Cannabis utensils are just like every piece of equipment that you use on a regular basis.
This means they require regular maintenance in order to operate smoothly and serve you for a long time.
Similar to how you clean your oven, you should give proper care to your bongs, pipes, and grinders.
Speaking of the devil…
A high-quality grinder that receives consistent maintenance can last you for years, keeping the same quality grind and smoothness as if you were using it for the first time.
Don’t let your laziness be a deterrent to maintaining your cannabis equipment. There are many reasons to keep your grinder clean, and the whole routine is actually easy — there are only 5 simple steps you should follow.
But first, let’s answer one simple question.
Why Cleaning Your Grinder Is Important
Still wondering why you should give your grinder a regular bath? Read on to find out.
1. Keeps Bacteria Away
Those resinous nugs that we all love to consume were once living plants. And even after getting dried and cured, they will eventually start to break down.
This means bacteria will begin to grow on any leftover weed in your grinder — making you feel sick when you inhale it along with the kief.
Want to stay healthy longer? Clean your grinder.
2. Ensures a Smooth Grind
Cleaning a grinder from time to time ensures that it will work smoothly when you need to prepare the herbs for the sesh.
Cannabis buds produce lots of resin on its surface. As you may guess, that resin is very sticky and can sit on your grinder’s teeth forever if you don’t clean it. This, in turn, may result in gumming up the works and make your grinder both harder to work with and less efficient.
Want less effort and more finely-ground weed? Clean your grinder!
3. Helps Keep Your Grinder in Good Shape
It goes without saying that your grinder will start to lose efficacy and smoothness over time. Sometimes, the teeth on your grinder might get dull — but this doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.
You can delay the inevitable by cleaning the piece regularly. This will keep its teeth sharp and the rotatory mechanism easy-to-use.
Want your grinder to stay with you for years?
Guess what...
Signs That You Need to Clean Your Grinder
There are two telltale signs that you need to give your grinder a wash.
The first one — the grinder’s teeth feel as if they lost their sharpness.
The second — the twisting mechanism starts to jam.
If you want to avoid the above, you should clean your grinder every 30 to 60 days, depending on how often you’re grinding and how resinous your buds are.
How to Clean A Grinder in 5 Easy Steps
It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to clean a grinder. The process is very simple; all you need is a few tools, some patience, and two hands.
See? We’ve told you it’s simple.
Here’s what you want to gather to make the job easier:
- Dish soap (for acrylic and plastic grinders)
- Isopropyl alcohol (for metal grinders)
- Freezer
- Hot water
- Large plate
- Toothbrush
- Metal pick
- Container to hold the kief
Let’s get dirty.
1. Disassemble Your Device
Detach every single element from your grinder. If you use a four-piece, three-chamber grinder, you’ll probably have a grinding chamber, storing chamber, and kief chamber.
Some grinders come with removable screens between the storing chamber and the kief collector. Stay cautious when removing this screen because it’s very fragile.
2. Place It in the Freezer
While this step isn’t obligatory, it does make the whole job a lot easier.
Place your disassembled grinder in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will help the sticky plant matter solidify, so it won’t cling to the surface of your piece.
This step is especially useful for separating every last bit of your weed from the screen between the two aforementioned chambers.
If you have a plastic grinder, handle it with care as you take it out of the freezer because this material becomes brittle at low temperatures.
3. Discard the Leftovers
Hold each part of your grinder over a plate and tap them gently against the surface of the plate. You can also use a cutting board — honestly, you just need a surface where you can collect the remaining ground bud.
Once you’re done, brush all the surfaces of the grinder with a toothbrush. Just make sure it’s the simplest, manual toothbrush.
If there are stubborn leftovers somewhere on the surface, scrape the area with a metal pick.
4. Soak the Grinder in Alcohol or Water
At this point, your next step will depend on the material of your grinder.
For plastic grinders, boil some water on the stove and drop the piece into the pot. Reduce the heat to low and then leave the grinder in the water for one minute.
Remove the grinder pieces from the pot using cooking tongs, and transfer them to a towel to cool. Make sure to give the pieces some time to reach room temperature before using it again.
For metal grinders, place the pieces in a Ziploc bag and fill it with isopropyl alcohol. This will obliterate any bacteria that may be sticking to the trouble spots in your grinder. Let everything soak thoroughly until the liquid turns to a light brown color and the last particles start to come off loose.
5. Reassemble the Grinder And See How It Works Now
Are the pieces of your grinder already cool?
Great.
It’s time to reassemble the piece and put your favorite strain between its teeth.
Do you feel how easy it turns? Isn’t that beautiful?
With proper maintenance over your grinder, not only will you save time on breaking up the buds, but you’ll also save money in the long run because you won’t need to buy a new piece every few months.
How often do you clean your grinder?
