Every vaporizer needs some regular TLC to keep it running smoothly and producing nice vapour. With it’s many glass parts, the Extreme Q  by Arizer is no exception. Luckily, cleaning the Extreme Q is incredibly easy to do. The three main parts that will need cleaning are the glass mouthpiece, glass elbow adapter and the Cyclone Bowl. The great news is that to clean these pieces, the only thing you’ll need is a glass jar and some rubbing alcohol!

Cleaning glass parts:

Glass parts may accumulate dirt and residue very quickly, meaning you will need to clean your Extreme Q’s glass parts often. Fortunately, there’s an incredibly easy way to do this that requires virtually no effort. We’re a fan of any cleaning method that gives us good results with the least amount of work possible, and this just may be the easiest way to clean your Extreme Q’s glass.

What You’ll need:

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Glass jar with lid
• Soft pipe cleaner or cleaning brush

How to clean your Extreme Q:

• Take a glass jar and fill it with enough Isopropyl alcohol to submerge all your glass parts. As long as your jar has a lid, this alcohol can serve as a cleaning solution that you can re-use for months.
• Detach all glass parts. Remove the glass elbow and mouthpiece from the whip tubing and take the Cyclone Bowl off the unit. This is also a good time to remove any screens for cleaning as well.
• Put your glass parts and screens into the jar and close the lid.
• Relax! Make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up. Parts should only need to soak for around 10 minutes, but leaving them any longer won’t damage the glass.
• Once your parts have soaked a while, remove them from the jar and use a pipe cleaner or soft brush to gently scrub the inside. Any residue should be softened by the alcohol and easy to remove, but stubborn build up may need further soaking.
• Rinse with warm water and leave parts to dry completely before use
• Keep your Iso jar closed and stored in a cool place. You can re-use the same alcohol for up to six months, or until it becomes too dirty.

NOTE: If you use a Tuff Bowl instead of the regular glass Cyclone Bowl, we don’t recommend soaking it in alcohol as it could damage the protective outer sleeve. Instead, just use a brush, cotton bud or soft cloth dipped in Isopropyl alcohol to clean the glass inside.

Help! I can’t detach the glass pieces from the tube!

This is a common problem with whip vaporizers. With regular use, it’s normal for your whip tubing to bind to glass pieces, making it near impossible to detach. The important thing to remember here is to be careful. The Extreme Q’s glass pieces are fragile, and you don’t want to end up snapping your glass elbow while trying to pull it free from the tube.

What to do:

Heat and patience are your best friends when it comes to detaching a stubborn whip tube. There are a couple of ways you can heat your tubing to make it more flexible and easier to detach:

• Fill a large bowl with hot water and soak the whip to heat it up, you can even use dish soap to lubricate the joins
• Use the heat from a hair dryer, or hold the tubing over the fan in your Extreme Q to heat the join between the tube and the glass

Last resort: If you can’t remove your glass from the tubing with heat, it may be necessary to cut your pieces from the tubing.

Cleaning whip tubing:

The stock tubing that came with your Extreme Q is made of food safe PVC and should not be submerged in alcohol. Submerging a plastic or silicon tube in alcohol for extended periods can make it discoloured, brittle, and render it unusable.

You can soak your tubing in hot water or some diluted dish soap, though it may tolerate quick rinses with ISO if it’s particularly dirty. Be sure to rinse the tube thoroughly if you use any kind of chemical to clean it.

In most cases, it’s more hygienic to just purchase a new length of tubing every couple of months. We sell the same tubing that came with your EQ by the metre, so you can buy in bulk and cut your own.

Alternatively, premium Silicone tubing is a better choice for tubing that’s easier to work with and generally cleaner to use. Food safe Silicone is more flexible, has a higher heat resistance and is generally easier to work with than the stock PVC tubing that came with your unit. Its increased flexibility means it doesn’t kink and you also won’t have such a hard time dismantling your whip for cleaning. It’s also smoother on the inside and stays clean for longer!

Balloon bags:

Depending on how much you use them, Extreme Q bags will need to be replaced fortnightly-once a month or longer.  The bags for your Extreme Q are meant to be disposable, so we don’t recommend attempting to clean and reuse them, as exposing the inside of the bag to chemicals may adversely effect the taste of your vapour. You can purchase replacement balloon kits here.

Cleaning the Extreme Q unit:

The Extreme Q’s exterior will need to be cleaned rarely, if at all. If you do get something on it or notice that it looks a bit grimy, a quick wipe with a damp cloth should be adequate to get it looking nice again. Don’t use any chemicals on the outside of your Extreme Q, as you may damage the plastic.

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