How to Clean a Dab Rig

If you're new to dabbing, knowing how to clean a dab rig can seem difficult and complex. The best way to clean your mini dab rig has always been a question mark for many of us. The cleaning process seems daunting, yet we all know how quickly wax and other impurities build up inside the rig.

Electric dab rigs don't seem to be only simple smoking sets at first glance. To watch some people, torch their dabs can be a bit scared. We're here to tell more details for you.

In this blog, you'll learn about electric dab rigs and how to clean mini dab rigs. Therefore, torch up and continue reading to become a dabbing rig expert!

 

What is a dab rig 

Before diving into cleaning methods for dab setups, let's better precisely understand what dab rigs are. 

Dab rigs are water pipes designed for vaporizing cannabis concentrates. They are called vapor rigs, concentrate pipes, oil rigs, wax rigs, hash oil rigs, shatter rigs, or just rigs. Devices like these pack a considerable punch! Wax concentrates are the cannabis in the most potent form.

If you compare smoking flowers to drinking your favorite beer, dabbing cannabis wax concentrates is like taking shots of 100-proof liquor straight to the dome. Sounds exciting right? It is!

Lighting a dab nail with a lighter won't cut it. Instead, a butane torch is used to heat up the hash oil. Where are all the pyromaniacs?

Keeping your electric dab rig clean is essential to maintain proper function and improve your dabbing experience.

Dab rigs begin to build up excess oil, which can clog your dab glassware and impede the flavor of your next dab.

 

How to clean a dab rig

Whenever water is involved, mould must be there together. Even if you pour out the water from your small dab rig and refill it each time when you dab, there is still moisture inside the mini dab rig. As time passes, fungi and other bacteria will grow inside, and the last thing you want to do is use any of your dab rigs. Regular cleaning of your small dab rig and also changing out the water inside each time will help you avoid mould. Clean your dab rig is simple, and you’ll likely have experience doing it with other items. Check out the steps below.

 

Step 1: Prepare your supplies

You’ll need a handful of supplies to make the job easier when you’re cleaning your portable dab rig. We have a few recommendations on what to use for your dab rig, as you can see below.

A substantial amount of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

Table salt, rock salt, or sea salt

A plastic bag

A funnel

A cleaning cloth, preferably something that’s microfiber or similar

A cotton swab(s), such as our Iso-Snaps, for hard-to-reach places

The dab rig that you’re cleaning

A second microfiber cloth for drying the rig (avoid using a paper towel)

 

Step 2: Disassemble your dab rig 

When you plan to clean your dab rig, prepare the cleaning solution first. Mix the solution until the salts have entirely dissolved in the alcohol and salt mixture. And then, please take your dab rig apart and fill it with the solution.

 

Step 3: Soak your accessories

Please put all of the accessories in the solution and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. That is more than enough time to get any resin dislodged from them. If there are any other unwanted substances, it will come off as well. If you cannot submerge your rig then you'll want to fill it instead and use caps to plug the mouthpiece and joint.

 

Step 4: Follow up with soap and water 

Although the cleaning solution will eliminate at least 99% of the gooey substances, following up the procedure with mildly warm soapy water will ensure your rig is perfectly clean. Pour the soapy water into the rig and cap it to prevent the solution from spewing all over your kitchen. You can shake it for a couple of minutes before pouring the water into the sink.

 Instead of using mildly warm water, you can use one at room temperature. That way, you can ensure that you do not risk cracking your glass because the water was too cold or hot.

 

Step 5: Clean the intricate parts

Other parts of the dab rig are hard to reach, and you may need to handle them differently. You can use a cleaning brush to get to those spots and brush the goo and resin off. And if the spots are not clean enough afterwards, you can soak the cleaning swabs in isopropyl alcohol and use it to remove the substances. Either way, the results will be excellent.

 You should also do the same with the accessories after removing them from the previous solution you soaked them in. 

 

Step 6: Rinse the dab rig for deep clean

To make your dabbing tool spotless clean, you should rinse it in clean water at room temperature for at least 2 minutes. It will remove the dislodged resin and other substances from your rig if there are any left (the chances are minimal). And more importantly, it will remove any traces of the cleaner you used.

 

Step 7: Dry your dab rig

It would be best to ensure the dab rig is completely dry before you use it again. Usually, the first time you use it after cleaning is a great experience. But you can only ruin that experience if the rig is dry. And worst still, the glass may break.

 

Happy dabbing

Now that you're an expert and have a better understanding of how to clean your portable dab rig and why it's essential to keep it clean, you can share your knowledge with others.

The easiest way to keep a dab rig and its accessories pristine is to clean them after every use. Of course, this can get repetitive and time-consuming, but regular maintenance keeps each component in working order. A clean dabbing rig leads to a better dabbing experience!