Maintaining your Zippo: step by step
A Zippo literally lasts a lifetime, but only if you look after it properly. Three simple routines keep your lighter as good as new and save you from having to send it back to the factory.
Refilling the fluid
Open the lighter, lift the insert out of the case and turn it over. Carefully press back the felt pad and fill the cotton with Zippo Premium Lighter Fluid until it is saturated, but no more. Too much fluid leaks along the seams and causes flare-ups. Wipe off any excess fluid before closing it.
Replacing the flint
If the spark disappears, your flint is worn out. Remove the insert, unscrew the small screw on the bottom, shake out the old flint, insert a new one and tighten the screw again. A pack of 6 flints costs a few euros and lasts from a few months to a year.
Replacing the wick
If the flame becomes uneven or the wick is short and black, it is time for a new one. Pull the old wick out through the chimney with tweezers, feed a new one in from below through the cotton and trim it to the right length (just above the wind hood).
What not to do
No butane in your petrol Zippo. No lit Zippo in an inside pocket (the fluid evaporates and can stain). And do not leave it unused for weeks: the fluid slowly evaporates anyway. A top-up every two weeks keeps it in top condition.