If you want to extend the life of your equipment and use it for many years to come, it’s important to learn how to clean and maintain it. Trimming machine care is essential to the health and performance of your equipment, as well as the type of product you produce. Instead of just spraying it down with a power washer after using it all day, there is much more you can do to get the life out of the machine than you should. Keep reading this article for the top 7 tips on how to clean a trim bag like a pro!
The 7 Best Ways to Clean a Trim Bag Like a Professional
Investing in harvesting equipment can be a huge benefit to you and your business, but only if you can properly use, clean, and maintain it for years to come. So, how do you do that? Here are 7 tips that will help you clean your trim bag like a pro:
- Rid the bag of any leftover buds/flowers
- Vacuum off the dust from the leftovers
- Obtain rubbing alcohol, a spray bottle, and paper towels
- Use the alcohol to spray down the bag and use the paper towels to wipe it down
- Check the zipper to see if it runs smoothly
- Take evaporated hemp oil and run it along the zipper line
- Do a final rub down and let it dry
Each of these steps will ensure a professional cleaning, leaving your trim bag ready to go the next time you use it. Let’s learn a little bit more about how this works.
What Is A Trim Bag?
The trim bag is a game-changer for the cannabis community. It is portable, durable, affordable, and allows you to trim as much dry product as a full machine. Dry trimming is one of the least fun parts of the harvesting experience, but with a trim bag, this is much less daunting. It holds the natural contours of the flower unlike many other machines and allows you to produce a quality product at a much lower cost. Now that you know more about what a trim bag is, let’s talk about how you can clean it to expand the lifespan and get the most out of the product.
Rid the Bag of Leftover Buds/Flowers
Dry cannabis is dusty and little pieces can get left behind inside the bag. Before starting the cleaning process, it’s important to get rid of all these leftover bits. The best way to do this is to turn over the bag, shake it out, and maybe even turn it inside out to ensure everything has been dumped out. Use your hands to get into the nooks and crannies and once you’re sure that all the leftovers are gone, it’s time to get cleaning.
Vacuum the Dust From the Bag
While you may have gotten rid of all the bigger pieces left behind, there is likely still some dust lingering, both inside and outside of the bag. If you have a little handheld vacuum or a vacuum with a small mouth, go ahead and run it inside the bag before running it along the outside. This helps to eliminate as much of the dust as possible before you begin rubbing it down.
Obtain Rubbing Alcohol, a Spray Bottle, and Paper Towels
Fortunately, cleaning like a professional doesn’t require any fancy or expensive tools. All you need is some rubbing alcohol, a spray bottle, and some paper towels. You can find each of these at your nearest grocery or home and garden store. While you may not need the spray bottle, I find that it is easier to use and helps you control how much alcohol you are using. Now, it’s time to rub it down!
Use the Alcohol to Rub Spray the Bag and Wipe it Down With the Paper Towels
After you’ve rid the bag of leftovers and eliminated the dust, obtained the necessary tools, it’s time to get cleaning. Pour the rubbing alcohol into the spray bottle and start with the inside of the bag. Apply liberally, but know that a little goes a long way. Once you’ve sprayed the inside, take the paper towels and wipe them down. You can do a couple of different passes until you feel confident that the bag is clean and free of any sticky or gunky substances. Once the inside of the bag is clean, zip it up and do the same process for the outside.
Try the Zipper and Check to See if it’s Running Smoothly
Most likely, the majority of the sticky substance has accumulated along the zipper, making it difficult to open and close. If this is the case, it’s time to spend some time with this part of the bag to make sure that it works properly and doesn’t catch on anything it’s not supposed to.
Zippers themselves can be tricky if they were never installed properly, so be sure that the zipper on your trim bag is having issues because of the leftover substance and not because of improper installation.
Take Evaporated Hemp Oil and Run it Along the Zipper Line
When you purchased your trim bag, they likely included a vial of evaporated hemp oil. If it was not included, you can go online and purchase some through a vendor or go to a designated cannabis operation to pick some up. Once you’ve tried the zipper and determined that some sticky substance has prevented it from running smoothly, it’s time to use the hemp oil.
Take the hemp oil and run it along the closed zipper on the outside of the bag. Make sure it gets into the crevices of the zipper and let it soak in for a few seconds. Go ahead and slide the zipper to see how it feels; at this time you can wipe off any excess oil if necessary. If the zipper is still catching, run the oil along the open zipper from the inside of the bag. After running it along both sides, the zipper should start running smoothly again.
Final Rub-Down and Dry Time
After completing all of the previous steps, you may want to do one more rub down with the rubbing alcohol. Spray a bit more and use the paper towels to wipe it off, run the zipper a few times to make sure it’s working properly, then leave the bag unzipped and let it air dry for a little bit. Luckily, with the limited cleaning tools you’re using, the bag won’t need much dry time before the next time you use it – may be a few minutes is all you should need.
Related Questions
Why Do You Need to Clean Your Trimming Machine?
You may not realize it, but over time dust and oil and gunk can build up along your trim bag or trimmer machine, making it function improperly. When this happens, it is less likely to produce a quality product and it will cut down on the lifespan of the equipment. Since you pay a pretty penny for your equipment, making it last will be important for you and your business. This is why you need to pay attention to the status of your trim bag or trimmer machine. If buildup is noticeable, that means you’ve waited a little too long between cleaning sessions.
Once you’ve used the equipment for a while, you should be able to establish a cleaning routine that allows you to use the machine as much as possible, while still maintaining its quality.
How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Trim Bag?
While the true answer to this question depends on how often/frequently you are using the trim bag, the truth is cleaning it as much as possible will help lengthen its lifespan. Typically, my best advice would be to take the 15-30 minutes that it takes to clean the bag every day after work. So, after a long day of using the equipment, take just those extra few minutes to wipe it down and clean it out before going home. These few minutes will be crucial to making sure the equipment functions properly and continues to produce a quality product.
How Much Does It Cost to Clean Your Trim Bag?
Fortunately, the equipment needed to clean your trim bag is not costly or hard to find. You can simply go to your local grocery store or home and garden store and find exactly what you need – for less than $50. Paper towels, a spray bottle, and rubbing alcohol are easy to find and very inexpensive. The one product you could have difficulty replacing is hemp oil, but if you have a good relationship with a local supplier, it will be easier than you think to find it.
How Much Does a Trim Bag Cost?
Out of all the cannabis and harvesting equipment you can choose from, the trim bag is one of the least expensive options. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can expect to pay anywhere from $60- $300. The great thing about trim bags is that they can take the place of your dry trimmer with ease. They are portable, durable, and affordable and produce as much product as a machine. Even better? You can find them pretty much anywhere – Walmart, Amazon, specialty harvesting retailers, etc.
