Best Methods for Cleaning Grimy Herbs in OSRS

Best Methods for Cleaning Grimy Herbs in OSRS

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) players know that Herblore is a skill that can be both rewarding and time-consuming. A key part of training Herblore involves cleaning grimy herbs to make them usable for potions. Whether you’re a low-level player looking to make some profit or an Ironman aiming for efficiency, mastering the art of cleaning grimy herbs is essential. In this guide, we’ll explore the best methods, tips, and tricks to clean grimy herbs effectively, helping you save time and maximize your gains.

Grimy herbs are the raw form of herbs dropped by monsters, harvested through Farming, or obtained via various in-game activities. Cleaning them transforms them into clean herbs, which are required for creating potions. This process not only grants Herblore experience but can also be profitable, especially for herbs like ranarr or lantadyme, which are in high demand for potions such as Prayer and Magic potions.

However, cleaning herbs manually can be click-intensive and slow, making it crucial to understand the most efficient methods. Additionally, players with insufficient Herblore levels or those seeking to optimize their gameplay may need alternative approaches, such as NPC services or spells.

Herblore Experience from Cleaning Herbs

Each herb provides a small amount of Herblore experience when cleaned, with the amount varying by herb type. For example, cleaning a grimy guam leaf yields 2.5 experience, while a grimy torstol offers 15 experience. This makes cleaning herbs a viable, albeit slow, training method for early Herblore levels.

Profit Potential

Some herbs, like ranarr weed and cadantine, are often worth more clean than grimy due to their use in high-demand potions. By cleaning these herbs and selling them on the Grand Exchange, players can make a profit, though market prices should always be checked first to ensure viability.

Manual Cleaning: The Traditional Approach

The most straightforward way to clean grimy herbs is by manually clicking on each one in your inventory. This method requires no additional resources beyond the herbs themselves, making it accessible to all players with the appropriate Herblore level.

How to Clean Herbs Manually

To clean a grimy herb, simply left-click it in your inventory. If your Herblore level meets the requirement for that herb, it will become clean, granting experience. For example:

  • Grimy Guam Leaf: Requires level 3 Herblore, yields 2.5 XP
  • Grimy Ranarr Weed: Requires level 25 Herblore, yields 7.5 XP
  • Grimy Torstol: Requires level 75 Herblore, yields 15 XP

Tips for Faster Manual Cleaning

Manual cleaning can be tedious, but these tips can speed up the process:

  • Use Mouse Keys: Enable mouse keys in your operating system to reduce strain and increase clicking speed. This is particularly useful for cleaning large quantities of herbs.
  • Bank Presets: Set up bank presets to quickly withdraw 28 grimy herbs at a time, the maximum inventory size for cleaning.
  • RuneLite Plugins: If using the RuneLite client, enable the “Shift Anti-Drag” plugin and configure shift-click to clean herbs instantly, reducing misclicks.

Pros and Cons of Manual Cleaning

Pros Cons
Free and accessible to all players Click-intensive and time-consuming
Grants full Herblore experience Can cause repetitive strain without proper setup
No additional costs or requirements Slower than other methods for bulk cleaning

Using Zahur in Nardah for Herb Cleaning

For players who want to avoid manual cleaning, Zahur, the herbalist in Nardah, offers a convenient service to clean grimy herbs for a fee. This method is particularly useful for Ironmen or players with large herb stashes who don’t mind spending some gold.

How Zahur’s Service Works

Zahur is located north of the bank in Nardah. She charges 200 coins per herb to clean them, regardless of the herb type. By default, she only cleans unnoted herbs, but players who have completed the Desert Hard Diary can have her clean noted herbs as well, making the process much faster.

  • Requirements: Access to Nardah (desert travel, e.g., carpet rides or teleportation).
  • Cost: 200 coins per herb (5,600 coins per inventory of 28 herbs).
  • Noted Herbs: Requires Desert Hard Diary completion.

When to Use Zahur

Zahur’s service is ideal in these situations:

  • Low Herblore Level: If you don’t have the required level to clean high-level herbs like torstol, Zahur can clean them for you.
  • Bulk Cleaning: For players with thousands of grimy herbs from Slayer or raids, Zahur saves time.
  • Ironman Accounts: Ironmen needing clean herbs for quests or early Herblore training can benefit from Zahur’s service.

However, be aware that cleaning via Zahur grants no Herblore experience, so it’s purely a time-saving option.

The Degrime Spell: Magic Meets Herblore

Introduced with the Arceuus spellbook, the Degrime spell is a game-changer for players with high Magic and Herblore levels. It allows you to clean all grimy herbs in your inventory with a single cast, streamlining the process significantly.

Degrime Spell Requirements

To use Degrime, you’ll need:

  • Magic Level: 70
  • Quest: Completion of A Kingdom Divided
  • Runes: 4 Earth runes, 2 Nature runes per cast
  • Herblore Level: The level required to clean the specific herbs in your inventory

The spell is cast from the Arceuus spellbook and cleans all grimy herbs at once, making it incredibly efficient for bulk cleaning.

Experience and Trade-offs

While Degrime is fast, it comes with a catch: you only receive half the normal Herblore experience for cleaning herbs. For example:

  • Grimy Toadflax: Normally 8 XP, Degrime yields 4 XP per herb
  • Grimy Ranarr Weed: Normally 7.5 XP, Degrime yields 3.75 XP per herb

Additionally, casting Degrime grants 83 Magic experience per cast, which can be a nice bonus for Magic training. With an earth staff to eliminate the need for Earth runes, the cost per cast is relatively low, primarily driven by Nature rune prices.

Best Use Cases for Degrime

Degrime shines in these scenarios:

  • High-Volume Cleaning: If you have thousands of herbs from Farming or PvM, Degrime saves hours compared to manual cleaning.
  • Magic Training: The spell’s Magic XP can supplement your training, especially if you’re close to a Magic level milestone.
  • Time Efficiency: For players prioritizing speed over experience, Degrime is unmatched.

Advanced Tips and Strategies for Herb Cleaning

Beyond the core methods, there are several strategies to optimize your herb-cleaning experience, whether you’re focused on profit, efficiency, or convenience.

Market Analysis for Profit

Cleaning herbs can be profitable, but it’s not guaranteed. Use these steps to ensure you’re making money:

  1. Check Grand Exchange Prices: Compare grimy and clean herb prices. For example, grimy ranarr weeds might sell for 6,000 GP, while clean ones fetch 6,500 GP, yielding a profit after cleaning costs.
  2. Test Small Batches: Clean and sell a small batch of herbs to confirm profitability before committing to thousands.
  3. Monitor Buy Limits: Herbs like ranarr (12,000 every 4 hours) and lantadyme (10,000 every 4 hours) have buy limits, so plan your purchases accordingly.

Integrating Herb Cleaning into Farm Runs

Many players clean herbs during Farming runs to save time later. Here’s how to do it efficiently:

  • Herblore Cape Perk: If you have 99 Herblore, the cape automatically cleans herbs as you pick them, saving clicks.
  • Master Farmer Outfit: This outfit also auto-cleans herbs during Farming, making it a great option for high-level farmers.
  • Herb Sack: Use a herb sack to store grimy herbs during runs, cleaning them between patches to avoid banking delays.

Automating with Tools and Plugins

While botting is against OSRS rules, legal tools like RuneLite can enhance efficiency:

  • Menu Entry Swapper: Configure RuneLite to prioritize the “Clean” option on herbs, reducing misclicks.
  • Inventory Tags: Tag grimy herbs in your bank for quick identification and withdrawal.
  • Bank Filler: Use bank fillers to streamline preset setups for herb cleaning.

Considerations for Ironmen

Ironmen face unique challenges, as they can’t rely on the Grand Exchange for clean herbs. Here’s how to optimize:

  • Farming Focus: Prioritize herb runs with ultracompost and magic secateurs to maximize herb yields (average 9.4 herbs per patch at 99 Farming).
  • Zahur for Quests: Use Zahur to clean high-level herbs needed for quests like Fairy Tale Part I if your Herblore level is too low.
  • Slayer Drops: Target monsters like Chaos Druids or Aberrant Spectres for grimy herb drops to supplement your supply.

By combining these methods and strategies, you can tailor your herb-cleaning approach to your playstyle, whether you’re chasing profits, experience, or quest requirements. Cleaning grimy herbs may seem like a small task, but with the right techniques, it can become a seamless part of your OSRS journey.