How do you remove clove resin from a plastic appliance?

Question

I needed ground cloves for a pumpkin pie recipe and the store didn't have it, so I already had whole cloves. I thought that if I ground them up in my coffee grinder real fine that would do the trick. It worked great for the recipe, but it left a resin inside my coffee grinder lid. It doesn't come off when soaked in hot, soapy water. Does anyone know how to remove it without using turpentine or some other toxic chemical?

Answer 1

Try soaking it in vinegar.

Answer 2

This happens to me as well. I just wash it in warm, soapy water. The cloudiness doesn't really go away, at least not in my case. Keep separate grinders for spices and coffee. Once you've ground spices in your coffee grinder, you're not going to want to use it for coffee again. And, you might not want your spices to smell and taste like coffee either.

One other good (and relatively inexpensive) option for grinding spices is a mortal and pestle that can be found at most housewares stores.

Answer 3

Like your first answer, I was going to suggest white vinegar - it cleans just about anything.