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. If you take good care of them, they can last 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, keeping your bags squeaky clean after every use will extend their lifetime and keep production costs lower over time. If they aren’t correctly cleaned, they’ll become clogged and won’t filter your trichomes the way they should.
When cleaning for the first time
- Clean your brand new set of bags basically how you would wash down the hash. Start at the top, work your way around in a circle and move down until everything is at the bottom of the bags, in the middle.
- Hold the bag and flip it inside out. Grab the screen so the fibers at the bottom of the bag are in your hand, on the mesh, then flip the bag inside out.
- Get rid of the fibers by rinsing, then do the same on the outside of the bag while it’s inside out.
- Start from the back, spray it down to the middle, and repeat until no more fibers come out. Fresher, colder water gets this done faster.
- Really make sure no more fibers are coming out — you might have to wash each bag 6 to 8 times!
What temperature to use
For the first wash, anywhere between room temperature and cold water works. After a production day, clean the bags immediately, rinsing with cold water. Warm water is not recommended — especially after making a concentrate — as it can make oil stick to the mesh even more, clogging the net and impairing its ability to filter your good trichomes.
Are any products necessary?
They shouldn’t be, for most washes! But if there are sticky spots — like hash still stuck at the screen — splash a little 99% ISO on the problem area, rub until it releases, then rinse several times.
You can also use a little Oxi Clean for the very first wash — just a little bit! Give the bags a bath in a container, dipping them in and out and rubbing them together, then rinse three or four times so there’s no residue left.
Still, the best strategy is rinsing with water, top to bottom, inside out, until there are no more black fibers left in the bag.
- Don’t wash your bags with detergents — they can leave residues.
- Never place them in a washing machine — excessive agitation can damage the mesh.
- If you must use ISO to remove oil, be gentle, avoid the seams, rinse thoroughly, and never soak the bags in ISO.
Drying out your bags
After washing, hang the bags to dry with space between them for good airflow. However you clean your bags, let them air dry thoroughly before storing — storing wet bags can lead to mold growth, which will absolutely ruin them. Moldy bags should not be reused.
Following these steps, you’ll have clean bags that last a long, long time! Any doubts about this process? Come ask us on Instagram @icextractequipment.
