How To Clean A Silicone Nectar Collector
If you are a fan of dabbing, you are aware that nectar collectors are some of the most useful pieces of equipment you can utilize. Nevertheless, just like any other piece of apparatus, your nectar collection will eventually require some sort of cleaning.
A nectar collector is rather small. It is difficult to clean because of its intricate shape and the various parts that it has because of its design. If you have trouble determining the most effective way to clean your nectar collection guide, you no longer need to be concerned about this because we are here to demonstrate how to clean it. Consequently, make yourself comfortable and go through our guide to cleaning your nectar collection.
What You Need
In order to get started with cleaning your nectar collector, you are going to need a few essential components. The majority of these are goods that are commonly found in homes, but there is a possibility that you will need to purchase a few things, so it is important to verify the list before getting started.
- Isopropyl alcohol (over 90% for the best results)
- Coarse salt (e.g. sea salt or kosher salt)
- Pipe cleaners
- Q-tips
- Resealable bags or plastic containers
- Access to running water
- Your dab torch (if you have a titanium tip)
If you’re looking for instructions on how to clean a glass nectar collector or silicone, here is the perfect list for you. However, if you have a titanium tip, you shouldn’t use isopropyl alcohol to clean it because it could damage the tip. The strategy that will serve you best in this scenario is to make sure that you always have your dab torch on hand, as this will allow you to take an alternate, slightly more hands-on approach.
How to Clean a Nectar Collector: Glass and Silicone (6 Steps)
Time needed: 15 minutes.
- Disassemble the Collector
The first thing you need to do is disassemble your nectar collection completely. This is typically fairly simple to accomplish, and the majority of nectar collectors consist of little more than a tip and the main body. Nevertheless, it is essential to separate them for two reasons: first, it makes it easier for the cleaning solution to reach every region of the object, and second, it significantly lowers the likelihood that anything will be damaged. This is of considerably greater significance if your nectar collection consists of more than one item.
- Create the Cleaning Solution
In an ideal situation, you will require one resealable bag or container for each individual component. In the meantime, get the isopropyl alcohol and salt ready. When you add the piece, the liquid in each container should completely cover it. To ensure this, add enough isopropyl to each container. After that, around one tablespoon of salt should be added to each container, after which the containers should be sealed and the solution should be properly mixed. It is essential to include the salt because it imparts an abrasive aspect to the solution and assists the alcohol in breaking down any residue that may be left on your dab straw.
- Add the Pieces and Soak
Put the components of your nectar collector into the containers, being sure to keep one item in each bag. It is essential to keep in mind that you must not submerge titanium points in isopropyl alcohol at any time. Because of the potential for this to cause damage to the outer coating and lead to oxidation, you will need to clean the titanium tips using an alternative method (see below). There are some sources that advise you to sprinkle some salt directly into the holes on the components of your nectar collector, but in most cases, this is not essential. If, on the other hand, your nectar collection is covered in filth, taking this additional step will be beneficial. Put the lids on the containers, and allow everything to sit out at room temperature for about half an hour to an hour. However, if you believe that it will require additional cleaning time, you can leave it to soak for a longer period of time (overnight is a good option).
- Rinse and Spot Clean with a Q-Tip
After allowing your nectar collector to be submerged in the solution for longer than a half an hour, you will be able to remove the components and give them a quick rinsing in some hot water. Rinsing is an essential step in the procedure since it is essential to keep from breathing in any lingering vapors of alcohol, and it is very necessary to do so. After the most evident residue has been removed using the rinsing method, you will be able to evaluate what is still present and determine how to proceed. There may be residual remnants of the caked-on resin even after the most of it has been removed by the solution. However, this is not always the case. Due to the fact that the soak is supposed to have really loosened them up, these are often rather simple to remove with a Q-tip. Handle each component carefully as you search for and remove any stray residue you can find. You may also give the tip of the Q-tip a little bit of extra force by soaking it in the cleaning solution before you use it.
- Use a Pipe Cleaner if Necessary
You can try using a pipe cleaner if the preceding step wasn’t sufficient to remove the residue from the pipe. These often have dense bristles and are thin and flexible enough to get into most of the difficult-to-access areas in your nectar collection. It is important for you to exercise caution so that you do not scratch the sides of your collector with the metal end of the pipe cleaner; nevertheless, as long as you do not actually scrape along the edges, you will not cause any damage. If you need the pipe cleaner to be broader for certain areas, you can also twist it or fold it to get this effect.
- Rinse Again and Leave to Dry
To finish, run the nectar collector through another cycle of warm water rinsing. To make sure there is no trace of anything left behind, it is preferable to continue doing this for a few minutes straight. After you have finished doing this, you should allow the components of your nectar collector to air-dry before reassembling it.
How to Get Reclaim Out of a Nectar Collector
Your nectar collection will, after a certain number of uses, invariably have some “reclaim.” This is the concentrate that has been left over after the collection process, and it can be reclaimed from the collector. It typically has a darker, more brownish color (in contrast to the amber hue of most concentrates) and contains between 30 and 60 percent of the psychoactive compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, it also has a higher concentration of CBN than the usual product, which means that it has a greater potential to cause drowsiness.
You shouldn’t have much trouble retrieving your reclaim, and you shouldn’t have any trouble doing so in addition to your routine cleaning. Isopropyl alcohol, some paper towels, and a Pyrex dish are going to be required supplies for this. After placing a paper towel over one end of the collector, fill the remaining portion of the tube with isopropyl alcohol. Hold it so that both ends are covered with the paper towel and the alcohol is contained within your collector. Cover the other end with the paper towel. Now give it a good shake to see if any of the lost items fell to the sides.
Your isopropyl alcohol and the reclaim should combine to form the final product, which should be a combination. Transfer everything from here to the Pyrex dish you have. Put the dish on a hot plate and turn the temperature down as low as it will go (remember not to use an open flame because alcohol is flammable); this will allow the alcohol to evaporate out of the dish. Allow the dish to sit out for at least two days so that it can air dry. Once this is complete, scrape up the reclaim using a razor blade, spatula, or any tool of a similar nature, and utilize it however you see fit, but the majority of people just smoke it.
You can get your reclaim by using the freezing procedure, which was mentioned in the section before this one. Nectar collectors made of silicone should be frozen.
How Often Should You Clean Your Nectar Collector?
There are a lot of different schools of thought on how frequently you should clean your nectar collector, and to some degree, the answer does depend on how frequently you use it and how much effort you put into cleaning it. As a general rule, it is beneficial to give your nectar collector or dab straw a comprehensive clean as indicated above at least once every month or two, if not more frequently. According to some other authorities, once every three months is an acceptable frequency. If, on the other hand, you clean your nectar collector very frequently (for example, once per week or two), you can frequently just soak it in hot water with little dish soap to clean it, and you will still get wonderful results.