Having a dirty grinder can prevent you from making the most out of your vaping session. So, for frequent cannabis vapers, it’s important to keep your dosage grinder in pristine condition. It’s easy, all it takes is a bit of brushing and soaking, and you’re back to grinding your herb. And if you take extra care in cleaning your grinder screen, you can even collect kief that would’ve otherwise been wasted—it’s a win-win for everyone.
When To Clean Your Grinder
Grinders aren’t too high-maintenance. It’s recommended that you only clean them every one or two months, depending on how frequently you use them. You’ll know it’s time to clean when there’s resistance when you rotate the grinder. That means that there’s too much gunk (i.e. trichomes and resin that come from the cannabis) built up in the teeth, grooves, and screen of your grinder, making it difficult to grind your herb and collect kief.
How To Clean Your Grinder And Grinder Screen
How to clean your grinder depends on the material your grinder is made of, which is often either metal or plastic. Metal grinders should be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol, while plastic grinders should be cleaned using boiling water.
With either route, the first thing you’d want to do is to take your grinder apart. This allows you to tend to every piece. Before soaking in liquid, you’ll want to harvest any leftover plant matter that’s stuck in the nooks and crannies. These aren’t just gunk; these are precious materials that you can reuse as kief or to create cannabis oil and butter.
While it isn’t necessary, you can opt to freeze your grinder for 20 to 30 minutes to help harden the built-up cannabis; this will make it easier to tap out and collect.
You’ll also want to pay special attention to your grinder screen, which normally collects the kief that you produce while grinding herb. You can use a guitar pick, toothpick, or a soft-bristled brush to really get in between the holes of the screen. Do this over a tray or a piece of paper, anything that will make it easy for you to collect the salvaged kief.
After brushing off the excess cannabis matter, you can start soaking your grinder in liquid. If you have a metal grinder, place it into a Ziploc bag or glass jar filled with isopropyl alcohol and let it soak until the liquid becomes muddy. This doesn’t remove the gunk, but it makes it easier to remove completely later on. After soaking, give it another scrub and rise under warm soapy water. Wipe it down with a dry dish towel or paper towel and set it aside to dry completely before re-assembling. You don’t want there to be any liquid at all or else you’re leaving your grinder at risk of developing rust.
If you have a plastic grinder, drop it into a pot of boiling water. This is safer than cleaning it with chemicals since those might bring out harmful toxins from the plastic. Let your plastic grinder stay in the water for one to two minutes, then remove it with kitchen tongs and let it cool down until you can touch it. Give it a thorough scrub down to remove any remaining gunk, then dry completely before assembling.
A Clean Grinder = Better Cannabis Vaping Experience
Maintaining a clean grinder is essential to fully savoring the experience of using a dry herb vaporizer. A cluttered grinder not only hinders the effective packing of your vape's oven but also deprives you of the stronger potency and enhanced flavor and aroma of properly ground cannabis
Moreover, a clean grinder optimizes the collection of one of the finest by-products of the cannabis grinding process. A clogged grinder can also prevent you from gathering one of the best by-products of grinding cannabis: kief. So it’s essential to keep your grinder in a good condition—as you do your vaping devices—to help produce the maximum high for your cannabis vaping experience.