why a vape pod’s flavor starts to degrade, though, is because residue forms on the pod’s atomizer coil when you vape. Under the residue, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the coil – so if you can manage to remove the residue, you’ll have a coil that’s still perfectly good.
How do you clean a vape pod? Open the pod’s filling cap and soak the pod in a bowl of hot water. Stir the water periodically over the course of several hours. After a while, you’ll probably see black flecks floating in the water. That’s the residue from the pod’s atomizer coil. After removing the pod from the bowl, rinse it in fresh water to remove any remaining residue. Allow the pod to dry for a day before you resume using it; you don’t want to add e-liquid to the pod until no water remains in the pod’s wick.
