If you’re a keen vaper, you probably don’t mind spending a bit of money on high-quality vaping equipment, and you probably also enjoy sampling different types of vape juice – or THC oil if you’re into that. But you still probably don’t want to spend more money than you have to.
As a result, you may be wondering about how you can save yourself a little cash, all while continuing to enjoy vaping whenever you like. Part of this includes making each cart last as long as possible, so here we talk about how to get the last out of your vape cartridge.
How to Get the Last Out of Your Vape Cartridge: Regular vaping vs THC vaping
When you vape from a regular vape pen, almost all of the vape juice will be used up and the amount of wastage will be negligible. This means there’s no real reason to insist on getting those last few puffs – since you’ll hardly be saving yourself any money.
Far easier is just to switch to a new cart – or to top up your cart if you’re using a refillable one.
Nowadays, many people also prefer the convenience of disposable vape pens, and if you vape with a high-quality disposable, getting those last few puffs is unlikely to ever be a concern.
For example, if you vape with a SPIRITBAR Katana 10000, it’s not something you’re going to need to worry about.
These sleek and stylish vapes were inspired by Japanese katana swords and provide users with up to 10,000 puffs. Then, when the vape is empty, you just dispose of it and buy a new one – so you never need to think about disassembling it to get at the last remnants of juice inside.
However, if you’re vaping THC oil, things are a little different.
THC oil in cartridges for vapes is thick and viscous, and this means that some is always left in the cart when you get to the end of it.
While some people might be happy to regard this as an unavoidable loss, others can feel uneasy about wasting even a tiny drop – and if you want to know how to get at it, you have a couple of options. So let’s have a look at this now.
How to Get the Last Out of Your Vape Cartridge
Technique 1: Heat the cartridge and vape it
The simplest way to get those last few drops of THC oil from a cart is to heat the cart gently to make the oil thinner. This will allow it to drip onto the heating element, and you can then vape it as normal.
To do this, there are a few options, but probably the simplest way is to use a hairdryer on its lowest setting. Use the hairdryer to apply warm air to the cartridge, and when the oil inside becomes more liquid, you can then use it to vape and get a couple of last hits from it.
Another option could be to place the cartridge in a watertight container and then place the container in warm water for five minutes or so. This will have the same effect as the hot air from the hairdryer, allowing you to vape the last drops of oil from the cart.
Some people might also try to heat the cartridge with the flame from a cigarette lighter. However, it’s inadvisable to heat the cart with a naked flame, so if you try this, you do so at your own risk.
Important note: Remove the battery before heating the cart
Make sure you remove the cartridge from the battery before you try to heat it – otherwise, the vape might explode or otherwise cause an injury.
Technique 2: Open the cartridge
Another option for getting at the oil in the cartridge is to open it and extract the oil for other uses.
The first thing you’ll have to do is work out whether your cartridge is a refillable one or a disposable one.
If it’s refillable, it means the mouthpiece will just twist off, in which case it should be easy to do – because this is what they are designed for.
If you have the kind of cartridge that isn’t supposed to be opened, you can still open it – but you’ll just need a few tools, a bit of patience and a touch of determination.
First, find some vice grip pliers and some needle nose pliers.
Use the vice grip pliers to hold the cartridge at the opposite end to the mouthpiece, gripping the metal part and not the glass to ensure you don’t break it.
You’ll then need to take the needle nose pliers to grip the mouthpiece and try to pull it off. To do this, you’ll need to wiggle it a little – try to use enough force to work it free without using too much and breaking the cart.
Eventually, you should be able to pull the mouthpiece off, after which you’ll have access to the oil that’s left inside.
Tip
Once you get the mouthpiece off, it will be easier to extract the oil if you heat the cartridge a little in one of the ways mentioned above.
After you’ve heated the cartridge and made the oil more liquid, you can then harvest it using a syringe.
What to do with the last drop of oil
So you’ve got that last bit of oil out, but what can you actually do with it? Here are a few suggestions.
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Add it to a joint
One of the best things to do with the THC oil you’ve collected in the syringe is to add it to a joint when you roll up. Simply roll the joint as normal, but before closing it, add the oil to the weed.
This way, the joint will be even more potent when you smoke it, giving you a stronger high.
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Twax a joint
“Twaxing” refers to applying concentrates to a joint (or other smoking method) to increase the potency – which would also include adding the oil to a joint as we just described above.
However, here what we mean is adding the oil to the paper before you roll to increase the potency, which will give you a very similar result.
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Dab it
Another simple idea for using up the oil you extracted from your cart is to dab it using your regular dab rig.
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Use it to make tea or edibles
Finally, you can also use your THC oil when making edibles or brewing THC tea.
Regular bud needs to go through a process known as decarboxylation to activate the THC (or rather, to convert it from THCA to THC, the cannabinoid mostly responsible for getting you high).
However, the THC in oil has already been activated, so there’s no need to worry about this – you can just add it directly to tea to enjoy the effects. Alternatively, try dripping it on pre-made edibles to give them a powerful extra kick.
Other tips for making your vape last longer
Whether we are talking about THC vaping, CBD vaping or just regular vaping with nicotine vapes or flavored nicotine-free juice, there are also a few things you can do to ensure the vape lasts as long as possible – and here are a few suggestions.
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Keep your vape properly cleaned and maintained
Always make sure your vape is properly cleaned and maintained to ensure maximum efficiency.
If a vape is not cleaned, residue and dirt can cause it to lose efficiency, and this will lead to your vape juice being used up more quickly than it otherwise would be.
This, in turn, will mean you need to replace cartridges more often, and this will end up costing you more money in the long run.
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Take smooth, gentle puffs
Learning how to vape properly can also help extend the life of each cartridge by maximizing the amount of vape juice you inhale and minimizing waste.
Some newbie vapers tend to puff too hard and too fast on their vape, but this is not the best way to do it.
Instead, you should take slow and even puffs on your vape for maximum enjoyment and effect.
This is because vaping in this way allows the juice to be fully vaporized as you breathe it in, and it can also prevent clogging.
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Store your vape properly
Vape pens should be carried or stored upright to minimize the possibility of leakage and waste.
This will also ensure that all of the vape juice or oil naturally collects at the bottom of the cart nearest the heating element, further minimizing waste.
Finally, you should also store your vape in a cool and dry location.
This is because if you keep it somewhere too hot, it can cause the vape juice to evaporate or degrade while keeping it somewhere too cold will cause the juice to become thicker, resulting in waste.
Keeping your vape away from humidity is also important since this will ensure the battery remains in optimum working condition, also improving the efficiency of how it converts juice to vapor.
A couple of options for extracting oil from a cartridge
As we’ve seen, if you want to extract the last remaining drops of THC oil from a cartridge, there are several options you can try – and once you’ve successfully harvested the oil, there are also many uses for the oil, including lacing a joint with it or adding it to edibles for extra power.
When it comes to regular vapes, there are also some best practices that you should follow to ensure your vape juice lasts as long as possible, although, in terms of trying to gain a couple of extra puffs from a drop or two of leftover juice, it’s often just not worth the trouble.