OSRS Herblore Cleaning Herbs Ultimate Guide

Training Herblore in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) can be both rewarding and profitable, especially when cleaning grimy herbs. This method is a staple for players looking to level up their Herblore skill while potentially earning gold. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about cleaning herbs in OSRS, from the basics to advanced strategies, ensuring you maximize experience and profit. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, this blog post will help you master herb cleaning.

Cleaning grimy herbs is one of the most accessible and cost-effective ways to train Herblore, particularly for players with limited gold or those playing as Ironmen. Unlike potion-making, which often requires significant investment in secondary ingredients, cleaning herbs is straightforward and can yield a profit. Here’s why it’s worth considering:

• Profit Potential: Clean herbs typically sell for more than their grimy counterparts on the Grand Exchange, allowing you to earn gold while training.
• Low Requirements: You only need to complete the Druidic Ritual quest to unlock Herblore, making it accessible early in the game.
• Flexibility: Herb cleaning can be done manually for high experience rates or semi-AFK with the auto-clean feature, suiting different playstyles.

Getting Started with Herb Cleaning

Unlocking Herblore

To begin cleaning herbs, you must complete the Druidic Ritual quest, which grants 250 Herblore experience and boosts you to level 3. This quest has no requirements and can be started by speaking to Kaqemeex in the stone circle north of Taverley. It’s a quick quest, taking about 10-15 minutes, making it an easy entry point for Herblore training.

Understanding Grimy and Clean Herbs

Herbs in OSRS come in two forms: grimy and clean. Grimy herbs are obtained through Farming, monster drops, or the Grand Exchange and must be cleaned before they can be used in potions. Cleaning a grimy herb requires a specific Herblore level, and each herb provides a small amount of experience. For example, cleaning a grimy guam leaf (level 3 Herblore) yields 2.5 experience, while cleaning a grimy torstol (level 75 Herblore) gives 15 experience.

Tools and Preparation

Herb cleaning is simple and requires minimal setup, but a few tools can enhance efficiency:

• Herb Sack: Obtained from Slayer masters for 750 points or Tithe Farm for 250 points, this sack stores up to 28 grimy herbs in one inventory slot, ideal for Farming runs or bulk cleaning.
• Touchscreen Device: Cleaning herbs manually is click-intensive, and some players find touchscreen devices (like tablets) more comfortable for long sessions.
• Grand Exchange Access: You’ll need to buy grimy herbs and sell clean ones, so proximity to the Grand Exchange is crucial for efficiency.

Methods for Cleaning Herbs

Manual Cleaning

Manually clicking each grimy herb in your inventory is the fastest way to clean herbs, offering up to 10,000-20,000 herbs cleaned per hour with high focus. This method is click-intensive but maximizes experience and profit. To clean manually, simply left-click each grimy herb in your inventory, provided you meet the Herblore level requirement. Experienced players can achieve rates of 75,000-150,000 experience per hour with high-level herbs like ranarr or torstol.

Auto-Clean Feature

Since the update on September 10, 2020, OSRS introduced an auto-clean feature, where cleaning one herb automatically cleans all grimy herbs of the same type in your inventory. This method is less click-intensive but significantly slower, with rates of around 3,000 herbs per hour, yielding roughly 30% of the experience of manual cleaning. It’s ideal for semi-AFK training when you’re multitasking or prefer a relaxed pace.

Degrime Spell

For players with 70 Magic and access to the Arceuus spellbook (after completing A Kingdom Divided), the Degrime spell is a less click-intensive alternative. It cleans all grimy herbs in your inventory at once but grants only half the normal Herblore experience. You can cast approximately 600 spells per hour, cleaning up to 16,200 herbs (assuming 27 herbs per inventory), yielding 47,000-50,000 Magic experience and up to 120,000 Herblore experience per hour. This method can be profitable depending on herb prices but requires significant Magic investment.

Profitability and Herb Selection

Choosing the Right Herbs

Not all herbs are equally profitable or efficient for cleaning. The key is to check Grand Exchange prices for both grimy and clean versions to calculate profit margins. Lower-level herbs like guam and marrentill are cheaper but offer less experience, while high-level herbs like ranarr and torstol provide more experience and often higher profits. Here’s a table of common herbs, their requirements, experience, and example profit margins (based on hypothetical prices):

Herb	Herblore Level	Experience per Clean	Grimy Price (GP)	Clean Price (GP)	Profit per Herb (GP)
Guam Leaf	3	2.5	20	28	8
Marrentill	5	3.8	30	40	10
Ranarr Weed	25	7.5	2,000	2,100	100
Torstol	75	15	3,500	3,800	300

Note: Prices fluctuate, so always test a small batch before buying in bulk. Use calculators like the one on the OSRS Wiki to verify profitability.

Maximizing Profit

To ensure profitability, follow these tips:

• Check Prices Daily: Herb prices on the Grand Exchange can vary significantly. Use the OSRS Wiki’s herb calculator or third-party tools to track trends.
• Buy in Bulk: Purchase large quantities of grimy herbs when prices are low to maximize profit margins.
• Sell Strategically: Sell clean herbs during peak trading times to avoid price drops due to market saturation.
• Farm Your Own Herbs: If you have a high Farming level, grow herbs in patches (especially disease-free ones like Troll Stronghold) to reduce costs.

Tips and Tricks for Efficient Herb Cleaning

Optimizing Experience Rates

To achieve the highest experience rates, focus on manual cleaning and maintain a steady rhythm. Here are some strategies:

• Use Keybinds: Set the escape key to close interfaces quickly, speeding up banking and inventory management.
• Bank Efficiently: Stand near a bank (like the Grand Exchange) to minimize travel time when restocking herbs.
• High-Level Herbs: Clean herbs like torstol or snapdragon at higher levels for better experience per click.

Managing Click Intensity

Manual herb cleaning is repetitive and can strain your wrist. To avoid fatigue or injury:

• Take Breaks: Rest every 30-45 minutes to prevent carpal tunnel or discomfort.
• Alternate Methods: Switch between manual cleaning, auto-clean, or Degrime to vary your activity.
• Use a Touchscreen: As mentioned, touchscreen devices can reduce strain for some players.

Combining with Other Training Methods

While cleaning herbs is profitable, it’s slower than potion-making. To balance your training, consider these alternatives once you have more gold:

• Potion-Making: Making potions like super combats or extended super antifires offers up to 450,000 experience per hour but requires significant investment.
• Mastering Mixology: At level 60 Herblore, participate in the Varlamore minigame for up to 80,000 experience per hour and potential profits of 2.6M gold per hour.
• Guthix Rest: At level 18, brewing Guthix rest is profitable (up to 500,000 gold per hour) but requires careful attention to avoid mistakes.

Conclusion

Cleaning herbs in OSRS is a fantastic way to train Herblore, especially for players looking to save gold or make a profit. By understanding the mechanics, choosing the right herbs, and optimizing your method—whether manual, auto-clean, or Degrime—you can efficiently level up while padding your bank. Combine herb cleaning with other methods like potion-making or Mastering Mixology as you progress to balance speed and cost. With the tips and strategies in this guide, you’re well-equipped to master Herblore and make the most of your OSRS journey. Happy cleaning!