Bud washing

[Calvados]

Thanks, @Calvados @AdaminCO!

My initial thought is that it'd be hard to bring myself to wash the buds - I want to be gentle with the pretty flowers...

In the numerous harvesting guides I've read and watched, there has been no mention of washing. I guess I wanted to get a feel for how prevalent this practice is. However, I'm willing to try, so I'll first be washing one bud/cola and see how the water looks, then take it from there.

If you’ve ever used oil based paint and tried to clean the brush with water, you know that the only thing that happens is you make a huge mess. The resin on you plant is oil based. It’s going to be just fine. I didn’t believe it, but it’s true. You’ll see for yourself after you’ve washed one branch. If you have no reason to think that you’ve got mold, you can skip the H2O2 bucket. I’d definitely do the lemon juice and baking soda. That will scrub your plant. The other two buckets are to rinse.

My only regret when I tried it was that I didn’t wash the whole harvest.

 

[AdaminCO]

And pet hair

Oh God it’s everywhere. Lol!
She thinks they are her plants.

 

[AdaminCO]

If you’ve ever used oil based paint and tried to clean the brush with water, you know that the only thing that happens is you make a huge mess. The resin on you plant is oil based. It’s going to be just fine. I didn’t believe it, but it’s true. You’ll see for yourself after you’ve washed one branch. If you have no reason to think that you’ve got mold, you can skip the H2O2 bucket. I’d definitely do the lemon juice and baking soda. That will scrub your plant. The other two buckets are to rinse.

My only regret when I tried it was that I didn’t wash the whole harvest.

For real, try washing the sticky off your fingers when you’re done trimming. Almost need to use carburetor cleaner to get it off.

 

[Calvados]

For real, try washing the sticky off your fingers when you’re done trimming. Almost need to use carburetor cleaner to get it off.

Lol. Yes. I use paint thinner.

 

[Bigjake8]

Oh this is funny here yea it works I love the look on people's face when I tell them I wash my buds then you get the
In the washing machine? Haha

Now im indoors so I now skip the lemon juice and baking soda just because I was out once and just basically rinsed them off and it seemed to work

I could never decide what was warm water and what was cold so I just started setting my water to 77 degrees and only use one bucket my rooms are fairly clean but there is some dust like doc bud said look at your fans that's blowing on your plants are they spotless

I just hold under water untill all the air bubbles quit pull it up let it drip a little and drop it in again like 10 times is all I do

I have noticed the low smell while it's hanging but it's kinda nice if you got nosey neighbors haha get it
But once you break it open boom

I have been told by some that have sensitive lungs that mine don't hurt them to smoke also been told its bunk because it don't make them cough (youngins) but you just spent 20 min looking for the lighter in your hand

I did do a side by side once and found the washed buds dried faster to the snapping stems usually about 5 days still trying to find the perfect system for drying it's harder than growing to me

 

[AdaminCO]

Oh this is funny here yea it works I love the look on people's face when I tell them I wash my buds then you get the
In the washing machine? Haha

Now im indoors so I now skip the lemon juice and baking soda just because I was out once and just basically rinsed them off and it seemed to work

I could never decide what was warm water and what was cold so I just started setting my water to 77 degrees and only use one bucket my rooms are fairly clean but there is some dust like doc bud said look at your fans that's blowing on your plants are they spotless

I just hold under water untill all the air bubbles quit pull it up let it drip a little and drop it in again like 10 times is all I do

I have noticed the low smell while it's hanging but it's kinda nice if you got nosey neighbors haha get it
But once you break it open boom

I have been told by some that have sensitive lungs that mine don't hurt them to smoke also been told its bunk because it don't make them cough (youngins) but you just spent 20 min looking for the lighter in your hand

I did do a side by side once and found the washed buds dried faster to the snapping stems usually about 5 days still trying to find the perfect system for drying it's harder than growing to me

I have my hanger, Old SCROG I built but didn’t use, in the basement where it 60-65F @50-65% fairly consistently. I tent it with a black trash bag and have a fan on low barely catching the top of the bag.
I got 5-7+ days of hanging with the 6 I just finished. I’m not worried about the smell in the basement though. Added a little mesh screen for the oops trimmings.

 

[Calvados]

Oh this is funny here yea it works I love the look on people's face when I tell them I wash my buds then you get the
In the washing machine? Haha

Now im indoors so I now skip the lemon juice and baking soda just because I was out once and just basically rinsed them off and it seemed to work

I could never decide what was warm water and what was cold so I just started setting my water to 77 degrees and only use one bucket my rooms are fairly clean but there is some dust like doc bud said look at your fans that's blowing on your plants are they spotless

I just hold under water untill all the air bubbles quit pull it up let it drip a little and drop it in again like 10 times is all I do

I have noticed the low smell while it's hanging but it's kinda nice if you got nosey neighbors haha get it
But once you break it open boom

I have been told by some that have sensitive lungs that mine don't hurt them to smoke also been told its bunk because it don't make them cough (youngins) but you just spent 20 min looking for the lighter in your hand

I did do a side by side once and found the washed buds dried faster to the snapping stems usually about 5 days still trying to find the perfect system for drying it's harder than growing to me

It’s like a completely different phase of the process. If you screw it up, it’s tragic. I’m on my 4th grow and I’m convinced I can do much better. I think the jarring and burping is straight forward. Judging the drying right like deciding the best time to harvest is really important.

 

[AdaminCO]

It’s like a completely different phase of the process. If you screw it up, it’s tragic. I’m on my 4th grow and I’m convinced I can do much better. I think the jarring and burping is straight forward. Judging the drying right like deciding the best time to harvest is really important.

Yeah I’ve jarred mine too soon and had to dump it all back out for another day or two.

 

[Blew Hiller]

I use paint thinner.

I use any type of cooking oil (such as olive or canola)

 

[Blew Hiller]

If you screw it up, it’s tragic.

Agreed....had to dump about 3-4 zips over the railing due to ammonia reek

 

[multiVortex]

also been told its bunk because it don't make them cough (youngins) but you just spent 20 min looking for the lighter in your hand

I have my hanger, Old SCROG I built but didn’t use

Great idea!

 

[Mattjones1234]

I washed mine quite vigorously in the water do you think I could have washed off the crystals? I did notice the bottom of bucket 1 was a little shiny. Worried I have ruined some of the potency......

 

[Northern Hydro]

Recently I have been experimenting with washing my bud after harvest as I grow outdoors and have a lot of pests to control. So far I have basically just gently rinsed lightly trimmed buds in cool tap water with good results. Meaning I have successfully removed dirt,bugs and organic pest deterrent sprays without damaging the trichs and overall quality of the bud.I have read a bit on using hot water,lemon juice and baking soda as a wash but haven't tried it yet.as I am a couple weeks away from a fairly large harvest I am curious as to what the general verdict is on bud washing.Any input will be greatly appreciated. Peace.

Should be as standard as curing imho . The debris that came off was surprising and smoke wayy smoother , evenly dried, im sold hands down . Can’t imagine harvesting without doing it .

 

[Northern Hydro]

And I just realized I am so primed that this is a 2 year old thread

go Seahawks

 

[Calvados]

You would not be the first or the last. This is the long one FYI.

Bud Washing

 

[Emilya Green]

How about indoors tent grown plants, in a fairly clean environment - so they "need" a wash? No point in it? A first time grower, I've only just read about this...

I used to think that I had a clean environment, until I first washed my buds. I was shocked how much dog hair and other dust and debris was in my product! Knowing that ice water (cold) strips trichomes, I braved the hot water wash the first time and now regularly do it... it really cleans up the mess well and it does not strip the trichomes.

The real test of this is the taste of the product, and consistently I find that people like the washed bud better than unwashed bud if given a choice. After drying and curing, washed bud looks brighter and tastes cleaner than its unwashed counterpart. Just remember that all of that dirt that ends up in your wash buckets, would have ended up in your lungs.

By the way, I use two 5 gallon buckets and then a full bathtub for the rinse. This step is probably why you see a lot of pictures from me with product hanging in the bathroom. I hang it there for one night with a fan on in the room, so as to dry all the wash water from the buds before putting them in my small 2x2.5 drying tent for a slow dry.

 

[Emilya Green]

I use any type of cooking oil (such as olive or canola)

me too... a little veg/canola oil rubbed into my fingers emulsifies the resin, and then Dawn dish soap removes the whole mess as easy as you please.

 

[NorthernCosmos]

Thanks for sharing the experience, Emilya!

I do get some cat hair in the buds that I carefully pick off when visiting the tent and when trimming, but surely I miss some. And then there's plain old dust. I also found a dead gnat on the underside of a leaf. So yes, a wash would probably make it better.

Perhaps I'll do a washing test when I chop two Amnesias in January; wash one of them and observe the differences. I have some H2O2 that won't last forever, so need to use that for something.

 

[Emilya Green]

Thanks for sharing the experience, Emilya!

I do get some cat hair in the buds that I carefully pick off when visiting the tent and when trimming, but surely I miss some. And then there's plain old dust. I also found a dead gnat on the underside of a leaf. So yes, a wash would probably make it better.

Perhaps I'll do a washing test when I chop two Amnesias in January; wash one of them and observe the differences. I have some H2O2 that won't last forever, so need to use that for something.

That's the best strategy, right there. Trust nothing you read online... verify what you can.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I do get some cat hair in the buds that I carefully pick off when visiting the tent

What I find works for me is some freezer tape turned inside out. Same like the lint cleaner for clothes. Tape held in pliers or a roach clip will get you into tight spots.