Cleaning with Isopropyl Alcohol...water wash after?

Discussion in 'Glass' started by SD_haze, Dec 7, 2011.

  1. SD_haze MMJ Vaporist

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    I've seen a lot of glass cleaning guides instruct to wash the glass with hot water after a iso cleaning

    If iso evaporates 100% clean, is there any real reason to do this?
    It seems like it would just prolong the drying time, especially since I have access to 99% iso...

    (I guess this also applies to cleaning anything with iso, log vape stem, etc)


    Any thoughts?
  2. biojuggernaut Snob

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    I think tht mean if you are going to smoke out of it direct there after cleaning it. I always wash off all the ISO but so do you. So would any body. In fact, I am a little curious as to what you are asking.
  3. SD_haze MMJ Vaporist

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    Well, glass-wise i suppose the issue is moot because you can use a wet bong...but for something you can't use wet, like a PD or RZ stem, it seems like the water would just lengthen the drying time tenfold (since 99% evaporates so quickly)
  4. S1N3 procurer of the obscure

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    99% iso would evaporate rather quickly and should be safe technically.
    I dont think the average person has access to anything more than 91% in which case would take much longer to evaporate due to the distilled water.

    In both cases I think it would be wise to rinse afterward to eliminate any residual taste of the iso.
    Im only limited to 91% iso and can confirm after letting it sit it still had a alcohol smell.

    After letting your piece stand for a hour can you taste the iso? (likely not)
    Or are you just bragging that you are a chemist :lol:
  5. Mr. Smoke No More Can't stop the head rush!

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    You're missing the fact that the water is washing out the ISO which has thc and resin dissolved in it. If u simply let the ISO evaporate it will redeposit the resins back onto your glass (there would not be a whole lot though assuming u dump out 99% of the iso). I find that (mind u I'm a little bit of a psycho when it comes to getting my glass brand new clean) even when I rinse out my bubs with water after an iso wash, there is still a little bit of a nasty taste. My fix is that after dumping the iso I will put a small drop of dish soap in it and then do my rinse, shake, rinse, shake, etc until clean. This is to ensure all iso is gone since it doesn't mix with the water that well. This is a little over board for pd stems but just clean your stem, rinse with hot water, and let it dry. That's why the pd comes with several stems :p
  6. Legalize-then-capitalize. New Member

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    Yeah I find that the first use with my bong after cleaning is the worst! I'm not sure if it is the iso or if it is the salts though.
  7. SD_haze MMJ Vaporist

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    Mr. Smoke is definitely 100% right, I kind of half-realized it after posting it ~doh~

    Surprisingly enough, my local Vons (safeway) supermarket sells 99% iso OTC for the same price as 70%
  8. Nycdeisel female vaporist

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    Always rinse after cleaning. period.
  9. Calvin Member

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    Agreed, always rinse unless there is a reason not to, like its made of wood. I also like to do a vinegar rinse but thats just for hard water stains not iso.
  10. weedemon enthusiast

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    take a toke of iso fumes, and you will immedaitely know why it's a good idea :p (plz don't really try that. I did it by accident one time and it's not a nice feeling)
  11. VaporNation Vaporizer Superstore

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    I have always rinsed post iso clean, just seems like the next step in the cleaning process.
    darkrom likes this.
  12. Magic9 Plant Enthusiast

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    I stopped rinsing ISO along time ago. I had a glass pipe that I would rinse and it took forever to dry. The ISO alone and it would dry quick. I soak the stems in ISO, remove, wrap a paper towel around it/them, shake a few times, unwrap and shake again, blow (not suck) through them once or twice, and leave them for 5-10 mins. By then they are clean, dry, and no smell or taste of the ISO.

    Probably safer to rinse though. Try shaking and blowing through them hard. Everything else seems a bit overkill.
  13. e5cape New Member

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    I always rinse after ISO too
  14. mvapes Jedhi member of FC's 1%

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    My routine with glass has been a soak in ISO w/Salt as the agitator, remove after shaking in soaking solution then rinsed with hot water and a little dishsoap until spotless. Then, for 20 bucks I bought an inexpensive 1.5 horsepower wet vack with the micro-detail kit and use it to get water out of my pieces and hoses. it works like a charm and leaves my glass sparkling.

    -and-

    for less delicate pieces or glass without percs I have used my dishwasher. Stems, elbows, adapters, extenders, etc...it works brilliantly.

    I have friends that actually pay me to clean their pieces. I learned alot of my techniques from vitolo and he has been spot on everytime.

    And lastly, has anyone accidently dried to inhale out of a bong that still had reminance of ISO? It f*cking sucks!
  15. mistergyro Member

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    does anyone know where i can get 99% iso?

    Modnote: This post is off topic. Try [topic=6091]this[/topic] thread.
  16. Takavor23 Lev of Leviathan

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    Orange chronic / Lemon Juice / Salt /Vodka will clean that shit
  17. aesthyrian Active Member

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    So will ISO, in one simple step.. unless you combust of course.
  18. VapeXhaleCloudIsLEGENDARY Member

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    Why would you need 99% iso? Just use the 91% iso and do it twice if you need to. I honestly wake up every single day and clean my pieces out... Just up to how clean you like your pieces.
  19. Frederick McGuire Aggressively Loungey

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    Because 99% ISO will be more effective at cleaning, evaporate faster, and just generally be better for the purpose?

    With that logic, why get 91%? You could just get 70% and clean even more regularly.
    ------------

    I'm curious if antone knows why there doesn't seem to be any 100% ISO available in the states/in general?
    The stuff I get says it's 100% :tup:
    ------------

    As for the actual topic, I always do a water rinse after an ISO wash.
    I once cleaned my aqua-vape, an didn't get a chance to rinse it out, I came back to it a day or so later and it was sill full of ISO fumes, even though all the liquid had evaporated.
    A water rinse followed by a sniff test has kept my lungs free of ISO fumes so far.
    Nycdeisel likes this.
  20. sunsett70 Active Member

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    does that mean then that i can use lemon juice to reclaim the resin in the glass bong?
  21. Frederick McGuire Aggressively Loungey

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    I doubt it...
    even if it did get all the oils out of your Glass, it either wouldn't fully evap, or you'd be left with all the sugars etc that were in the juice originally...
    sunsett70 likes this.
  22. Takavor23 Lev of Leviathan

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    Lol that resin would be gone lmfao
  23. Nycdeisel female vaporist

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    I would love to try an organic alcohol to use. instead of that iso crap made from petroleum
    strictly to clean glass of residues, of course. I havent tried lemon juice alone and im not quite sure that would do the job....
  24. sunsett70 Active Member

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    organic alcohol.....yes, this would be nice. i am still mentally umcomfortable with ISO even though many say it's safe.
    Nycdeisel likes this.
  25. Nycdeisel female vaporist

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    I feel the same-- everytime I get a whiff of it. it comes from petroleum and coal, and has many different additives(partially so people do not try to drink it) and some even have perfume fragrances added, which are easy to notice compared to the iso sold that only has bittering and other additives without perfumed fragrance. and all that just doesnt sit right with me, and getting it on the skin is just as bad IMO(i for one have sensitive skin) and the Grunge Off cleaner I use is I bet just as bad, and is probably similar to other citrus-y degreasers/solvents which have known dangerous ingredients. Besides, that GO is strong shit, but i use it instead of iso because it works faster, so less time inhaling it or handling it, and its easier to reuse so less disposal of nasties. plus the fumes are different. (I alsohave 2 bottles of the stuff, and I would like to avoid buying more toxic cleaners right now)

    I see that organic drinking alcohols can be pricey, but for something i have to use on a regular basis, its not that much.
    Besides, I have to assume that this type of pure edible alcohol is stronger and more concentrated an alcohol then any iso or "rubbing alcohol" so that it may work faster/more effectively/etc?

    As hard as I have worked to eliminate any potentially dangerous cleaning products in my household, finding something natural to clean my glass with is the biggest challenge. Sure you can use all the good stuff around the house like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide to clean AND disinfect all kinds of things, but removing this residue (residues from herb) naturally is tough! I predict an organic alcohol solution will be the answer to this problem....
    t-dub and sunsett70 like this.

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