How to clean a herb grinder

By the idoobi team · Updated October 2026 · All guides

What you need

• Isopropyl alcohol, 70% or stronger (for metal grinders)
• A small stiff brush, or an old toothbrush
• A toothpick
• A bowl or a zip bag
• Warm water and a towel

Cleaning a metal grinder, step by step

1. Take it apart. Separate every piece and tap out any loose herbs.
2. Freeze it. Thirty minutes in the freezer makes sticky residue brittle, so it comes off more easily.
3. Brush it out. Work the brush over the teeth and use the toothpick in the threads and around the rim.
4. Soak it. Cover the metal parts in isopropyl alcohol and leave them for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Rinse and scrub. Rinse with warm water and scrub off whatever is left.
6. Dry completely. Let every part air dry before you put it back together. A damp grinder clogs faster than a dirty one.

Allow 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish, most of it waiting.

Plastic and acrylic grinders

Do not soak plastic or acrylic in alcohol. It can cloud the surface and cause cracks. Use warm water with a little dish soap, a brush, and a longer soak. Never boil a plastic grinder, and keep it out of the dishwasher.

How often should you clean it?

Clean it when the lid starts to feel harder to turn, and do not wait until it jams. For someone who grinds daily, that usually means every few weeks. If you leave it too long you end up with a grinder that will not open.

Common mistakes

• Putting it back together while it is still wet.
• Using alcohol on acrylic.
• Scraping metal teeth with a knife, which roughens them and makes residue stick more.
• Waiting until it is completely stuck.

Or choose a grinder you do not have to clean

Cleaning is needed because teeth and blades give residue somewhere to pack in. A grinder without them does not have that problem. Our guide to chain, blade and teeth grinders explains why. (The idoobi is bladeless and uses a stainless steel ball chain, so there is nothing to clog and nothing to clean.)