Just like everyone has their preferences on how big their dab is, what temperature they dab with and more, cleaning habits vary as well! Some don’t even know they’re supposed to clean their atomizer until it’s too late. The Onyx atomizer works best when free of excess residue, so we’re going to give you the lowdown on how to extend the life of your atomizer with some simple cleaning hacks.
When to clean your atomizer
A good rule of thumb is to clean your Onyx Atomizer as soon as you start to feel more resistance on your inhale than usual. This tends to be more evident if you are loading larger dabs into the bucket.
If it’s super clogged up, the extract can seep over the sides of the dish, sliding down either side into the threads (which is the airflow pathway). If you let it go too long, it can seep all the way through, and it will be sticky when you unscrew and remove your atomizer. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to replace it just yet, though! Try these steps below to deep clean and extend the life of your atomizer.
How to clean your atomizer
For simple maintenance:
You’ll just need to clean the blue Azul core dish, the heating dish in the base of the bucket. All it takes is 1-3 drops of isopropyl alcohol directly on the Azul core and heat the bucket until it’s dry. It might take a couple times if it’s thicker residue, so repeat until the dish is blue again.
IMPORTANT: Before adding any alcohol to the dish, make sure all extract is fully vaporized. It’s also extremely important that you never heat up a dry Azul core. There must be either extract or alcohol for cleaning on the dish when heating or else there’s a risk of burning the ceramic or ruining the atomizer.
For more intense cleaning:
Unscrew the Onyx atomizer from your device and give it a quick inspection. If it’s not sticky around the individual threads, you’re cleaning at the perfect time! You saved yourself some hassle. A simple drop of alcohol on the dish should do.
If it is sticky, grab some Ooze Resolution Wipes and some Micro Swabs. Use a wipe to get any residue off the threads, and poke a micro swab or poker tool through the holes in the threads to clear any clogs. Also swab where the atomizer screws in on the device to completely rid it of residue and avoid connection issues. The Booster and Electro Barrel devices come with a few of these alcohol-infused micro swabs, so stock up with a 100ct box so you're set for plenty of future sessions.
A couple of our C-Core devices with the Onyx atomizer require an extra step when deep cleaning.
To clean the Electro Barrel:
Remove the water chamber and then the glass downstem and rubber stopper. Use a micro swab to clear both holes in the rubber stopper.
To clean the Booster:
Remove the glass adapter on the bottom and use a swab to clean up and around that part of the device. Use a poker tool or paper clip to push the white ceramic piece out of the mouthpiece, so you can give that a good scrub with a wipe and poke out any clogs in the screen holes.
One thing to note is that if you regularly use the Booster attached to your bong, it's going to get more clogged over time than if you only use the handheld function. This is because you are literally pulling your dab cloud down through the device so it can shoot out the bottom and filter through the water. It's just physics, and it'll require some extra elbow grease to keep it clean. If you take a pull and it feels like it's starting to clog a bit, that's a good indicator that it's time to give it a deep cleaning!
Add some alcohol to your atomizer bucket, and run a heat cycle. Instead of inhaling through the mouthpiece, exhale instead. You'll be heating up and pushing out any residue that's stuck inside through the base. You may need to go through a few heat cycles to clear it all out!
We also offer some bigger cleaning kits from Ooze Resolution to keep all your pieces in tip-top shape. We love the Clean Team bundle, which includes Resolution gel, wipes and silicone end cap stoppers for your pieces.
When to replace your atomizer
If it just isn’t getting clean no matter how many times you repeat the above steps, it’s probably time for a new atomizer! Connect the backup one that came with your Booster or Electro Barrel, or grab a replacement pack.
