Bacteria on Your E-Cig? Can vaping cause fungal infection?

As we’ve all learned from grade school, bacteria grows on everything. Essentially anything humans touch bacteria can grow on and an e cigarette is no exception. I remember back in school when I was in band class (band geek checking in here), if I did not properly clean my instrument, bacteria and mould quickly and rapidly grew in a matter of days especially if the instrument was sitting idly. E-Cigs are no exception to this considering you put them inside your mouth to use!

Dr Mohammed Fakhry of Tulsa University did a recent experiment on bacteria growth on electronic cigarettes. He did cotton swaps on electronic cigarettes and did culture growths on them. Of course, some bacteria were to be expected, he did not expect the sheer amount of bacteria that was found. He found the presence of not only bacteria but mould and fungi as well. Although E-Cigs are much safer than tobacco cigarettes, regular cleaning is extremely important to prevent bacteria, mould, and fungus from invading your lungs.

I clean my drip tip several times a day as condensation builds up a considerable amount when vaping at high wattages

Regular cleaning should be done at least a couple of times a week. Some people clean out their atomizers and change their atomiser coils every time they change or refill E-Liquids. Using warm water and soap bath prior to refilling gets rid of any present bacteria that may be growing as well as small amounts of rubbing alcohol. The drip tip often times traps copious amounts of condensation and e liquid that can quickly grow bacteria if not properly cleaned. Personally I clean my drip tip several times a day as condensation builds up a considerable amount when vaping at high wattages. I normally clean it with warm water and soap followed by drying with a Q-Tip or a rolled-up piece of paper towel.

Everyone has made an effort to become more health-conscious when switching to electronic cigarettes. To get sick from inhaling bacteria, mould or fungus would be a real shame especially if it can be easily avoided with proper cleaning habits. So always remember to clean out your electronic cigarettes regularly; at the very least you should be cleaning it out prior to refilling that way no e juice is wasted during the cleaning process. Also remember new atomizers and vape coils sometimes as residue machine oil on it, please remember to clean out a new atomizer prior to use as well.