In theory you clean them by filling the container with very hot water and spraying it through.

I've had experience with both plastic and metal versions of these sprayers, and they all clog up and become impossible to use. And once they clog, there doesn't seem to be any way to clear the stoppage.

So, unless you want to clean it after every use (yeah, right) I would recommend against them.

The reason your spritzer is gumming up is because the oil you are using is polymerizing. Polymerized oil cannot be removed by soap or detergent. The trick is to not let the oil polymerize. The way you do that is to keep the oil in the bottle only for a short while (maximum of a few days). Keeping the oil refrigerated will slow down the polymerization (gumming) reaction.

I usually place a small amount of oil in mine when I use it. I wash with soap and water afterwards and have never had a problem. Soap/detergent will easily wash away the oil from the spray nozzle.........if you wait too long to clean it and it polymerizes....you can only remove the gum mechanically or alternately with a hazardous solvent which I will not name.

You might consider using some of the spray bottles they sell at the dollar store.....they're cheap.

Dan

OK thanks, I will be able to chuck it with a clear concious now.