Help! Did I ruin my coachlite lava?

[ash-hole!]

To start off, sorry for my ignorance. I'm new at this stuff.

So I received my Coachlite a few weeks ago. When I got it the lava needed some help. It didn't do much more than make the "ice sickle" effect. (I'm sure you guys have another name for that.) So I decided to revitalize the lava the old school way with Epson salt and dawn soap. It worked great. But once I had changed the liquid I was able to see how much scum build up was on the inside of the globe. So I decided to do it again a few days later... Trying to clean the inside of the globe in the process. I repeated what I did before with the Epson salt and dawn and it worked but after a few cycles it wasn't working so well anymore. Like it needed more Epson salt? Well after a repeated process and long story short... Now the lava is suddenly sticking to the side of the globe. Its climbing the side and just sticking to it in really thin layers. It's such a pain in the butt and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm completely heart broken. I'm sure you know that when you fix a lamp you get a huge feeling of accomplishment. So I just cleaned it the best I could with a cramped hand again and it's warming up but I'm feeling pretty hopeless at this point. So is it ruined?

Oh and another thing. The globe also has a ton of tiny bubbles on the sides on the globe. You know like I filled it with Sprite or something, what's up with you that?

I appreciate all the help and shared knowledge I can get and look forward to hearing what you think!

Hope you all are having a good day!

[Claude J]

Start over\

Drain and dump the fluid\

Heat the globe in boiling water bath or on the stand until lava is melted

Save the lava in a pyrex measuring cup

Wash the globe with a bottle brush and dawn with hot or boiling water

Rinse thoroughly

add a few drops of Clear hand soap (NOT DAWN) and just a bit of distilled water (1/2IN) and shake to COAT THE GLASS

Something like this works well

Next, heat your lava in a water bath of boiling water
SHAKE GLOBE AGAIN to coat the sides

do not forget to put the spring back in

Carefully add the molten lava to the lamp

put it on the base and let it heat more until all bubbles in lava are gone

turn off power and let cool thoroughly 

add distilled water solution of clear hand soap (@1/4 teaspoon ) mixed in well to almost full 

turn on and let it heat up well 2/3 hrs until lava is molten

if necessary, ....

slowly and carefully add a solution of mixed epson salts until the desired floatation is achieved 

 enjoy

[ash-hole!]

Wow! Thank you so much, Claude! I really appreciate it.

I just tried to clean the globe again for the last two hours.

Now when you say to heat the lava in a bath of boiling water, do I just leave the lava in the Pyrex glass and sit the glass in the boiling water or do I actually put the lava in the boiling water?

I know probably a silly question.

I'll let you know how it all works and I do really appreciate you taking the time to educate me.

[Claude J]

Yes,..  just sit the pyrex measuring cup in the water bath to melt the lava

Some people use a microwave but that is not my preference, it creates bubbles and can ruin the wax.

You're welcome

Glad to help

ash-hole! said:

Wow! Thank you so much, Claude! I really appreciate it.

I just tried to clean the globe again for the last two hours.

Now when you say to heat the lava in a bath of boiling water, do I just leave the lava in the Pyrex glass and sit the glass in the boiling water or do I actually put the lava in the boiling water?

I know probably a silly question.

I'll let you know how it all works and I do really appreciate you taking the time to educate me.

[ash-hole!]

Thank you!

[ash-hole!]

Claude, So I got the lamp heated up and it looks exactly the way it did before. (I had already added all the other stuff before we talked earlier today)

So I'm making a trip to the store in the morning to pick up the items to follow your instructions... 

Do you still think that your instructions will fix this problem based on the picture?

The lava just looks like it's filled with bubbles...

[ash-hole!]

The lava just climbs up the side of the globe and sticks to the side and when I turn it off it just leaves a ton of lava residue.

I was looking through the discussion boards on how to clean the globe and I saw someone had cleaned theirs with a dobie. So I did so, I think that is the culprit of this mess.

[Claude J]

could bn=e'Use a babay bottle brush with boiling hot water and dawn

rinse it all the way til clean

[ash-hole!]

Well I have scrubbed all that off about 5 times now and start completely over. I just have yet to make the leap to remove the lava.

The lava just looks so bubbly and different than it did before I decided to try to clean the globe. I wish I would have left it alone.

But I appreciate your help and I'll make a trip to the store in the morning. I'll let you know how it goes.

Is it possible to have somehow messed up the lava with just Epson salt and the dawn, I had been putting in it before?

[Claude J]

You clean the globe AFTER you remove the lava. NOT while the lava is in there

[Keith]

Soap is an emulsifyer, that is it lets water and oils (and wax, which is what the "lava" is) combine.  Dawn has powerful emulsifyers which is why it breaks down the oils from food and cleans dishes so well.  The soap that Claude recommended is much gentler.  It may seem odd, but a gentle soap without a lot of stray chemicals has it's uses in refurbishing a lava lamp.

So, your lava is effected by the dawn but should recover when separated.  Make sure the globe is cooled and the lava solid.  Empty all of the fluid from the globe.  Then melt the lava (you can do this on the lamp base) and when fully melted pour it into the pyrex measuring cup as suggested.  At that point the globe is ready for cleaning.  If you have a siginificant sticking wax problem you will not solve it by cleaning the globe with the wax in it.

I hope this helps.  This is a solvable problem and YOU can do it, even if you have to repeat the steps.

Best of luck!!

[ash-hole!]

Thanks Keith!

I was really disappointed when I thought I ruined it. I'm excited to get things working again! Fingers crossed!

I have been tossing out lamps for years. I wish I would have came across you guys a lot earlier. 

Thanks again! Hope you have a good night! 

You too Claude!

[ash-hole!]

So I just removed the lava and it had the consistency of water, is the right?

Wish me luck!

ash-hole! said:

Thanks Keith!

I was really disappointed when I thought I ruined it. I'm excited to get things working again! Fingers crossed!

I have been tossing out lamps for years. I wish I would have came across you guys a lot earlier. 

Thanks again! Hope you have a good night! 

You too Claude!