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Snipe¤Star

So i have a real nice 3-stage grinder, and ive been using it pretty religiously since i got it a couple months ago- putting ONLY dank (high-grade) in it. It is excellent at grinding anything i put in it to shreds, and it was collecting all the kif in the very bottom compartment but over time, the screen has become clogged and now it barely catches any of the crystals. i mean barely.

I dont know how to clean it. I took the compartment with the screen in it separate from the others and tried running it under the full open faucet from both sides but it did virtually nothing. Is there some specific method i need to do to clean this, or do i just need to replace the screen (i dont think i can even take the screen out to be honest)

preemptive thanks

 

sterbo

Buy some isopropyl or denatured alcohol from any market or drug store and soak the screen in it. Add salt if you like but it'll work just fine w/o it.
You can gently agitate the screen while submersed or scrub with a toothbrush etc.
Before you do, I would hold the screen over a small container or slick surface and gently scrape it back and forth with a hard but not too sharp instrument.
A butter knife etc. will work just fine. Or just cut an old credit card to a shape that makes sense and use it. This way you'll capture the kif that is still loose enough to break free.
If you clean your screen/s a lot you can also let the alcohol that you soaked the screen in evaporate by itself leaving the residue in the bottom of the container alone. After a number of uses you can scrape the accumulated residue which is quite concentrated and smoke or vape it.
It's called a bonus for your patience...

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SpiralArchitect

Very helpful post sterbo. You hit the nail on the head! If you can get 91-99% isopropyl alcohol instead of 70%. You can find this stuff at any department store or pharmacy most likely...

I might want to add that while scrubbing your screen be very careful. A lot of times they can warp and bend if you apply too much pressure, and on cheaper models the screen may even pop out. I made the mistake of not being careful enough with my Mendo Mulcher and slightly pushed down on the screen, now it has a slight concave in it -- no serious harm though.

If you want to totally clean your grinder, just pour some of that isopropyl alcohol in the grinder, close her up and shake, shake, shake!!!

__________________
I embrace my desire to
feel the rhythm,
to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow
to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain,
to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human.

Snipe¤Star

you sir, are a god

thanks very much!

couple of follow up questions though:

first, the isopropyl wont harm/erode the screen? im pretty sure its not replaceable, so if it gets ruined im out a $50 grinder

second, how long do i soak for? a full day? an hour? i assume i will be periodically stirring/agitating it in the solution for the duration of the soak.

third, what is a good container to soak in? i will be cleaning the screen a lot- the grinder seriously does a money job, and it collects kif very efficiently when its clean- it only took a couple weeks to fill the kif dish about half capacity (which is a lot, which means 3 things- i only smoke really good, crystally shit- that i smoke too often- and that the grinder kicks ass 8)). remember that i have to put the whole compartment in to soak because the screen is not removable, so i was thinking something like a small mason jar would be perfect- something i can use every time to soak and let the residue accumulate.

oh yeah. thanks again

Snipe¤Star

I might want to add that while scrubbing your screen be very careful. A lot of times they can warp and bend if you apply too much pressure, and on cheaper models the screen may even pop out. I made the mistake of not being careful enough with my Mendo Mulcher and slightly pushed down on the screen, now it has a slight concave in it -- no serious harm though.

oh i know how delicate they are- i had a cheapo grinder i bought at a gas station, which was fine, but when my screen got clogged one of my friends thought the best way to clean it was to, and i paraphrase:

"here, take this lighter, and hold it on the underside of the screen, and you'll burn all the residue out"

he actually did this too, which not only blackened my screen in about 2 seconds but also warped it. he was confused when i got up to slap him. needless to say, i wasnt concerned about a 15 dollar grinder, but this one is particularly expensive and nice so i dont want to ruin it.

 

SpiralArchitect

Nope. I use Iso alc to clean my screen/grinder and even my glass pipes all the time. You dont have to worry about it dissolving or eroding your screen.

This needs to be determined by you. Depending on how 'stuck' the material is to your screen/grinder, more time will be needed. Agitation will help and shorten the time it takes to clean.

Hm... If you want to accumulate the residue inside of your 'cleaning container' make sure it is glass. A pyrex bowl or something to degree would work perfect. Try and get something with as flat as bottom as possible to ease the harvesting of the 'residue'.

However, when sterbo was talking about collecting the residue, I think he was referring to 'container' as the kief collecting tray/bottom compartment of your grinder. You can pour in some iso alc into the grinder (make sure no weed/kief is inside), shake it up vigorously and leave it sit. Gravity will do its part and the iso alc will fall to the bottom where it will evaporate, leaving any leftover THC residue. Removing the top of your grinder will allow it to evaporate much faster. Be sure to do this in a well ventilated area, the fumes are quite flammable and noxious.

And for your most recent post about burning the underside of the screen -- hehe, I tried it and received the same results. A slight warp and a tiny black permanent smudge on the underside of my screen. I'll make sure not to make that mistake again.

sterbo

Not at all.

Depends, but if you just drop it in and leave it alone - maybe 10, 15 min.
If you agitate and/or gently scrub, a few minutes maybe.

I like glass. As small as possible for the size screen or whatever else you might need to soak. Any slick container will do. Excellent choice.

Always a pleasure...

Snipe¤Star

if you guys are bored look up some of threads i made earlier- no one is replying

sterbo

Actually, I'm able to remove vertually all of the kif that accumulates in the bottom of the grinder (which in my case is quite slick) so I don't bother doing anything more.
I just soak, scrub and let dry.

I was more referring to the accumulated resins which clog up any screens we use, be it those from grinders, pipes, vaporizers and so on.
Soak until the resins are released by the alcohol and float to the bottom of the container.
When you leave it so that the alcohol evaporates, then what's left in the bottom of the container is, as Spiral says, THC residue (more or less).
Very nice reward...

SpiralArchitect

Hehe, you mean sink to the bottom of the container? Floating means up, right?

And yeah, the THC residue is gonna be bomb diggity. Make sure your using the highest % of Iso Alc you can get, it will be a MUCH lesser smoke if you get 91-99% (and clean better).