Editor's note: This article has been reviewed and updated for accuracy in 2026. A grinder is one of the handiest tools in a pot smoker’s toolbox. It’s probably one of the most frequently used tools, too. It lets you grind down your bud into super-fine shake that you can use to roll a perfect joint or a tasty bowl that will burn evenly, improving your enjoyment – and your high. If you’ve ever opened up your grinder before, there’s no doubt that you’ve seen the beautiful, super-sticky goodness – the kief – that gets trapped in between the blades. There’s no doubt that you’ve wondered if there were way that you could access that delightful kief so that you can add it to your next water bong or bowl pack, or sprinkle it on top of your next joint. Of course, you also need to clean out your grinder so that you can continue using it because after a while, when that sticky stuff gets stuck in between the blades, using your grinder can get pretty tough; not to mention unsanitary. So, how do you go about cleaning a grinder? Sure, you could just toss it into the sink and run some soapy watery over it, but then that delightfully potent kief will just get