How to Clean a Vape: Spring Cleaning Tips
This article was written by Molly Dyson | Published: June 17, 2025 | Last updated: October 17, 2025
It's finally that time of year when the sun reappears and the days get longer and warmer. For most people, higher temperatures conjure images of barbeques and evenings spent in a pub garden with friends, while for some the brighter days might highlight areas of the house that need some TLC. But did you know your vape could use a bit of spring cleaning as well?
Regular maintenance on your vape kit keeps it running in tip-top shape, and that includes cleaning it every now and then. Our handy guide explains how to clean a vape to ensure you're getting the best vaping experience possible.
How Often Should I Clean My Vape?
To keep your vape running at its best, we recommend giving it a deep clean once a week, or more often if you're a heavy user or change e-liquid flavours often. In general, refillable vapes use coils that last a week or two, and you can get closer to the longer end of that spectrum if you clear residue from it in between changes.
For daily maintenance, you can wipe the drip tip or mouthpiece clean and check to make sure there's no debris or e-liquid on the contacts between the battery and the refill, pod, or tank.
How to Clean a Cigalike
Cigalikes are incredibly easy to clean. All you need is a dry, clean cloth or tissue. You can also use a cotton bud if you find it hard to get a tissue into your device's contacts.
Follow these simple steps:
- Unscrew the refill from your battery.
- Use the tissue or cotton bud to wipe the threads on both pieces and remove any debris. This gunk can impact the connection between a refill and the battery, so it's important to wipe the contacts every now and then.
- Put your e-cig back together and test it to make sure it's working.
It's a good idea to clean your battery using the steps above every time you change the cartridge. You might also want to wipe the mouthpiece clean at the end of the day to keep it fresh.
For more advice on using and maintaining a cigalike, check out our guide to using rechargeable cigalikes.
How to Clean a Pod Vape
Maintenance on a pod vape kit depends on which kind of system you use; there are closed pod vapes, such as our OK Pod, and open or refillable pod vapes that contain a reusable pod. Both options are easy to keep clean, but the process is different.
How to Clean an OK Pod Vape
Much like the rechargeable Cigalike, the OK Pod is really easy to maintain. You'll need a clean cloth or tissue to follow these steps:
- Remove the pod from your device.
- Clean the top of your vape where the pod connects, being sure to remove any liquid or debris from the area.
- Connect a new pod and test your device.
We recommend wiping the contacts clean whenever you change the pod.
How to Clean a Refillable Vape Pod
Refillable pods have either a fixed coil or a replaceable coil. The cleaning process differs slightly for each type.
For pods with a fixed coil, simply:
- Remove the pod from your device, open the fill plug and empty any remaining e-liquid.
- Use a dry cloth or tissue to wipe the pod and coil clean.
We recommend avoiding using water to clean a fixed coil system, as it could damage the coil and impact your vaping experience.
For pods with a replaceable coil, the best time to clean them is when you're changing the coil. You'll just need some hot water and dry tissue – don't use boiling water, though, because this can damage the plastic in your pod. Follow these steps:
- Remove the pod from your device and remove the coil from the pod.
- Drop some hot water into the pod, being careful not to get the contacts wet. Swish the water around inside the pod to loosen any debris or residue.
- Tip the water out and then tap your pod with the fill plug facing down on a tissue to get as much water out as possible, then gently wipe it out with a clean tissue.
- Leave the pod to air dry for a few hours before inserting a new coil and priming it with fresh e-liquid.
For more advice on keeping your pod vape kit in good condition, read our comprehensive guide to pod vapes.
How to Clean a Vape Coil and Vape Tank
Refillable vape kits with tanks and replaceable coils follow a really similar process to refillable pods, but the two components can be cleaned at the same time. We recommend having a spare set handy so you can keep vaping while you're cleaning a set.
You'll need a bowl of hot (not boiling) water and some dry tissue or a towel. It's important to remember not to get water on your box mod or battery section, as this can damage them. Simply wipe them with a dry cloth if they need it.
Follow these steps to clean the tank and coil:
- Tip out any remaining e-liquid.
- Remove the tank from your device and the coil from the tank.
- Place the tank and coil into the bowl of hot water and gently swirl them around to start loosening any debris or residue, then leave them to soak for a few minutes before swishing them around again.
- If you want a deep clean or you're noticing a lot of residue floating in the water already, you can dump the water out, refill the bowl with fresh hot water and repeat step three.
- Rinse the tank under your tap to make sure there's no residue left.
- Tap the tank against a piece of kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible and wipe it with a dry tissue if possible, then leave the tank and coil to dry for several hours before putting them back together and reconnecting them to your device.
If you think it's time to completely refresh your vape coil, check out our guide to changing a vape coil.
Did you know you can recycle many of the replaceable components of your vape? We've put together a comprehensive guide to recycling and disposing of vape accessories to help you get rid of your vape waste responsibly.
