How to Clean Your Herb Grinder
We all love our herb grinders, many people use them daily. Given some time, with moderate to heavy use, you can find a buildup of gunk that is sometimes incredibly difficult to remove. In the worst cases you can find mould growing in the chambers of your herb grinder. We here at Herb Grinders Australia were tired of how difficult it was to clean our herb grinders, so we decided to find the best possible way to clean them and share our results.
Why should you clean your herb grinder
Although cleaning isn't fun, occasionally cleaning your herb grinder is a must. If left to its own devices, the leftover plant matter in the grinding chamber can hurt the efficacy of the teeth, which in reality means you can be getting less out of your herbs. After a layer of gunk has been built, not long after you will find mould. This is because the inside of a herb grinder has the perfect conditions for growing it if left uncleaned. If you have found mould or what you suspect to be mould follow the instructions below to rid your herb grinder of this fungal menace. Although let's be reasonable here, you're probably due for a brand new one from herbgrinders.com.au
Supplies you will need
- Isopropyl alcohol (enough to submerge your grinder)
- Freezer
- Container (big enough to fit your grinder in)
- Toothbrush
- Clean water
- Towel
The herb grinder cleaning process
Step 1 - Disassemble
Take apart your grinder, unscrewing all the different pieces. If you have a herb grinder that has 3 pieces or more, the last compartment at the bottom will have collected a finer build up.
Step 2 - Freeze
The next step is to freeze your herb grinder. By doing so we’re making the material in the herb grinder stiffer and less sticky and therefore easier to remove.
Place all of your separated pieces in the freezer upright for at least 30 minutes. Once your herb grinder is nice and cold you can go ahead and remove the remnants that are now easier to clean.
Step 3 - Soak
Once you have gotten all you can out from the herb grinder, fill a container large enough to fit all the grinder pieces with isopropyl alcohol. Place all the pieces in and make sure they are all submerged. Leave it for roughly half an hour, after which all the gunk in there should have softened.
Step 4 - Scrub
Coming back to your herb grinder, discard the Isopropyl alcohol and grab the toothbrush (or any other stiff brush). clean out all the gunk laying in your grinder, pay particular attention to the teeth of the herb grinder as any leftover material in your herb grinder may affect how well it will work.
Step 5 - Rinse and Dry
After your herb grinder has had a good scrub it should mostly be free from any plant residue. The next step is to wash it in hot water rinsing any isopropyl alcohol and leftover plant material. Make sure to completely and thoroughly dry out your herb grinder, allowing it to air dry completely before use. After this your herb grinder should look and feel brand new! Now is the time to start grinding again, not only should it be easier to use but your herbs after grinding will be more even and uniform
No one wants any mould or other nasties in their herbs, so taking the time to clean your herb grinder can make it not only more efficient but healthier. We recommend cleaning your herb grinders once every 6 months, but it heavily depends on your usage. If you are finding the teeth of your herb grinder are sticking together and not cutting as well as it used to, then it might be time for a clean. If you are looking for a brand new and quality made herb grinder, then take a look at our store and find your next herb grinder today.