Cleaning your ICExtract bags for the first time is a fundamental step to avoid any contaminants on your concentrate. Here, we'll tell you how to do it properly - and how to take care of this equipment!

Great quality bubble bags are one of the most important investments for someone who wants to make an A+ concentrate. And, if you take good care of them, they can last you for years and years, being a loyal companion in your lab. To achieve this durability, cleaning them the right way is essential.

The first wash can be tricky: you'll have to make sure that all the fibers are taken out of the mesh and don't end up in your precious concentrate.

After that first cleanse, learning how to keep your bubble bags squeaky clean after every use will help extend its lifetime, keeping your production costs lower over time. If they aren't correctly cleaned, they'll become clogged and won't filter your trichomes the way it should.

Want to learn how to avoid that? We'll explain it all here!

When cleaning for the first time

• When cleaning your brand new set of bubble bags,we recommend basically cleaning them how you would wash down the hash. Start at the top, work your way around in a circle and move your way down until it's all at the bottom of the bags, in the middle.
• Then, you'll need to hold the bag and flip it inside out. Make sure you grab the screen so you have the fibers in the bottom of the bag in your hand, on the mesh, and then flip the bag inside out.
• Get rid of the fibers by rinsing it  and do the same thing on the outside of the bag, with it inside out.
• Start from the back, spray it down all the way to the middle, and then keep doing it until you have no more fibers. The fastest way to get that accomplished is to be fresher with your water.
• Really make an effort to make sure that you have no more fibers coming out of it! You might have to wash each bag 6 to 8 times!

What temperature to use

For the first wash, we would recommend anywhere between room temperature to cold water. After you're done with a production day, we always recommend cleaning them immediately, rinsing them down with cold water. Using warm water is not recommended, especially after making a concentrate. It can lead the oil to stick even more to the mesh, clogging the net and impairing its ability to filter your good trichomes.

Are any products necessary?

They shouldn't be, for most part of your washes!

But if there's any sticky spots, like hash still stuck on the bag at the screen, splash a little bit of 99% ISO on that problem area, rub it till it releases and then rinse several times again.

Also, you can use a little bit of Oxi Clean when you're washing the bags for the very first time. Notice that it's not a whole lot that you need, just a little bit! Use a container to give the bubble bags kind of a bath, dipping them in and out of the water and rubbing them together. Then, after you're done with it, rinse them three or four times so there's no residual leftover.

Still the best strategy is just rinsing it with water, from top to bottom, inside out, until there's no more black fibers left in the bag!

• Don’t wash your bubble wash bags with detergents, as they can leave residues. Also, never place them in a washing machine - they can damage the mesh due to excessive agitation during the wash cycle.

If you absolutely must use ISO alcohol to remove the rest of oil from your filter bags, just be gentle, avoid getting the alcohol on the seams of the bags, and make sure you rinse thoroughly. Don’t soak the bags in ISO!

Drying out your bags

After washing your bags, hang them to dry with a nice space between them, so there's a good air flow.

• However you clean your bubble wash bags, it’s important to let them air dry thoroughly before storing. Storing wet bags can lead to mold growth, which will absolutely ruin your bags. Moldy bags should not be reused.

Following these steps, you'll have clean bags that'll last for a long, long time! Any doubts about this process? Tell us in the comments below or come ask us at our Instagram @icextractequipment.