Cleaning your Zippo: How to Clean a Zippo Lighter

Whats the best way you clean a Zippo?
There a several methods to properly clean a Zippo, as well as several different tools. What do you use? Do you think this method is effective and efficient?
Let me know in the comments!
NEW MAILING ADDRESS:
JRO LIGHTS
PO BOX 2563
Madison, MS 39130
Email: [e-mail]
Jro lights Zippo
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Hey Everyone,
My name is JRO Lights and I have been collecting Zippos for over 10 years. My collecting themes include: limited editions, Collectibles of the years, and any unique/ special designs.
I am not a film expert or editor, however I have a passion for Zippos and I hope to bring a variety and diverse range of Zippo information.
My mission is to bring knowledge to both new collectors and more seasoned collectors, and also bring more knowledge to myself.
Feel free to email me at [e-mail] for questions, suggestions or anything else.
#zippomafia #zippo #lighters #jrolights #cleaning

[@JRO_Lights]

How do you clean your Zippo? Let me know ⬇️⬇️⬇️

[@mariobaier777]

vinegar and soap.. no idea what is rem oil.. cleaning guns ? see Remington on bottle .Nice clip Jon

[@JRO_Lights]

@@mariobaier777 thanks for watching! Yes rem oil is for primarily cleaning guns. It is a rust prevention and lubricant. Availability for that may vary based on country, but WD-40 or any oil/ lubricant would be fine. You just want to make sure you prevent any bits and pieces from rusting.

[@cowsagainstcapitalism347]

@@mariobaier777 I second using gun lube for Zipos, bike chains, and any other metal objects that move. When you own a $1000 pistol, expensive high quality oil is a no brainer. Same for cars and Zippos. The extra money for better oil is worth it, always. I used to have a neighbor who used synthetic helicopter turbine oil in his Subaru! 🤣 a little overkill on the protection never hurt I guess!

[@harisyoung4110]

@@cowsagainstcapitalism347 interesting neighbour.. where did he get those helicopter oil ?

[@stevenroche9874]

I do not take it apart. I use Q-Tips and rubbing alcohol to clean the chimney. Works good for well maintained Zippos.

[@cowsagainstcapitalism347]

I watched a video three times the length, with bad lighting, he skipped steps and half assed it. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[@JRO_Lights]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Any other tips or tricks you are looking feel free to suggest. 😁

[@madrabbit9007]

I'm not afraid to tear down a small block Chevy but a Zippo, I was always afraid that if I took it apart it would never work again.

[@JRO_Lights]

😂 I’m like that with every other than Zippos. I’ve tried to repair other lighters. Nope Zippo is by far the simplest

[@user-bw3oh5jy7n]

Confidence is key.... You got this

[@gianfrancoismael8403]

Hello from Argentina. I just get a naval advisors to the united states Zippo, and your video results very usefull. Thank for the pasion

[@BorJamnik]

Thank you so mutch for this tutorial, my grandpa gave me his Zippo about a year ago and its been sitting in my drawer, but i will renew it now.

[@williamcobb6322]

Great video! Thanks for posting. Always enjoy tips that restore zippo lighters.

[@JRO_Lights]

Thanks for watching William!

[@stevepayne7374]

Great job and informative Thanks

[@DCamearo]

Just wanna say thanks Jro, watching this video inspired me to start cleaning up my zippo's, i ain't bought many in the last few years but now im back at it, im from the uk i have around 20 zippos, just got a 540. Great videos Jro😎🔥

[@JRO_Lights]

Awesome thanks for watching! Nothing more satisfying than cleaning a zippo

[@DonkeyMcMuffin]

Chipping in my 2c, as I just cleaned one earlier tonight. Magic Eraser sponges are awesome as an alternative to Q-Tips (or perhaps, supplementary to Q-Tips.) The finer sponge "grain" actually does a pretty good job of almost 'scrubbing' off some of that soot without scratching the finish or anything. Obviously, they're not super fine, so Q-Tips are better for those tiny corners, but if you cut up a Magic Eraser into ~1/2" cubes and grip them with tweezers, needle-nose pliers, etc.they'll make quick work of those larger surfaces.They're also flexible enough to fit into those smaller spaces, but you might have to force them a bit.

[@johnengland8619]

Thanks for the information. I just picked up a couple zippos that need work.

[@jinkim5785]

Ultrasonic cleaner with diluted Simple Green has been my cleaner of choice. A $30 one I bought from Amazon has been more than enough, although I'm contemplating stepping up to a better one as I find more uses for it. For really stubborn chimneys I use a soft brass bristle brush to remove build-up, using brush strokes that naturally follow any existing scratches or streaks so as not to add any more. Lately I've been using a pipe cleaner to wipe the flint tubes, if you use a pipe cleaner with the little threaded plastic fibers you can effectively clean and dry the tubes pretty well after drilling. And a single pipe cleaner in a flint tube will last you several good uses (and you can even trim it as it gets worn) compared to the almost single use nature of cotton swabs. These days I also like to use Evap-o-Rust and let inserts soak in it for a couple of days, especially if the spring has a significant amount of rust. Just don't leave nickel-silver inserts in Evap-o-rust, because depending what was soaking in there before it can have a negative effect on the finish. M-Pro7 is my pew pew lube of choice for my lighters. I actually wouldn't recommend WD-40 long term (though certainly fine in a pinch) since its purpose is more as a penetrant and rust inhibitor than lubrication, but in an application like a Zippo it's probably fine, Zippos aren't exactly rocket science. I've been posting the odd restoration video on my own main channel here and there, although I've been too busy to post anything new recently. Anyway keep up the good work, I enjoy the content.

[@JRO_Lights]

Thanks for watching. Wow great stuff!! I’ve seen a lot of seasoned collectors use the ultrasonic cleaners. One day I’ll get one. I agree on the wd-40, it’s there but I don’t recommend. I’ll have to look into the evap-o-rust. That sounds effective. Thanks for the solid advice!

[@jinkim5785]

@@JRO_Lights I know you don't spend a lot of Time on Reddit but I just posted a topic about my recent unexpected results using just Evap-o-Rust to clean chimneys. To say that I've never had an easier Time cleaning chimneys is an understatement and I've cleaning hundreds of really nasty chimneys... Anyway I will be doing a lot more investigation/experimentation in the future.

[@gremblobeans5004]

I use WD40 lithium grease for pretty much everything, its a premium product that works fantastic, used it on my cam and hinge on my vintage venetian from 1995 and it worked wonders

[@zippolyonsden1623]

Awesome video. 🙂 I've been mainly using toothpaste and a couple modified soft bristle toothbrushes. Then polish them up with Brasso or chrome polish. Works great.

[@JRO_Lights]

Thanks for watching! I’ve heard of that method too. I need to find a good soft bristled brush. I use brasso on the daily for polishing and paper sticker removal. I keep it off the insert cause I can never get it out of the hard to reach spots 😂

[@JoseMora-wc5zz]

Thanks King. Im a zippo fanatic. I got 4 Black Crackles, one that’s NEVER been used.

[@JRO_Lights]

That is AWESOME! A ww2 zippo is still on my bucket list. Now when it comes to cleaning them, I’d advise against it lol

[@JoseMora-wc5zz]

@@JRO_Lights I have a good method to clean them so they look insane.

[@user-sq7xv5jy3l]

Congratulations for your channel, I really appreciate your videos. One question, how do you store your zippos? do you remove the springs, stones? any suggestion?

[@michelle5816]

Ty♡

[@AK40_29]

If I use WD-40 for the oil do I wipe it down after or is it gonna be all slimy and stuff?

[@2mz590]

thanks (:

[@farmazito9489]

what happens if i use normal 8% vinegar

[@travisjohnson6358]

👍

[@anthonywatson3130]

Great video! Exactly what I was looking for. Question: should I be worried about letting them soak in the vinegar for too long? I don't want to damage the finish on any of the parts. BTW, most of the time people use vinegar they use baking soda to neutralize it afterwards. In this case, throwing the parts into a mixture of baking soda and water would do fine instead of soap.

[@JRO_Lights]

Usually 24 hours would be the max. My issue is I don’t want to rust any parts. Also For me soapy water is more readily available than baking soda lol

[@anthonywatson3130]

Thanks for the reply! After looking at some videos here, vinegar can indeed eat away at good metal over time. Seems like starting early and keeping an eye on it would be best. Just enough to remove any rust and clean any debris, but not eat away at good metal.

[@JRO_Lights]

@@anthonywatson3130 biggest part that starts rusting within a 12 hour time period is the flint wheel. (That rusts really quick) Most of the pieces I clean are displayed, only to be opened one every couple of years probably. That’s why I say better safe than sorry. However, there are loads of ways to properly clean and not worry about immediate rust. Toothpaste, brasso, lighter fluid, ect.

[@Zestypanda]

I use 190 proof everclear. Pull the insert from the case. Pull out the rayon, wick, remove the spring, flint. Take the flint and put it to the side. Soak everything, even the rayon and wick in everclear. Then after two hours of sitting, with light agitation of the dish, I use a toothpick and scrub the carbon off, which basically turns into mud. From there, I let it sit another two hours, then rinse with water after another shake. I then place all the pieces on a metal pan, put it into my toaster oven on low heat with the door slightly open. After it is all dried I put it back together.

[@JRO_Lights]

Good tips! I use to use a tooth pick but it made some scratches that I regretted. So I stick with q tips now lol

[@Zestypanda]

@@JRO_Lights Interesting. Scratches where? Wood would be softer than metal. Or do you mean scratches to paint?

[@Paspa1801]

How do you clean zippos with painted designs? I have just bought a 1992 maple leaf niagra falls and was wondering what the best way to clean it without damaging the design would be. And if I get the zippo wet with still water do I need to lube it? What’s a safe lubricant to use on a painted zippo?

[@JRO_Lights]

Water or vinegar shouldn’t ruin the paint, however I would refrain from using any abrasive polishers or scrubbing painted images

[@jobbyjay5791]

I have a 1994 vintage zippo I bought with the initials engraved on it. However the part with the initials is the part that is tarnished. I want to remove the tarnish but keep the engraving. Any ideas? I dont want anything to abrasive. Thanks! :)

[@JRO_Lights]

Awesome, if it’s engraved in the case you shouldn’t have a problem with it going anywhere. Brasso or flitz works best on tarnishing with a micro fiber cloth. The only thing that may remove is if the lighter has paint on it.

[@jobbyjay5791]

@@JRO_Lights Thank you so much!!! You got a new sub my friend!

[@Zestypanda]

lol. 994? Vintage?

[@jaredroney9412]

So my lady gave me one of her fathers zippos. Is it safe to use to llight cigarettes with even with the rem oil on it? I know that sounds dumb considering I'm smoking... but just to be as safe as I can.

[@JRO_Lights]

Yes, once you light the lighter any lubricant that you use to protect the lighter from rusting will burn off any excess. That excess isn’t going to explode or anything if that’s what your worried about (unless you use gasoline lol)

[@jpex9]

Watch out for asbestos wicks in old zippo’s.

[@JRO_Lights]

I agree, one should not smoke with abestos lol

[@LightYagami-ik1cg]

If you still have this footage could you upload the cleaning without skipping of fast forwarding

[@JRO_Lights]

Thanks for what watching! I will check, or do a cleaning at full speed.

[@SiLatics56]

You need to put some Zippo fluid in 😂

[@9krpmslowG]

Would apple vinegar work aswell???

[@karlvogt8891]

Only if you're making a hoagie.... no in all seriousness, yes, if it's all you have, However, white distilled is the way to go for 2 big reasons first is the acidity, second is cost point and myriad of other easy household uses you can often find it by the gallon for under $4 and it doubles as a great cleaner for hardwood floors. Personally I use Simple Green as it was originally designed as a machinist cutting oil and has a soaplike property the helps break the carbon down and move it away (soponification?). Along w small brass brushes.

[@cipherknife3081]

can i use WD-40 instead of rem oil?

[@cipherknife3081]

never mind i unpaused the video and you immediately said yes. thank you for the video, very helpful!

[@JRO_Lights]

I’ve heard mixed reviews but I don’t see why not 😁

[@Venomyuc]

Great explanation, just one queastion, i couldn't find rem oil in my country, so what else can i use? WD40 maybe? what kind a oil is that? like gun oil? Thanks.

[@JRO_Lights]

Any sort of lubricant or rust protector. REM Oil is primarily for gun use, but it works just as good. WD-40 I’m sure would do the trick.

[@Venomyuc]

@@JRO_Lights I tried and had zero issues. Thanks again.

[@karlvogt8891]

Ballistol is my choice over WD any day but WD is a good choice too in spite of it being based on fish oil the WD in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement. Thus it is a solide choice to remove any residual water with this method.

[@twiggleton]

does this work for 30 year old zippos?

[@JRO_Lights]

If it worked for a 50 year old Zippo I’m sure it would definitely work for a 30 year old Zippo 😁

[@mzavala09]

That’s one dirty hole.

[@JRO_Lights]

That’s a 50 year old well used dirty hole 😏😏😏

[@lusciouskollektibles8663]

So what do I use to clean my Zippos? For the casing, I use just cotton and cotton swabs and nothing more. For the insert, I use lighter fluid, cotton swabs and a toothbrush.

[@JRO_Lights]

For a basic everyday clean, lighter fluid and Cotten swabs/ soft tooth brushes are great. If you want a more in depth clean, you can use the vinegar, soapy water method.