How to Clean a Quartz Dab Banger in 6 Steps

So you’ve bought your RiO Dab Rig, and have been firing up the best terpy dabs of your entire life.  Very quickly, you will become painfully aware that your new dabbing hobby requires proper cleaning of your banger and more maintenance to get the most out of each session.

One of the most important features of any Dab Rig is a component called a “nail,” or more widely referred to as a “banger.” For more info on Bangers, check out the 12 most popular types of Bangers and Choosing your Dab Banger.  

When you torch up a fresh dab, you apply tremendous heat to the banger until it gets hot enough to vaporize your extract of choice. It won’t matter if you prefer cold start dabs, low temp dabs, or high temperatures.  The combination of the heat, banger construction material (hopefully quartz), and residue (or reclaim) will quickly start to alter the color of your banger.  A dirty Quartz Banger will also negatively affect the taste of your dabs.  We call this a “Chazzed Banger”

What is a Chazzed Banger?

According to Urban Dictionary, “If you’re looking it up you probably have one”.  And this is both funny and true.  But let’s get into a bit more detail.  A chazzed banger in simple terms - is a Dirty Quartz Dab Banger.  While low-temp dabs or cold-start dabs can significantly delay the process, there is no stopping the inevitable if you are not cleaning your banger often with good Dab Rig hygiene. “Chazzed” is most commonly used as slang for charred or burnt.  There is a scale to how dirty or how chazzed up your banger is.

Cleaning my quartz banger when black:

Having a dark sooty or blackened-up quartz banger is awful.  This is going to cause you to have the worst flavor and be the hardest banger to clean.  A dirty black chazzed banger is caused by heating your dabs up too hot, and not cleaning them often enough.  A recipe for bad-tasting dabs, a nasty mess to clean up, and possibly a permanent stain on your equipment.  

Cleaning a quartz banger when yellow / brown:

Fear not, this will be a more simple task.  Quartz bangers will turn yellow after just a small amount of use.  Take a look at the Full guide on How to clean your dab banger below, and follow Steps 4-7. Going forward, it’s easiest just to clean your quartz banger between dabs. 

Warning:  Before you clean your Chazzed Quartz Banger

• Never use acid-based cleaning products or bleach.
• Normal household cleaners can be deadly to inhale when heated.  Chemicals such as bleach and window cleaner are dangerous and can cause serious bodily harm.
• Avoid using coarse materials to wipe down.
• This can not only create ugly scratch marks in the quartz but also create microscopic grooves that the reclaim and residue can lodge in.  This will make your quartz banger look dirtier more rapidly.  The scratches also weaken the banger and make it more susceptible to breakage or other damage.
• Stick with isopropyl alcohol (ISO) 91-99%
• Use Distilled water and cotton swabs.
• Normal tap or bottled water contains many more minerals and impurities than distilled.  The microscopic minerals can damage and turn your banger yellow when they are heated.  If you want your quartz banger to be crystal clean.  Buy a bottle of distilled water.

Materials needed to clean your quartz banger

• Isopropyl alcohol - 91-99%
• Kosher salt
• Warm Distilled Water
• Q-tips
• Zip-top plastic bag big

The 6 basic steps to clean your quartz dab banger

Repeat Steps 1-5 as needed until your banger is clean.

After cleaning your quartz dab banger

Every time I clean my quartz dab banger, I think to myself, that I will never let it get that dirty again.  Cleaning dab bangers is no fun.  It’s best to establish some house rules of hygiene and a simple routine to keep your dab banger always clean. While you’re at it, check out our guide on How to clean your Dab Rig.

How to best maintain a clean Quartz Dab Banger

• Clean as you go.  When dabbing with your quartz banger it's good practice to have Q-tips and isopropyl alcohol nearby. After finishing a dab, while the banger is still warm but not too hot, dip a Q-tip in the alcohol and with the moist end - swab out any residue in the banger. Then use the dry end of the Q-tip to wipe up any remaining alcohol and dry the quartz. If you do this after each dab, your banger will always be in excellent working order.  Saving you from having to do the gross deep cleans.

Specialty cleaning products for your Dab Bangers

There are a number of specialty cleaning products on the market specifically designed for cleaning quartz bangers.  Our friends at 420 Coupon Codes can help you find and buy these products at a discount.  Some of the more popular cleaning products being used today are:

• Dab Wipes
• Glob Mops
• Cleaning Solutions
• Specialty Cotton Swabs

The Best Time to Clean a Quartz Dab Banger

Hopefully, after reading this guide on how to clean your quartz dab banger, you will adopt a “clean as you go” policy.  The best time to clean your banger is after taking your dabs.  Treat your quartz dab bangers well, and they will last much longer, and your dabs will always taste their best.