Looking to clean lamp

[Jason Wesley]

Hi everyone, this is my first post to OozingGoo. I've heard so much about this site , and have lurked on it from time to time just to look into lava lamps.

I have three lava lamps right now, and I just bought numbers 2 and 3. I'm not as big of a collector as I know a few of you are, but I still like watching them, their soft glow really calms me.

So, here's what's up. I bought the second and third lamps as my first lamp, which I've had for probably 8-10 years, is doing what a lot of people's lamps have done in the past - it's creeping up the side. However, I've discovered that it doesn't even make it halfway - as it stands it's very stagnant on the side of the lamp. It doesn't even have any lava climbing to the top. I have to admit that I shook it a long time ago, and as it stands I gave it a long time (probably a few years) of cycling the lamp to get it back to where it is now.

What I'd like to do is take the water and wax out, clean the lamp down with a bottle brush (I can be very meticulous, and I know that's important here) and then refill it with the materials again. However, I have no idea where to acquire the chemicals I've heard mentioned in the past, so I'm hoping that if I do this correctly, I won't need to adjust the chemical levels in the water.

I've attached a couple of pictures to see if someone can suggest something. Soap and water and a very good rinse for the bottle? Should I put both the wax and water in a container/measuring cup so that the wax's chemicals don't dissipate? How would you recommend getting the wax out, and back in, anyhow? Simply warming the bottle/measuring cup in a pot of water on the stove?

Thanks for your help!

[Galaxy_9]

Yes, soap and water has worked for me in the past in cleaning out the sides. There is have been posting on here before in how to do it. If you can't find it, just ask again and maybe I will re-post it ;) If a "how to" has been posted already, we ask for those to try to look for it first before anyone responds with the meticulous directions.

But first, keep in mind the bottle caps on these, I have quite a few of these Rockets (they were made first by Lipian in China late 90's...Love them! Now they sell as Hot Rocks from Target and Wal-Mart) ANYWAY, but the bottle caps on these...once the metal comes off, they don't go back on, and usually have a rubber stopper under the thin molded metal. So in re-sealing these, you would have to find a way to maybe silicone it back, and maybe run wire OVER the rubber stopper and tighten it under the lip, much like some wine is bottled with the wire holding the cork in. (there isn't much of a lip though). So keep that in mind, and make sure you have a plan that you feel will work before breaking that seal.

I don't know anyone else have tips on resealing these Rocket lamps?

[Jason Wesley]

Well, I'm having difficulty finding a bottle brush (!) but I've looked over the cap on this bottle - it's a tough yet malleable cap, covering over a rubber stopper (like you suggested) so I think I'll be able to reseal it somehow. I'll let you know how it goes once I find myself a brush! :P