How to Clean and Maintain an Herb Grinder

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: December 14, 2022 References

Are the blades inside your herb grinder not cutting as well as they used to? It’s pretty easy to clean and maintain your grinder so it works properly without the need to sharpen it. Even though you could try sharpening your grinder, it’s time-consuming and could leave residue in your weed that’s unsafe to consume. Keep reading to find out why your grinder isn’t working, why sharpening isn’t the most effective option, and how you can clean a grinder so it cuts through herbs again.

Things You Should Know

You can try sharpening a grinder with sandpaper or a metal file, but it could leave metal or plastic shavings in your weed that are unsafe to breathe in.
Clean an herb grinder with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush to get rid of residue stuck on the blades, because this will help the grinder work more effectively.
Replacing an old grinder is easier than sharpening the blades if cleaning them doesn’t work.

Section 1 of 3:

Why doesn’t my grinder work well anymore?

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Dirty grinder blades Marijuana is pretty sticky when you grind it, and residue can build up on the teeth inside your grinder. As you use your grinder more, the blades may start to stick and they won’t cut as easily. Giving your grinder a deep clean can help break apart all the residue so it works properly again.^{[1]
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Dull or broken grinder blades Over time, the blades in your herb grinder will lose their sharp edges or get misaligned so they won’t be as effective at cutting apart weed. Plastic blades could even snap or break inside your grinder, leaving behind bits of plastic that aren’t safe to consume.
- If blades break inside your grinder, it’ll leave larger pieces of unground weed.

Section 2 of 3:

Is there a way to sharpen an herb grinder?

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You can try sandpaper or a file, but they create metal and plastic shavings. Some people have successfully sharpened the blades by rubbing them with a metal file or fine sandpaper, but it can be risky. Since you’re shaving off some of the blade’s material when you sharpen it, the metal or plastic shavings can come loose and get into your weed, making it unsafe to consume.
- Sharpening the blades also increases the distance between them, so they may not grind your weed to a consistent size.
2
Cleaning or replacing your grinder is safer and easier than sharpening it. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned out your grinder, then removing all the gunk and residue will make a noticeable difference. If your herb grinder still doesn’t cut through your weed, then it’s probably time to get a new grinder.
- Get a metal herb grinder if you can since they’re more durable and last longer than a plastic grinder.
- Clean your grinder once a week if you use it every day or once a month if you only use it every few days.^{[2]
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Section 3 of 3:

Cleaning an Herb Grinder

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Empty and disassemble your grinder. Work over a large plate or paper towel to help catch any loose herb that you could still use or smoke. Open your grinder and pour any loose weed or residue into a bag or container. Unscrew all of the pieces of your grinder and lay them out on a paper towel in front of you.^{[3]
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- Plastic grinders usually have 2 pieces that both have blades.
- Some grinders have additional pieces, like a mesh screen and a bottom tray.
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Put your grinder in the freezer for 30–60 minutes. Put the pieces of your grinder in a plastic bag and set it inside of your freezer. The cold temperatures help harden sticky residue on the surface so it’s easier to clean off and collect.^{[4]
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- You don’t have to freeze your grinder, but it would be helpful if you're grinding weed. Freezing lets you collect more kief, which is potent residue that falls off of weed as you grind it. You can smoke or use the kief that you clean out of your grinder.
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Scrape loose gunk out of the grinder with a cotton swab. Keep working over a paper towel to make cleanup faster. Run a cotton swab between the blades of your grinder to knock out any loose residue that’s still inside. Then, focus on any threading where the pieces screw together since residue can build up there too.^{[5]
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- Be gentle with the cotton swab so it doesn’t get caught or stuck in the blades. You don’t need to scrub all the residue off yet since you’ll do a deeper clean later on.
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Soak a metal grinder in isopropyl alcohol for 30 minutes. Put the pieces of your grinder in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag. Add 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol into the container until the pieces of your grinder are completely submerged. Leave your grinder in the alcohol for at least 30 minutes to loosen up the residue on the blades.^{[6]
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- If you use a bag, place your grinder inside carefully so the blades don’t slice through it.
- Isopropyl alcohol is the best way to clean residue off of a metal grinder, like a SharpStone.
- If you’re cleaning a plastic or acrylic grinder, put the pieces in gently boiling water for 1 minute instead of using isopropyl alcohol.^{[7]
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Scrub residue out with a toothbrush. Take the pieces of your grinder out of the alcohol and shake off any excess liquid. While the alcohol probably removed most of the gunk on your grinder, gently scrub it with your toothbrush to clean off any areas that are still dirty.^{[8]
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- Be extra careful if you’re scrubbing a mesh screen so you don’t accidentally poke a hole through it.
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Rinse and dry your grinder. Give your grinder one last rinse under warm water to remove any loose gunk or residual alcohol.^{[9]
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Research source} Then, pat the pieces of your grinder dry with paper towels. If the grinder is still a little wet, leave it out to air-dry before you reassemble it.^{[10]
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- Avoid assembling a metal grinder while it’s still wet since it could cause rust to form.