Cotton getting old?

[colebtl]

Hi guys.

I bought a bag of Shiseido cotton about 2 years ago and i've been enjoying it since, one of the best cotton i'd tried so far especially for the price(it was like 3 bucks for 160 sheets when on sale here in Taiwan). But since i rewick my coils only once a week and i don't run multiple setups at the same time, i still got about 1/3 of sheets left in the bag. Then starting about two months ago those cotton started creating some plasticy smell when newly wicked, it'll be gone within like 15 puffs but the cotton just won't last as long as it should be, it used to last a whole week easily but now it only last 3 days in average and starting to get burnt taste UNLESS i wick it super loose, like flooding loose(oh and i vape RTAs only so flooding/leaking is an issue), it just feels like the cotton's characteristic changed a bit and doesn't wick that well as it used to along with that plastic smell. Does anyone had this kinda issue before?

 

[MrMeowgi]

Never heard of it before. I usually get cotton bacon and go through it in a few months. Never had a bid bag of squares but thought about it a few times. I wouldn't think it would change without some outside source as moisture or maybe excess heat but I'm not even sure if that one. Will be following this one to figure it out

 

[lordmage]

the only thing i can think of is that cotton absorbs all moisture regardless of source over time the plastic polymers have been releasing oil or what not and that is effecting the cotton's performance for are use what i do with large size batches is separate out what i need for a month then vacu seal the whole lot in a new bag that is free of dyes and bpa since heat can cause some plastics to out gas which the cotton would have to absorb

 

[Syythe]

I bought a box of rayon. A large box. At first, I would keep a little bit in a plastic bag and just refill it as needed. I left that bag open for an extended period of time once, and it absorbed something that made it taste nasty and wick a little different than normal. Now I keep the small sections that I'm using in a resealable foil pouch and it has not happened again. I would guess your cotton did something similar and absorbed something. Even oils and stuff from your hands can contaminate cotton, so it is recommended to wash and thoroughly dry your hands before touching it.

 

[Synphul]

Cotton is really sensitive. It could be that it's picked something up, maybe from the bag its in. Maybe from your hands. Even if I wash my hands, if I don't wash them really well and rinse and dry them extremely well the cotton pads will pick up a hint of dish soap fragrance. Even though I rinsed all the soap off and patted them dry. So if that happens I'll pitch the cotton and rewash my hands really well, rinse them 2-3x and try again. I bought a bag with 180 sheets and have been using it over 2yrs. I didn't keep it in the original bag, I put it in a ziploc freezer bag with the heavier wide zip seal portion. It's stayed nice and fresh. Anything foreign that touches or exposes the cotton to odors, it won't just 'vape through'. Seems to stay there until I rewick and the cotton's so cheap it's not worth powering through it. Better to just rewick and try again.