Some maintenance steps are nice-to-have, not must-do. If you're in a rush, you can skip these without ruining your vape:

• Polishing the exterior. It won't affect how it vapes. Only bother if you care about looks.
• Using a special cleaning solution. Rubbing alcohol or warm water is enough. No need for fancy products.
• Counting puffs. Unless you're tracking for a review, you don't need to obsess over puff counts. Just replace the pod when it tastes off.

Skipping these won't hurt your device. They're extra credit, not requirements.