How to Clean a Weed Grinder: Step By Step Guide

I don’t consider myself to be a clean freak but I like my things to be neat and non-sticky. You don’t have to be OCD if you prefer clean and hygienic products. So if you are like me, then you would agree that all smoking accessories should be squeaky neat. Whether they are bongs, vaporizers, or pipes, all the accessories should be clean enough for you to put them anywhere near your mouth.  

Talking about herb grinders specifically, it is quite difficult to clean them. There are so many small components that make it troublesome to clean. So, we present you with a guide on how to clean the grinder. Here we will answer all your questions such as how to clean a grinder? The best way to clean your grinder and even a basic query like how to use a herb grinder?

Let’s get down!

How to Use a herb Grinder?

Before talking about specific questions like how to clean a plastic grinder, let's first talk about what they exactly are. herb grinder has become one of the most used smoking accessories now. There used to be a time when they were considered useless. But today, no one likes to get their hands sticky by taking the weed apart, that too with their bare hands.  

A flower or herb grinder/crumbler is a tool that is used in shredding flower. The shredding is perfectly even and you don’t ever have to worry about stubborn buds that don’t budge. So, let's look at the step-by-step guide on how to use a herb grinder.

| Also Read: List of Top 10 Best Herb Grinder in the UK |

• First of all, get your four-part weed grinder out. Put the cannabis nugs in the grinder’s teeth. It is located in between the lid and the grinder section. Don’t put stems or seeds and don’t put them in the centre. 

• Crank your herb grinder about 8-10 times. Then you’ll notice that the shredded weed is falling through the grinder hole in the storage chamber. You don’t need to worry if it's not as smooth in the first go. 
• Finally, you can unscrew the grinder section from the storage. Collect the weed and pack your joint or bowl. 

Enjoy! 

Why Should You Clean Weed Grinder?

Aside from wondering about how to clean the grinder, let's quickly talk about the obvious reasons why you should do so. 

• The first no-brainer reason would be hygiene. You don’t want to spread germs and viruses. If you don’t clean them, a dirty flower grinder can make you sick.
  
• If you really like to smoke flower, then you would love to know that shredded herbs is even more delightful. Its potency gets increased and it will taste even better than before.
• A dirty and unclean weed grinder would be difficult to use. If there’s weed stuck inside its teeth then you will find it difficult to rotate. So clean if you want to crank.
• Lastly, you would notice that the life of a grinder would be shorter if you don’t keep them neat. Cleaning can extend the grinder’s life.

  | Also Read: The 22 Best Weed Grinders to Shred Your Herbs Perfectly |

How to Clean a Grinder?

Now let's talk about the most important question, how to clean a grinder. There are many ways of doing so but today we will talk about two ways: one by freezing and the other via hot water/isopropyl alcohol. We will discuss both of these methods in detail.

Best Way to Clean Your Grinder 

As mentioned before there are two methods to go about cleaning the herb grinder. We will talk about the things that you would require to do so and would give step-by-step instructions.

Method 1: Freezing Herb Grinder

One of the easiest methods of cleaning the weed grinder is by freezing it. Yeah, you heard it right. Freeze your **it! 

Below are things that you should gather before initiating the process.

Things You Would Need

- Freezer or Refrigerator

- Towel or Paper Plate

- Soft Paintbrush or Toothbrush 

- Dish Soap (plastic grinder)

- Isopropyl alcohol (metallic grinder)

Step 1

Your first step would be to unlock and unscrew all the parts of the stuck grinder. You would have to freeze it for about 20-30 minutes. The freezer will end up freezing the gooey and sticky keif into hard form. You can easily remove the brittle substance from the grinder. 

Step 2

Now after freezing it for a required period of time, remove the grinder from the fridge/freezer. Place it over a paper plate or on a towel placed on a hard surface. Bang the grinder on either of them. You will notice the stuck keif substance falling over it.

Step 3

After following the above banging process, take a soft paintbrush or toothbrush. Remove the remaining stuck particles from the grinder via these brushes. Make sure you’re sweeping over every groove and teeth of the herb grinder.

Step 4

Lastly, you can also dip the prescriber grinder (metallic/non-metallic) in the prescribed cleanser (dish soap/isopropyl) for deep cleaning. 

Method 2: Hot Water/ Isopropyl Alcohol

The other commonly used method of cleaning a grinder would be hot water. Follow the given instructions and the things that you would require in this process. 

Things You Would Need

- Hot Water

- Ziplock Bag/ Plastic bag

- Paper Towel

- Hand Towel

- Cotton Swabs

- Toothbrush or Paintbrush

- Dish Soap (plastic grinder)

-Isopropyl alcohol (metallic grinder)

Step 1:

Your first step would be to empty the weed grinder of any buds and keif. Separate all the parts of the grinder. Be it a 3 or 4 part grinder, open all the containers and place them in a ziplock bag. 

Step 2:

This step is important and you have to be careful. If you’re a proud owner of a metallic herb grinder, pour isopropyl alcohol in the ziplock. The amount of the isopropyl alcohol should be enough to cover all the parts of the grinder. Wait for about 20 minutes and you will notice that the water is turning dirty and muddy.

If you have a plastic weed grinder, then pour hot water and dish soap into the ziplock. Let it soak for about 20 minutes till the water turns dirty.

Step 3:

Extract all the pieces from the bag and rinse them under warm water. Carefully scrub all the residue with the help of a brush. Do this step until you have a clean grinder. Use a cotton swab to clean all the nooks and crannies.  

Step 4:

Dry each piece with a towel and let it dry for an hour or so. 

Step 5:

Put together all the pieces of the grinder when it's dry. 

Enjoy! 

| Also Read: The Top 10 Best Herb Grinders In 2022 |

Now you have all the information regarding cleaning the weed grinder. Both of the above-mentioned ways are super-easy to follow and you don’t have to carry a filthy grinder from now on. Explore our extensive collection of weed and herb grinders.

Until then, keep toking with Olivastu!