A Guide On How to Clean a Dab Rig
More and more people are giving dabbing and dab rigs a try, and there are plenty of benefits to owning and using a dab rig when compared to other cannabis consumption tools and methods. However, if you want to get the best and safest results when dabbing, you need to keep your dab rig clean.
It’s vital to know how to clean a dab rig and to spend time cleaning the dab rig on a regular basis. However, if you’re new to the world of dab rigs, you might not know where to start. This guide is here to help. Below, we’ll cover all you need to know about how to clean a dab rig and highlight the best way to clean dab rig devices.
What Is a Dab Rig?
Before we look at dab rig cleaner and the various aspects of the cleaning process for dab rigs, let’s start off with the basics: what exactly is a dab rig? A dab rig is basically a kind of pipe that is designed for vaporizing cannabis concentrates.
They’re also known by other names like oil rigs, wax rigs, or concentrate pipes, and they’re ideal for people who want to experiment with different ways to use cannabis and try a broader range of cannabis products.
Why Is It Important to Clean Your Dab Rig?
So, we know what a dab rig is, but why is cleaning a dab rig so important? Well, there are actually quite a few reasons why you need to know the best way to clean the dab rig.
- Health and Safety – One of the main reasons to keep your rig clean is for your own health and safety. If you leave a dab rig with stale water and bits of cannabis concentrate stuck inside it, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. This is especially true if you share your rig around, as lots of people like to do.
- Efficiency – Cleaning your dab rig can also make it more efficient. How? Well, if you don’t clean your rig, little bits of THC concentrate can build up inside it. This can affect the overall quality and performance of the rig, and it might be less fun to use overall. Cleaning it up helps to preserve that “just like new” performance.
- Quality – Dab enthusiasts are people who care about quality and typically want to have the very best and deepest experiences with their cannabis products. Well, if you don’t keep your rig clean, the quality of your dabs will take a hit. Residue and build-up inside the rig can affect the flavor and aroma of your concentrates.
What You’ll Need to Clean Your Dab Rig
Before you start any dab rigs cleaning, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got all of the necessary supplies ready to go. This includes:
- Your dirty dab rig and dab tools
- A torch
- Some 99% isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol
- Sea salt or rock salt
- A large plastic bag
- Some cotton swabs
- Warm water
How To Clean a Dab Rig, a Step-by-Step Guide
Next, let’s look at the best way to clean the dab rig. We’ll show you how to clean your rig with a simple step-by-step process:
- Gather Your Materials: First, make sure you’ve got all the materials necessary, including your dab rig, dab nail, sea salt, alcohol, and so on.
- Torch Your Nail: Start off cleaning your dab rig by torching the nail. Use your regular butane torch to burn away any residue or reclaim. This should be enough to clean it, but you can also use alcohol on a cotton swab for an extra level of cleaning.
- Soak the Nail: If you want to clean the nail even further, put it in a plastic bag or container and soak it in a cleaning solution of isopropyl alcohol. You can also add some salt into the bag, seal it, and shake it a little.
- Pour Out the Water: Next, we can move on to the rig itself. First, pour out any old or stale water from the rig into a sink or drain.
- Add Alcohol: Next, pour some rubbing alcohol to fill the base of your rig. You may also want to add a layer of sea salt first if your rig needs a deep clean.
- Shake: Cover up the holes of your rig and then shake it around to loosen any trapped dirt and debris.
- Rinse: Finally, rinse out the rig with warm water and then shake it off and let it dry out.
Note: Cleaning dab rig without alcohol – Some people may want to try cleaning a dab rig without alcohol or may not have access to isopropyl alcohol. If this is the case for you, you can clean it with a rig cleaner solution of vinegar and baking soda, instead. You can also just use boiling water. Bring water to a full boil in a pot before rinsing out the rig.
How to Clean Your Dab Rig with Grain Alcohol
It is also possible to clean your rig with grain alcohol to get rid of reclaim, which is the amber-colored oil that often gets stuck inside a rig. Here’s how to do it:
- Pour the grain alcohol into your rig to fill it all the way.
- Leave it to soak for a full day.
- Shake the rig to get rid of any stuck residue.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish and cover it. Then leave it for a couple of days.
- When the alcohol evaporates, it will leave behind the reclaim oil for you to reuse.
Is Sterilizing a Dab Rig Necessary?
Generally, it is necessary to sterilize your rig, especially if you plan to share it, but even if you only use it solo. Sterilizing gets rid of bacteria and viruses and helps to keep your rig safe and hygienic to use with all of your favorite extracts from the cannabis dispensary. Contact us today if you have more questions about using and cleaning dab rigs.
