What Is An ISO Holder Station & How To Use It
Cannabis enthusiast and student of the art of solventless extraction
✅ Updated 11/23/21
Do you have a grimy rig or banger? ISO Holders, or ISO Cleaning Stations, make the routine ritual of cleaning your quartz banger easy and convenient. ISO Holders keep isopropyl alcohol (ISO) and cotton swabs in a sleek and handy storage vessel, integrated together so your cleaning supplies remain at your fingertips. ISO Cleaning Stations make regular maintenance of your high quality quartz bangers virtually effortless after every dab.
High quality quartz nails are capable of offering some of the cleanest and most enjoyable dabs possible. Quartz nails, or bangers, have the ability to hold lower temperatures before cooling off, and longer than other types of materials like titanium or ceramic. These materials, which formerly held a firm position in the dabbing spotlight, have a higher potential to degrade rosin if heated to higher temperatures. Now, it’s clear that that quartz is the ideal dabbing surface.
While quartz bangers are great for taking low temp dabs and enjoying the very best of what rosin has to offer, a grimy, bedraggled banger won’t do justice to any solventless cannabis concentrate. There’s no point to investing in a quality quartz banger if you’re not committed to maintaining it.
The Bad News
A banger that’s not cleaned regularly is bound to accumulate charred contaminants, which are burned oils and other plant materials. Even the cleanest rosin or bubble hash will leave behind a small trace of trichome encasements and other lipids. These charred remaining compounds not only impact the flavor of rosin that you may dab on top of it, but it impacts the long-term performance of the banger.
Even more concerning, these blackened residuals can pose a health risk, in the form of carcinogens which you’ll inhale while dabbing. This is probably the most worthy reason to build banger cleaning into your daily routine!
The Good News
Cleaning your quartz banger after every use is easy to build into your ritual, thanks to a simple set of tools and handy organization. Using a straightforward technique sometimes referred to as “Q-Tip Tech”, along with a good ISO Holder, the 60 seconds it takes to thoroughly clean your banger can actually turn into a satisfying experience. Isn’t it great to come back for the next dab, with a sparkling clean banger awaiting?
For a step-by-step explanation of a solid cleaning technique, we put together a guide to cleaning your quartz banger and dab rig which may be helpful.
How An ISO Holder Can Help
An ISO Holder is a mini Isopropyl Alcohol (ISO) Cleaning Station, organizing the supplies you need for wiping your quartz banger clean after every dab. ISO Holders store a small, accessible amount of isopropyl alcohol plus a handful of cotton swabs, in one integrated container that sits neatly with the rest of your dabbing supplies. The best ISO Holders are made with glass and sit on top of a sturdy base, minimizing the chance of tipping over.
ISO Holders help with organization, and they also save time in your cleaning ritual. Instead of frequently unscrewing your bottle of ISO and fiddling with the open box of cotton swabs (both of which take up space and create more clutter), ISO Holders maintain your supplies at the ready in a small, minimalistic footprint.
How To Use An ISO Holder
Using ISO Holders doesn’t require a user manual or any special set up. Simply fill the thin, cylindrical chamber with rubbing alcohol, then arrange a handful of Q-Tips in the main storage vessel of the holder.
After dabbing, grab a cotton swab and soak up the remaining oil from inside the bowl. Use both sides of the swab if necessary, to ensure that you’ve removed any small puddles of oil that collected along the edges of the banger.
Once the inside of the banger is wiped down with cotton, take a fresh swab and quickly dip one end into the ISO chamber. Alcohol is a powerful solvent, capable of removing any additional residue that remains smeared onto the quartz. Use another fresh swab and dip in the ISO as needed, until the inside of the banger is clear and pristine.
Give it a quick once-over with the torch to burn away any remaining ISO. If there’s ISO left in the banger, you will absolutely know it when you taste your next dab.
If you want a more thorough guide to cleaning, our guide to cleaning your quartz banger and dab rig is the next article you should check out.
Bonus Tip:
The Press Club Desktop Trash Bin is a perfect compliment to the ISO Holder in keeping your workspace organized and optimized. Use the trash bin to collect soiled cotton swabs after cleaning and keep things tidy on the tabletop.
Conclusion
Quartz bangers should be cleaned after every use, but this doesn’t have to be a cumbersome process. When maintained properly by removing residuals after each dab, quartz bangers will be your faithful companion for the long term. Failure to regularly maintain your quartz will result in early retirement for your neglected banger.
ISO Holders are much more than just a decorative accessory, they’re a useful tool and a central feature of a good quartz banger cleaning ritual.
In addition to cleaning after each use, a less frequent deep cleaning will also help keep your banger and rig in prime condition. How often do you deep clean your rig?
Let us know in the comments!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is an ISO Holder Station?
An ISO Holder Station, or cleaning station, makes it easy to clean your quartz bowl after every dab. It holds cotton swabs and a small amount of isopropyl alcohol in a simple glass vessel, keeping your cleaning supplies at the ready for immediate use after dabbing.
Do I need to clean my bowl after every dab?
Yes, you should wipe out your quartz banger with ISO alcohol after every dab.
What if I don't clean my bowl after every dab?
The inside of the quartz banger will accumulate burnt material, which is not only bad for your health, but it's also damaging to the glass.
How do you use an ISO Cleaning Station?
Take a cotton swab out of the holding vessel and wipe the inside of the quartz clean to remove any remaining oil from the hot banger. Then take another cotton swab and dip it into the alcohol, and remove any remaining residuals from the quartz. Make sure to remove all ISO otherwise you will taste it with your next dab. Some people even heat the bowl again to burn away any ISO accidentally left behind after cleaning.
Where can I buy an ISO Holding Station?
The Press Club makes high-quality, durable, easy-to-use ISO Holding Stations at a competitive price. Check them out in our store.
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