Is it okay to clean syringes or should I throw them away?

[Jack Merridew]

Okay, so I googled this before posting on this site, which was a very bad idea. So how do you feel about sharing needles between batches? Is it safe to just soak everything in hot water before using it again?

 

[Kent B Marshall]

I clean mine after every use and reuse. I'm frugal, lol. There inexpensive, so it me, slow learner, lol.
If you chose this option, I recommend you cover the outside markings with scotch tape. Syringes are manufactured as disposable with ink that washes off.

 

[Huckleberried]

I do what Kent does, down to the letter, when I use them. Since I got a scale, I don't use them much. I still have some bottles in glass that don't have droppers, though.

 

[Kinser]

I've been using the same syringes for months now. I replace them regularly, but it is okay to reuse them provided you follow some common sense precautions when you're mixing juice.

1. Use hot water and soap and rinse often. This is especially true if working with menthol, I find that it can and will recrystallize in the syringe.

2. If using the same syringe to add nic rinse thoroughly before putting it into vg, pg, or flavorings. This is so you don't accidentally contaminate the pg/vg/flavor with the nicotine (or it will throw off your mg/ml target...not so important to me, as I actually use a funnel and small beaker for large batchs containing nic, and as long as I'm "close enough" on the nic I'm fine).

3. Wash and rinse the syringe when playing with flavoring agents. The Principle of cross contamination and why it is bad should be self-evident.

4. Place transparent tape on the writing on the syringe, it will lengthen the life of those measurement markings.

If you have a large bowl or several you can set up your wash/rinse station near your mixing area. This is what I do, but I have a lot of spare kitchen type equipment laying around my house anyway.

That said, syringes are relatively cheap to buy and if you really want to you can use new everytime. Personally I have a menthol syringe that is solely used with menthol drops and nothing else. Otherwise I use the same syringes over and over.

 

[Teresa P]

^^^ What he said....I rinse everything in hot water and then soak for a bit in hot, soapy water. After that, everything gets rinsed in hot water again and laid out on a clean paper towel to air dry.
I treat my "vape dishes" just like I do my kitchen dishes and I haven't died yet.

 

[Jack Merridew]

It's true that they are dirt cheap, but every dollar saved is a dollar the I can spend on new mods and attys. Great replies. At least, now I don't feel bad/cheap about reusing them.

 

[Huckleberried]

More flavors!!

 

[zaroba]

I just rinse in water between flavorings.
Then add nic last so I can add it to all the bottles I make at once (if I am making more then one).

Anybody have any thoughts on just leaving it in a cup of water until the next use if it isn't more then a week?

 

[RMarcusY]

I use the microwave to heat distilled water to rinse.
I mark ones I use for nicotine, tobacco, menthol and some flavors and only use them for the same liquids.
Heartlandvapes has them in boxes of 100 for under $30, so when the markings wear off I replace them.

 

[zaroba]

Only thing I see on heartland is a 20pc variety pack for $12

If you really want to save money though:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001889SBA - $9 for 100x sterile 3ml syringes.

 

[RMarcusY]

I've been looking at the prices on amazon, even the same brand have prices from low to high.
Heartland are Terumo brand http://wholesale.heartlandvapes.com/supplies/measuring-mixing.html
Shopping for me is over I have a lifetime supply now of 1,3,5,10 & 20ml

 

[zaroba]

yea, prices can vary quite a bit.
amazon is like a flea market, most stuff isn't sold by amazon, it's sold by anybody that wants to sell on amazon.

 

[Kinser]

It's true that they are dirt cheap, but every dollar saved is a dollar the I can spend on new mods and attys. Great replies. At least, now I don't feel bad/cheap about reusing them.

Why should you feel bad/cheap about reusing a syringe? It's not like your DIY juice is for sale. Now if we're talking about making juice for sale, I would expect a higher standard of cleanliness in this area. I'm not necessarily saying reusing syringes is "dirty" but if one is selling juice for others to consume it is, in my opinion, their fiduciary duty to insure (as much as is possible) the safety of their product. In such a situation cross contamination (be it nic, water, soap, flavors, or whatever) between flavors, batches, and the ingredients themselves should be avoided as much as humanly possible.

Of course this could just be my culinary ethics coming out. Once a chef always a chef.

 

[Kinser]

^^^ What he said....I rinse everything in hot water and then soak for a bit in hot, soapy water. After that, everything gets rinsed in hot water again and laid out on a clean paper towel to air dry.
I treat my "vape dishes" just like I do my kitchen dishes and I haven't died yet.

Yep, pretty much my method. That said when rinsing for a mix I prefer to use distilled water over tap water. I've used both but it is my opinion that my local tap water imparts a very faint chlorine taste to the juice when vaped. Of course that could just be in my head too. However, I don't like that taste in my juice--no matter how faint--so I use distilled. I'm also known to use the microwave oven to heat the distilled water if used for washing purposes, though cold (well room temperature actually) works just as well for most cleaning.

 

[Kinser]

Anybody have any thoughts on just leaving it in a cup of water until the next use if it isn't more then a week?

I personally wouldn't do that. However, I'm a bit ocd when mixing juice. I'm like that with cooking too, but otherwise no ocd here.

 

[Time]

I have a 1ml syringe for each flavor. The syringe is tucked into a rubber band I have around the flavor bottle. I measure out the flavor then rinse the syringe in a cup of hot water and tuck it back onto the bottle. Done.

My nic syringe and 12ml syringe for PG/VG I also just rinse after use.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Lots of good tips in this thread! I do mine a tad different but it's been working for me. I don't like the idea of tap water or soap. I have a 10ml syringe w a 14ga x 2" needle for VG. Another 5ml syringe w a 16ga needle for PG. A 1ml syringe w an 18ga needle for flavorings. They all have tape over the markings and they look very different so I know which is which. Between recipes I pull the flavoring syringe full of everclear and squirt it back out. Haven't had trouble with flavors cross contaminating so far. Might set up a "menthol only" syringe after reading this thread though.

Then in another location entirely, next to the nitrile gloves and safety glasses, in a zip lock that gets changed out regularly, is my 1ml syringe w a 14ga x 2" needle for my VG based 100mg nic.

 

[Manimal3497]

Another place to get syringes rather cheap is at your local farm supply store. They carry them over in all the animal products for deworming and such.

 

[Maynard]

So how do you feel about sharing needles between batches?

First of all, WHY ARE YOU USING SYRINGES WITH NEEDLES???

Use mixing/measuring syringes without needles...

And it's okay to clean these after each use and reuse them.

 

[vaperature]

I've been using the same three syringes for over a year now. I just rinse them out. No problemo.

 

[5150sick]

Good luck explaining all this shit to the cops if they mistakingly go to the wrong house when serving a no-knock warrant!

As a matter of fact I would love to be there to hear all your goofy excuses and the replies from the cops.


I have looked at my DIY cabinet and my almost kinda pipebomby 120 watt raptor box and thought to my self.

"I am one really stupid cop away from catching some very serious charges!"


I make sure to never open this thing in public. Especially without an atty on top!



It's got numbers and lights on the side of it.

Almost looks kinda countdown timerish :

 

[ajaymes2001]

Yes, as has been said numerous times in this thread, it's alright. I wash mine in warm soapy water, rinse in cool, disassemble them, and clean in an ultrasonic cleaner at max setting for 2 cycles. Left out on a towel to air dry and then reassemble when dry. I've been diy for over a year and I'm still standing, so I guess it's working out just fine.

 

[VapingindaCity]

How long do the marking last on the Syringes when they are washed ?

Don't really think covering the markings with clear nail polish is a good option for me, cuz Nail polish has so many dam Chemicals and I don't want it to come in contact with with the Juice ....

Hopefully there a clear paint non toxic paint option?

 

[Teresa P]

I use scotch tape, seems to last quite awhile.
The markings will come off my 1ml syringes quite quickly if left uncovered. I have 3ml, 5ml, and 10ml that have lasted for months uncovered and look like new.

 

[VapingindaCity]

Is it hard to.wash syringes.with tape on them?

 

[ajaymes2001]

No, not really. The trick is to not leave them soaking overnight, if you wash and rinse them and then run them through a couple of cycles in an ultrasonic cleaner, air drying afterwards, you'll get plenty of life out of those syringes.