Has your e-liquid bottle ever sprung a leak and dripped all over your clothes as you tried to refill your tank or pod? Maybe you were carrying your vape in your pocket one day, and you looked down and saw a dark vape juice stain on your favorite pants. Since you’re dealing with a liquid product when you vape, e-liquid stains are almost inevitable. The good news, though, is that getting vape juice out of clothes is usually a pretty simple process. In most cases, you can get vape juice out of clothes by washing your clothing as normal with the rest of your laundry.
As easy as it normally is to get vape juice out of clothes, though, there are a few exceptions. Some vape juice ingredients are more likely to cause stains, and it’s also possible to get vape juice on a delicate item that you don’t want to wash with the rest of your laundry. If you have a piece of clothing with an e-liquid stain, we’ll provide some helpful tips in this article. You’ll also learn what you can do to prevent your vape from leaking in the first place.
First, though, let’s start at the beginning. Does vape juice really stain clothing?
Does Vape Juice Stain Clothing?
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Vape juice normally doesn’t stain clothing.
When you look for advice about how to get vape juice out of clothes, it immediately becomes clear that most of the people writing these articles don’t vape and don’t actually know what’s in vape juice. Almost every article online about removing vape juice stains claims that e-liquid is an oil-based compound. That’s not true at all because the main ingredients of e-liquid – propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin – aren’t oils or fats. They’re actually alcohols, which means that they typically don’t cause stains.
Do you need proof? Look at the ingredients of a typical stain remover. You’ll probably find glycerin or propylene glycol. You may even find both of those ingredients. Propylene glycol and glycerin are used in stain removers because they are solvents; they help to break up the organic materials that cause stains. Propylene glycol is also a common ingredient in fabric treatments because it helps to repel stains.
To reiterate what we’ve already stated above, there’s generally no need to worry about a permanent stain if you happen to spill a little vape juice on your clothing. You can almost always wash the clothing with the rest of your regular laundry, and the stain will come right out.
There is, however, one exception. If you look at most bottled vape juice, you’ll see that the liquid is clear. If you’re using an e-liquid that’s dark – because it contains a tobacco extract, for instance – you might have to worry about a stain if you get it on your clothes. You should either be especially careful with dark e-liquids, or you should avoid those e-liquids entirely.
A Word About Herbal Vapes
Herbal vapes contain oils, and oil will stain your clothes.
Note that when we discuss getting vape juice out of clothes, we’re talking about standard e-liquid containing only vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and flavors – we’re not talking about herbal vape oils and waxes. These products do contain oils, and oil will stain clothing. Some herbal vape oils may also contain plant-derived substances such as chlorophyll that are very likely to leave stains if they get on your clothes. Herbal vapes can leave very stubborn stains on clothing, and removing those stains is beyond the scope of this article.
How to Remove Vape Juice from Clothes
If you get vape juice on your clothes, you can usually wash it out by simply adding the clothes to your regular laundry.
If you’re dealing with a stain from dark vape juice – or you’re not comfortable washing your clothing with the rest of your normal laundry – we suggest trying one of these tips.
- Place the clothing in a sink with a generous amount of oxygen-based bleach alternative or washing soda. Pour very hot water over the clothing and agitate it. The cleaning solution generates carbon dioxide bubbles, and the bubbles help to release the vape juice from the fabric. Soak the clothing for an hour. Rinse it well or wash it with your normal laundry.
- You can also try putting a liquid dishwashing detergent on the stain and gently rubbing it. Dishwashing detergents are often stronger and more concentrated than laundry detergents because they’re meant to loosen stuck-on food. Rinse the clothing thoroughly before washing it with the rest of your laundry; the suds from dish soap can cause a washing machine to overflow.
How to Prevent Your Vape from Leaking
The best way to remove vape juice stains is by making sure they don’t happen in the first place.
We’ll finish this guide with a bit of advice that can help to prevent your vaping device from leaking. Remember – a vape that doesn’t leak can’t stain your clothes.
- If you use a refillable vape, you should wipe down your e-liquid bottle with a paper towel each time you refill your device. Stray drops tend to collect in the seam between the nozzle and the bottle.
- If you’re using a device with a glass tank, make sure that the tank is assembled correctly. Disassemble the tank and check for rubber gaskets that are warped or cracked. Replace the gaskets and reassemble the tank. Screw the components together carefully and make sure that they aren’t cross-threaded. If the tank continues to leak, replace the coil. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, it’s time to start shopping for a new tank.
- If you’re using a device with a plastic pod, make sure that you aren’t overfilling your pod and that the pod’s silicone stopper is completely closed. If the pod has a replaceable coil, make sure that the coil is pushed all the way in. Don’t use too much air pressure when using a pod system because puffing too firmly can cause the pod’s coil assembly to flood.
- If you’re using a disposable vape, don’t puff too firmly. Use only the amount of air pressure that’s necessary to make the device generate vapor. A high-capacity disposable vape has a built-in tank that may contain 15 ml of vape juice or more. If you’re using a high-capacity device, make sure that it’s never placed upside down or on its side.
