As vaping has become increasingly popular over more recent years, it’s important to familiarise ourselves with the impact that it has on our homes. After all, most of us enjoy the fact that vaping has less nasty side-effects like foul odor or tar residue when compared to cigarette smoke, which encourages us to vape more liberally indoors.
This blog will explain the key things to be mindful of when vaping in your home, or in any enclosed space for long periods of time. You might be surprised!
Does vaping stain the walls inside of my home?
It’s hard to escape the fact that cigarette smoke has a detrimental impact on the inside of the home. Staining from cigarettes is primarily caused by something which is referred to as ‘nicotine staining’. Nicotine can stain the inside of your home, much in the same way it can stain the fingernails and teeth too. Cigarette smoke lingers without proper airflow in the home and in turn, sticks to the walls forming a layer of scum.
Okay, so is vaping any different?
The good news that the answer is yes, it is different. Although some vapour does contain nicotine, the nicotine is vaporised as opposed to combusted and in turn dissipates more easily. It, therefore, does not leave the same thick layers of dirt that cigarette smoke does.
That does not mean that it has no effect however! While it won't stain your walls with a nasty yellowy tinge, vapour is just that - vapour! As exhaled e-liquid clouds settle on your walls and windows they leave behind a slight residue.
This residue is predominantly water vapour but does contain small amounts of nicotine and flavouring too. This is not typically in a high enough concentration to actually stain anything, however vaping a lot, every day, in a small space will require you to wipe clean any surfaces it settles on.
It is more noticeable on smooth polished plastic, metal or glass surfaces, which can become dulled by the presence of vapour residue (like glass-top tables or your TV!). Windows in particular can become visibly foggy if not regularly cleaned - your humble author once convinced himself the weather had changed, only to realise he had just skipped window-cleaning day a few too many times!
The good news is that this residue can, in most cases, simply be wiped away with a clean, dry cloth. Try to ensure the cloth does not leave behind fluff or bits - a good microfibre is recommended for the job! If you regularly clean, it is not likely you will ever even notice vape residue at all.
Does vaping set off the fire alarms?
If you’re vaping in the comfort of your home, the last thing that you want to happen is for the fire alarm to be triggered. With much speculation surrounding vaping and fire alarms, let’s set the record straight. Cigarette smoke of course sets off fire alarms, however can the same be said of vapour?
So, would vapour set off a fire alarm?
Yes, but it depends on the type of alarm. Heat detectors shouldn't ever be set off by vapour alone, as it is far cooler, even when compared to cigarette smoke. In fact, we fitted our LiQuid HQ with heat detectors so we can test all our new flavours without the fear of summoning the firemen!
Smoke detectors however are a different story. Vaping can cause these fire alarms to go off due to the detection of a change in particle density as they are extremely sensitive to airborne particles, and if you blow excessive vapour while near the fire alarm it may be triggered.
Take care, especially in rented homes where you have no control over the type of alarm fitted - smoke and particle detectors are far more common than heat detectors.
Your chosen device can massively impact the level of risk of causing a racket. High-power sub-ohm vapes producing massive clouds in a small room are almost always going to result in you scrambling for a chair to reach that awkward button as you try not to go deaf! Smaller devices carry less risk, but can still have the same effect if used to excess.
Ensure you have proper ventilation and airflow, while being mindful of the size of your clouds. Doing this will mean you have a better chance of vaping inside, without triggering an alarm.
Take Care of Your Upholstery
While not as much of an invasive issue as vape residue or setting off the alarms, your upholstery and even clothes are actually at risk from vaping. In this case however, it's probably your own fault!
What we mean is that, if you are a regular in-home vaper, you are inevitably going to top-up, clean, or swap coils while sitting around in your favourite chair. This opens you up to another risk of staining.
While e-liquid won't typically leave a nasty bright coloured stain, it actually stains very much like grease. If you spill raw e-liquid or it leaks onto your clothes or soft furnishings, it will almost always leave a dark smudge, a bit like a damp patch that just won't dry up!
While this will almost always wash out, this is far easier-done to your clothes than an expensive cushion or couch cover which often require specialist cleaning. Save yourself the cost and mitigate the risk by doing any messy maintenance on a kitchen counter or with plenty of paper towels.
So, while vaping in the home doesn't carry as much risk as cigarette smoke, there are certainly things to be aware of to ensure you don't end up making a mess. Take care, be sensible and follow the advice above to ensure you stay one step ahead of your clouds and vape residue. After all, your home is your castle, and nobody likes a castle that's covered in misty film!
Ps - Your neighbours definitely won't like a castle that has a fire alarm going off every ten minutes!
