How to Clean Your Tank
No vape is maintenance-free. Like a phone or a laptop, your device works best with a little regular care, and the tank is where that care pays off most. A freshly rinsed tank keeps each bottle tasting the way it should, gives every new coil a fresh start and makes leaks easier to spot.
Cleaning a tank takes about ten minutes and little more than warm water and paper towels. Here is when to do it, how to do it and how to look after the rest of your device while you are at it.
Short version: Rinse your tank in warm water every time you change the coil or switch to a very different flavor, let every part dry completely, and wipe the connection on your device now and then. Replace the coil when the flavor fades or turns burnt.
When to clean your tank
- Every time you change the coil. The tank is already apart, so it only adds a few minutes.
- When you switch flavors. Strong flavors such as menthol and cinnamon can linger in a tank and color your next bottle.
- When you see residue. Dark, sticky buildup inside the glass or around the base is a sign it is time.
- After a leak. Juice left in the threads or around the base keeps causing mess until it is rinsed out.
If you are a Zamplebox Club member working through a new box each month, a quick rinse between bottles helps every flavor taste like itself.
What you’ll need
- Warm water (not boiling)
- Paper towels or a lint-free cloth
- Cotton swabs
- A small bowl
- A drop of mild dish soap for sticky residue (optional)
How to clean a tank, step by step
- Empty the tank. Vape or pour out any leftover juice.
- Take it apart. Remove the tank from your device, then take out the coil and separate the drip tip, glass and base. Lay the parts on a paper towel so small seals don’t go missing.
- Rinse everything except the coil. Run the parts under warm water, or let them soak in a bowl for a few minutes. Avoid boiling water, since sudden heat can crack glass.
- Work on sticky spots. Add a drop of mild dish soap, work it into threads and corners with a cotton swab, then rinse thoroughly so no soap is left behind.
- Dry completely. Shake off the water, pat each part dry and let everything air dry. Check that no water is left in the threads or airflow slots.
- Reassemble. Put the tank back together with a coil, making sure every seal sits flat.
- Fill and wait. Refill the tank, let the coil soak for a few minutes and start at a low power setting.
A new coil needs priming to avoid a burnt first hit. Our guide to why your vape tastes burnt walks through it.
A few cautions
- Stock coils aren’t designed to be washed. When one is past its best, replace it.
- Skip rubbing alcohol on plastic tank parts. It can cloud or crack some plastics.
- Keep track of seals and O-rings, and replace any that are torn or stretched.
Pods and rebuildables
If your pod takes replaceable coils, remove the coil, rinse the empty pod with warm water and let it dry completely before you put a coil back in. Pods with a built-in coil generally aren’t made to be washed; when one starts to taste off, replace it.
If you use an RTA or RDA, you can clean the deck and even the coils themselves. Our guide to cleaning an RDA or RTA covers the extra steps.
Don’t forget the device
Juice and condensation can creep onto the part of the device your tank or pod connects to. Grime there weakens the contact between the two, which can mean weaker vapor or a device that won’t fire.
- Turn the device off, and take the battery out if it is removable.
- Dampen a cotton swab or the corner of a paper towel with a little rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, not dripping.
- Wipe the 510 connection that your tank screws onto, or the contacts in the pod bay, until the grime and juice are gone.
- Let everything dry completely before you reattach the tank or pod.
Keep liquid away from charging ports and buttons. If lint collects in a charging port, clear it gently with a dry, soft brush, never anything metal.
Battery basics
Charge your vape the way you charge your phone: regularly, with the cable made for it, and not left unattended. If your device uses removable batteries, keep a charged spare in a protective case so a dead battery never cuts your day short. Our guide to recommended batteries has more.
And treat your vape like any other electronic device. If you wouldn’t toss your phone across the room or into a bag full of keys, don’t do it to your vape. Drops and knocks are a quick way to crack a tank or damage a battery.
When it’s time for a new coil
The coil is the part that turns vape juice into vapor, and like a light bulb, it wears out. How long one lasts depends on how much you vape, your power setting and your juice. Very sweet juices and high wattage both shorten coil life.
It is time for a new coil when:
- The flavor is muted or tastes burnt
- You get noticeably less vapor
- The tank starts leaking or gurgling more than usual
- Your vape just isn’t as satisfying as it was
See when to change your vape coils for more.
Watch our how-to videos on YouTube
Common questions
How often should I clean my tank?
Every coil change is a good habit, plus whenever you switch between very different flavors or notice residue building up.
Can I use rubbing alcohol on my tank?
Warm water is enough for most tanks. Keep rubbing alcohol for metal parts and device contacts, never plastic, and rinse metal tank parts with water afterward before letting everything dry.
How long should the parts dry?
Until there is no water left anywhere, including the threads and airflow slots. Water left inside can water down your juice or make the coil spit.
Why does my tank still taste like the last flavor?
Strong flavors like menthol and cinnamon can linger in the seals and the coil. A warm soak with a drop of dish soap helps with the tank, but a used coil usually holds on to the old flavor, so start a very different juice with a fresh coil.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.