How to Get Grass Out of Juicer: Proven 5-Min Fix

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

Unplug the machine. Seriously, do this right now before you read another word. I once forgot to unplug my Breville Juice Fountain Elite while digging out a stubborn lemongrass stalk, and the motor engaged while my fingers were inches from the spinning mesh. Safety first. Once the power is cut, you have a very narrow window to stop the damage.

Grass fibers—whether you are juicing wheatgrass, barley grass, or tough leafy greens like kale stems—act like tiny green ropes. They wrap tightly around the auger and wedge themselves into the 0.5mm holes of your stainless steel screen. If you let the pulp sit for more than five minutes, the natural plant sugars dry out and turn into a cement-like paste. Chlorophyll also begins to oxidize and bind directly to the BPA-free Tritan plastic housing, leaving a permanent swamp-green tint.

Don't run water through it yet. I know your first instinct is to turn on the tap and blast the parts. Water actually makes dry grass pulp swell and stick harder to the metal blades. Instead, grab a dry paper towel and physically pull out the largest clumps of green matter. If you are making daily wheatgrass shots for a 30-day detox challenge, you already know the mesh screen turns a permanent shade of green by day four if you skip this crucial first step. Get the bulk of the dry matter out immediately, and the rest of this process will be a breeze.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

I've tested dozens of cleaning tools on my own masticating and centrifugal juicers over the last decade. The cheap, flimsy brush that comes in the box with your machine is practically useless for heavy grass fibers. You need tools that can agitate the pulp without scratching the delicate mesh. Here is my exact kit for tackling grass clogs and chlorophyll stains.

• Stiff Nylon Bottle Brush: I recommend the OXO Good Grips Bottle Brush ($12-$15). The stiff bristles dig into the auger grooves without bending.
• Wooden Toothpicks or Bamboo Skewers: Metal pins will scratch your screen and create microscopic grooves where grass will permanently lodge. Wood is soft enough to push out fibers without damaging the steel.
• Baking Soda: A standard $4 box from the grocery store. This acts as a mild, non-toxic abrasive to lift green stains from the plastic.
• White Vinegar: Essential for breaking down the oxalic acid and calcium deposits that trap grass fibers in the mesh.
• Microfiber Cloths: For the final polish to prevent water spots on the clear plastic housing.

Cleaning Agent Comparison

Cleaning Agent	Best For	Cost	Safety Rating
Baking Soda Paste	Chlorophyll plastic stains	$4	Food Safe
White Vinegar	Mineral/grass fiber bonding	$3	Food Safe
Enzyme Cleaner (Biz)	Dried, rotting organic matter	$12	Requires Rinse
Dish Soap (Dawn)	General grease and oils	$5	Food Safe

Step-by-Step Removal (4-7 steps)

Cleaning a masticating juicer requires a specific sequence. If you rush and use hot water first, you'll essentially cook the plant proteins into the screen. Follow this exact order to get every last blade of grass out of your machine.

Step 1: The Dry Extraction

Take the juicer apart completely. Remove the hopper, the auger, the screen, and the spinning brush. Using your hands and a dry paper towel, pull out every visible clump of grass. I'll be honest, this takes elbow grease and about three minutes of your morning you won't get back. Pay special attention to the bottom of the auger where the pulp ejects. Grass fibers love to wrap around the silicone wiper blade here. Just pull them off dry.

Step 2: The Backward Flush

Now we introduce water, but with a specific technique. Hold the stainless steel mesh screen under your faucet. Turn the water to cold. Spray the water from the outside of the screen, aiming inward. This forces the 0.5mm grass fibers back out the way they entered. If you spray from the inside out, you just wedge the fibers deeper into the metal weave. Do this for exactly 60 seconds.

Step 3: The Baking Soda Poultice

Chlorophyll is fat-soluble and stains plastic aggressively. To lift the green tint from your clear Tritan housing, make a thick paste using three tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of water. Smear this paste all over the stained plastic parts. Let it sit for 10 minutes. The alkaline nature of the baking soda breaks down the acidic plant pigments. After 10 minutes, scrub the plastic with your OXO bottle brush. The green stain will wipe right off.

Step 4: The Vinegar Descale

Grass contains high levels of oxalic acid, which binds with calcium in your tap water to create a hard, invisible scale that traps remaining fibers in the mesh. Fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and warm water (around 100°F). Submerge the metal screen and the auger in this solution for 15 minutes. You'll see tiny bubbles forming. That's the acid eating away the mineral traps. After 15 minutes, give the screen one final scrub with the nylon brush.

Step 5: The 140°F Hot Water Flush

Now that the fibers and minerals are broken down, it's time to sanitize. Run the parts under hot tap water, ideally around 140°F. This melts away any residual plant oils that the vinegar missed. Dry every single component immediately with a microfiber cloth. If you let the parts air dry, hard water spots will mix with any leftover microscopic grass dust and create a gritty film on your next batch of juice.

Alternative Methods (2-3 backup methods)

Sometimes you forget to clean the juicer right away. If you leave wheatgrass pulp in the machine overnight, it dries into a solid green brick. When the standard method fails, I rely on these backup techniques to save the machine.

Method 1: The Enzyme Soak

If the grass is completely fossilized in the screen, standard soap won't cut it. I use a powdered enzyme cleaner like Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator. Fill a basin with warm water and dissolve one scoop of the powder. Submerge the clogged screen and let it soak for 4 to 6 hours. The enzymes literally eat the dried plant cellulose. This isn't the cheapest option, but it saves you from buying a $35 replacement screen. Just make sure you rinse the parts thoroughly with hot water afterward.

Method 2: The Denture Tablet Trick

This sounds crazy, but it works brilliantly for the narrow juice jug and the auger housing. Drop two Polident denture cleaning tablets into the plastic housing filled with warm water. The effervescent bubbling action reaches into the tiny crevices and corners of the plastic that your brush simply cannot reach. Let it fizz for 20 minutes. The oxygen bubbles lift the stubborn green chlorophyll stains right off the plastic walls. Rinse well and dry.

Method 3: The Ice Cube Auger Clear

If your auger is completely jammed with tough lemongrass or barley grass and won't turn backward to disassemble, don't force it with a metal tool. You'll strip the internal gears. Instead, drop three standard ice cubes into the hopper and turn the machine on. The hard ice forces the auger to rotate, crushing the ice and pushing the jammed grass fibers out through the pulp ejector. Once the auger spins freely, turn it off, unplug it, and take it apart for a normal wash.

Prevention Tips

After hosting a weekend wellness retreat where I juiced five pounds of wheatgrass for guests, I learned a few hard lessons about preventing clogs before they happen. Keeping your machine clear of grass buildup is much easier than scrubbing it later.

• Alternate Hard and Soft Produce: Never juice grass by itself. Follow every handful of wheatgrass with a hard vegetable like a carrot or a beet. The hard fibers act like a natural broom, sweeping the sticky grass pulp through the screen and out the ejector port.
• Cut Grass into 1-Inch Pieces: I know it's tedious. But if you feed long, 6-inch strands of lemongrass or barley grass into the chute, they will wrap around the auger like a lasso. Snip them into 1-inch segments with kitchen shears before juicing.
• Oil the Auger Monthly: Food-grade mineral oil keeps the auger slick. I put three drops on the spinning shaft once a month. This prevents grass fibers from gripping the metal and reduces the friction that burns out the motor.
• Use the Correct Screen: Most masticating juicers come with a fine screen and a coarse screen. Always use the coarse screen (the one with the larger holes) for leafy greens and grasses. The fine screen is strictly for hard fruits and will clog instantly with grass.

FAQ

Can I put juicer parts in the dishwasher?

I strongly advise against tossing your juicer parts in the dishwasher. The high heat (often exceeding 150°F) warps the BPA-free Tritan plastic and dulls the stainless steel mesh blades. Hand washing takes three extra minutes and saves you from buying a $45 replacement screen.

Why does my juicer smell like sour grass?

That sour smell means microscopic grass fibers are rotting inside the auger housing or the rubber silicone gasket. I fix this by soaking the gasket in a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution for exactly 20 minutes. If the smell lingers after that, you need to replace the silicone ring, which usually costs around $8 online.

Will bleach ruin the plastic juicer parts?

Bleach will absolutely cloud and degrade the clear plastic components of your machine over time. I've seen Breville juice jugs turn completely opaque and brittle after just three bleach soaks. Stick to oxygen-based cleaners or baking soda to lift those green chlorophyll stains without destroying the structural integrity of the plastic.

How do I get grass out of the tiny mesh holes?

The secret is a stiff nylon bristle brush combined with a backward water flush. I hold the screen under the faucet and spray water from the outside in, forcing the 0.5mm fibers back the way they came. If they still won't budge, a wooden toothpick gently pushed through the individual holes works wonders without scratching the metal.