The Right DIY Cleaner for Your Spray Tan Gun

Use plain warm water as the default DIY spray tan gun cleaner, flushing it through the fluid path before tanning solution dries. Add dish soap or another cleaner only when the manual for your exact gun permits it.

The instructions are not universal. Fuji permits one small drop of dishwashing liquid for an extra-cleaning flush on its listed sunless applicators, while Sjolie advises against dish soap in its equipment.

Choose your equipment maker to see which cleaner its cited instructions permit.

Which Cleaners Can Go Through a Spray Tan Gun?

Cleaner	Use It in the Gun?	What to Know
Plain warm water	Common starting method	Several spray-tan equipment makers specify it for routine flushing
Warm water plus dish soap	Only if the manual allows it	Use the stated amount, then flush with plain water
Manufacturer-approved gun cleaner	As directed	Follow its dilution, soaking and parts-compatibility instructions
Vinegar or household solvents	Not as a general recipe	The maker may not consider them compatible with the gun’s seals and finishes
Windex or another glass cleaner	Not internally unless approved	Exterior permission does not establish fluid-path compatibility
Surface disinfectant or bleach	Only if approved for internal use	A hard-surface product is not automatically a gun cleaner

The Fuji Spray Sunless manual says to rinse the cup, fill it with clean warm water and spray the water through the applicator. For extra cleaning, it permits a small drop of dishwashing liquid in the first flush, followed by a clean-water flush. It says not to use solvent or abrasive material and not to soak the complete applicator.

That soap advice is model-specific, not a universal DIY formula. Sjolie’s instructions call for warm tap water during daily cleaning but advise against dish soap, vinegar and household solvents. Sjolie specifies its formulated cleaner for periodic flushing and deep cleaning.

How to Flush a Spray Tan Gun With Warm Water

Use this as a starting routine, replacing any step that conflicts with your gun’s manual:

1. Switch off the turbine and remove the cup. Handle leftover solution according to its storage directions. Do not pour used solution back into the original bottle unless the product maker permits it.
2. Rinse the solution cup with warm water. Wipe the cup threads and lid seal with a soft, lint-free cloth.
3. Partly fill the cup with warm water. Reattach it and connect the gun as directed by the manual.
4. Spray into the designated waste area until the output is clear. This may be a sink, bucket, spray-out container or towel, depending on the instructions. Fuji says to repeat the water flush if necessary in its applicator-cleaning guide.
5. Dry and store the equipment as directed. Norvell’s daily procedure ends by spraying until the gun emits no moisture, then placing the gun and inverted cup on clean towels for storage (Norvell maintenance instructions). Sjolie instead tells users to air-dry the cup upside down and hang the gun.

Keep water away from the turbine and electrical components. Instructions for air and pressure passages vary. Sjolie warns users not to put water into its gun’s air-feed tube, whereas Fuji tells owners to clean tanning solution from the pressure tube with warm water or replace the tube. Follow the diagram and terminology for your exact model rather than assuming every tube is cleaned the same way.

Do not submerge the complete gun unless its manufacturer specifically instructs you to. The MineTan Handy.Tan manual, for example, calls for warm water in the cup to be sprayed through the fluid path and says not to submerge the applicator.

That MineTan manual permits general glass cleaner on a smooth cloth for the exterior finish. It does not direct users to spray glass cleaner through the gun. An exterior-cleaning instruction is not permission to use the same product on the needle, nozzle, cup or internal passages.

What to Do When Warm Water Does Not Clear the Buildup

Do not make the mixture progressively stronger with unapproved household chemicals. Check the model manual for an approved cleaner and its dilution, then disassemble only the user-removable parts shown in the manual or parts diagram.

Soak only components identified as soakable and only for the stated time. Use the supplied brush or another soft brush of the correct size. Rinse and dry the parts as directed before reassembly, and lubricate only specified points with a product approved for that gun.

The distinction between removable parts and the whole applicator matters. Fuji permits the air cap, fluid nozzle, needle, air diffuser and air divider on its covered models to soak in warm soapy water, but says never to soak the complete applicator.

If the gun still sputters or produces an uneven pattern after cleaning, inspect the components named in its troubleshooting guide before trying a harsher cleaner. Sjolie points to damaged cup threads or moisture in the air-feed tube as possible causes of sputtering.

Fuji’s manual identifies possible issues including a dirty or damaged nozzle, a damaged needle, blocked air-cap holes, cup-gasket and pressure-tube problems, and incorrect reassembly. Those faults will not necessarily be corrected by adding a stronger cleaner.

Gun Cleaner and Surface Disinfectant Have Different Jobs

Cleaning tanning-solution residue from a gun and disinfecting work surfaces are separate tasks. Do not run a hard-surface disinfectant through the fluid path unless the applicator manufacturer explicitly permits it.

Sjolie, for example, says its multi-surface disinfectant is for tents, tables and chairs—not for spraying through an applicator. The same limitation applies to bleach or other surface products unless the equipment instructions specifically approve internal use.

The practical DIY rule is narrow: flush promptly with warm water. Add soap only when the manual for the exact gun permits it, and use a purpose-made cleaner when the manufacturer calls for one. Vinegar, household solvents and glass cleaner are not universal substitutes because compatibility depends on the applicator’s materials and the manufacturer’s instructions.