Airbrush cleaning and maintenance for cocoa butter

[jauhe]

I've found plenty of information online about cleaning and maintaining airbrushes for use with paint or for cake decoration. But I can't find much when it's used with colored cocoa butter. Iwata's website has a page on cleaning where they talk about 4 things:

 

1. Switching colors in the same painting session
2. End of spray session cleaning
3. Deep clean if things get clogged up
4. Lubrication

 

Would someone be willing to take a stab at explaining how you handle each of those when the airbrush is used with cocoa butter? Do people clean with water or 70% alcohol or one of those edible cleaning solutions I've seen for sale? Do you use the lubricant that comes with the airbrushes (which says non-toxic at least!)?

[Kerry Beal]

I very rarely clean mine - more than anything I will blow hot air through it when there are clogs and at the end of use. 

 

I store it in a warm cabinet before use so any cocoa butter left in it melts. 

 

To switch colors I just dump out any left in it - and spray up against a piece of paper until it is empty - might blow some hot air through. Then add the next colour and spray the paper until the colour comes through. 

 

If there were to be a big clog I might pour boiling water through and spray into the sink. 

[Jim D.]

34 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I very rarely clean mine - more than anything I will blow hot air through it when there are clogs and at the end of use. 

 

I store it in a warm cabinet before use so any cocoa butter left in it melts. 

 

To switch colors I just dump out any left in it - and spray up against a piece of paper until it is empty - might blow some hot air through. Then add the next colour and spray the paper until the colour comes through. 

 

If there were to be a big clog I might pour boiling water through and spray into the sink. 

 

I do exactly the same.

[pastrygirl]

+2

 

I used to worry about cleaning it, now I don't.

[Rajala]

No cleaning here either. But I did read a book by Stéphane Leroux, who gave the tip to have multiple airbrushes for different colors to avoid spending time on "cleaning" with clear cocoa butter or any other means. So I have four different ones based on his suggestion:

 

1 for white

1 for black and blue

1 for green and yellow

1 for red, purple, and orange

 

 

[Saltychoc]

I never use clear cocoa butter to clean it. I just spray out as much as I can and then switch to the next color. If there are bonbons with off colors I just use those for events. Sometimes they look more interesting than the intended design. I do have a separate cup for only white.