Homeowner bewildered by strange object found on garage floor: 'The smell threw me off'

One confused Redditor was desperate for answers after finding an unknown object in their garage. "Found [on] garage floor. Dense, contoured pad with a stainless steel tube insert. The padding smells very sweet," they wrote on the r/whatisthisthing subreddit.

The Redditor included two pictures of the padding, which appeared to be made of cotton or foam. There was even a black stain on the material.   

Despite doing a small search of their own, the Redditor was unable to get any closer to finding the truth. "I've done a reverse image search and still come up short," they noted in the comments. "It's definitely some type of friction or vibration pad (re: streaking on sides) but the smell threw me off." 

Fortunately for the homeowner, one user in the comments section appeared to know exactly what they were looking at. 

"It's from a Geek Bar Pulse vape," they answered. The user even included a link to a website that broke down the individual components of the vape. 

The part found by the original poster was the cotton wick, which quickly absorbs the vape juice and transports it to the coil. As the coil heats up, it transforms the e-liquid into the vapor that users can then inhale. 

Other commenters were quick to point out the potential danger of handling the cotton wick without any gloves. 

"Careful with those. Nicotine absorbs through the skin, hence why patches are a thing, and you can get a ton of nicotine through vape oil if you're careless," a second user noted.

Vape pen pollution can pose significant environmental and health risks. These devices often contain lithium-ion batteries and plastic components, which can contribute to e-waste, chemical leaks, and even potential fire hazards. Discarded vape pens can also leach heavy metals and nicotine into the soil and water, impacting ecosystems and potentially harming wildlife.

When exposed to vape oil, a person can even come down with nicotine sickness, also known as "nic-sick." When the body consumes high doses of nicotine, a significant reaction may occur. Symptoms can range from mild nausea and vomiting to more severe issues such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and even seizures.

Another commenter explained that they were once exposed to nicotine after their vape developed a leak. "Got it all over my thigh and my hand when I took it out of my pocket and thought nothing of it til almost throwing up in the bathroom an hour or two later," they recalled.

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