Methods for Cleaning New RBA

I’ve been cleaning my new tanks with a brush and vodka soak , but I’m finding even after this once or twice I’m still getting machine oil taste from some of my tanks .Anyone got the secret ?

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I put mine in an almost boiling bath w about 32 oz of water take the pieces out witg tongs while it’s hot and rinse w hot tap water and cool then one more hot water rinse and cool… you can see the oil settle on top of the water in the pan. I’ve been doing this since the first time i got that rotten machine oil taste and never have tasted it since.

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I’ll have to try this for sure

You must use an old pot …my wife would kill me if I used a good one

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Being a hobbyist and restorer of antique furniture on the side, I have used denatured alcohol quite a bit for certain projects. New atomizer cleaning is one of them. However, denatured alcohol is definitely in the solvent line of cleaners and should be treated as such. Will it cut all the grease from your atty. You bet. But a soap and water cleaning, followed by a vinegar bath, followed by a distiller water rinse is how I make sure the denatured alcohol is totally rinsed away. I would not include O rings in this procedure, since denatured alcohol can have an adverse effect on some plastics.

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With my 3 latest RDA’s I used ISOPROPYL alcohol to soak mine (minus the o rings)

Followed by hot water and soap scrubbing.

Followed by further hot water rinses.

Took about 30mins in total.

For a total noobie to RDA’s at that time I thought I didn’t do too much of a bad job.

Luckily I have ISO on hand as I’m a PC tech and use it for cleaning components etc.

J

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Also just a thought but are you cleaning your post screws too?

I would have thought that they could harbour some machine oil.

J

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Yup! I do a complete strip down of the atty to make sure I’m getting every nook and cranny.

I’ve been cleaning it all but the vodka isn’t quite cutting it …also the only vodka I had on hand was grey goose so every cleaning cost a couple bucks lol

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I do include post screws in the pan

At least you’re cleaning it with style (Grey Goose)! And you can get good and soused whilst cleaning your atty. @Aux might tell you to to mix up a batch of his vodka dripping ejuice while your at it! You can’t have too much vodka, in his words.

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I use a toothbrush and toothpaste! Then rinse thoroughly with hot water :smile:

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Well this is good to know . Seems there is no one way to do this

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i take all the o-rings off and the screws out and soak everything minus the o-rings in hot water and dawn dish soap (the stuff they use on birds in oil spills). Let it soak for as long as my patience can handle and then scrub everything with a toothbrush and rinse and put back in the soapy water to scrub it again and rinse. You can definitely feel the difference to know when it’s clean, then rinse it completely off with hot water and dry. The screws I just soak and rinse. Taking them out makes a huge difference imo. I used to clean multiple times and still taste machine oil until I started taking the screws out. Strangely though, I didn’t notice the machine oil taste for my first 6 months of dripping. Never even thought about cleaning new rdas… Now I taste even the smallest amount.

Dawn Power Dissolver (for pots and pans), found in the dish liquid area of your store. Also use a brush that came with my sewing machine. It has a pointy end like a tooth flosser on one end and sparse brissles on the other end. I like how it only has a few very hard brissles because they go well into the juice wells. Of course a lot of hot water to rinse.I make sure to remove all O-rings and clean under them.

Thanks @Joya forgot to mention the brushes floss ones like this r great!!

I’ve always really liked using an ultrasonic cleaner. They’re like, twenty bucks. You can put pretty much any RDA or RTA in there with some water and maybe a little soap, hit the button, and they come out super clean. I use them on tools and stuff too. Definitely worth the money. https://youtu.be/7jQcdMrFo1Y?list=PLwENF_DPPtvRnV2oM7hlouYxhNui4gDKv

i have cleaned plenty over the past year or so and I just soak them in hot water and dawn for 30 - 60 minutes, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then throw em in front of a desk fan on the floor for a while. never had a hint of machine oil taste. I certainly wouldn’t waste good or bad vodka on them.

Personally I’ve done the dawn dish soap and a tooth brush. Soak for a few minutes. Then I rinse with warm tap water followed by distilled water baths.

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Inexpensive vodka will clean better than any dish soap…to remove the machining oil…
because not only will it cut thru it, there is no mistake in rinsing any soap residue out/off.
Vaping soap residue is as bad as vaping machine oil.

If using vodka, it can have a ‘drying’ effect on your o-rings if you allow it to dry on them…
[OMG scary…] but the great thing is, it rinses easily and thoroughly.

After cleaning a new atty with vodka, simply lube your o-rings with VG in a little needle-tip bottle.
If you use any Kayfun attys you already know what that is about.

If you have any worries, you can always remove your o-rings before cleaning, and wash them
separately with dish soap [rubber/silicone rinses soap residue easily in warm water]

A cotton hook is the best tool for removing o-rings without any damage.

If you paid $8…$80 …or $180 for an atty…why would a vodka bath be a waste?