Whether you’re a seasoned stoner or occasional smoker, the smell of weed can be overpowering and off-putting. Although smoking cannabis is becoming increasingly more popular, many people are not a fan of that scent – which means knowing how to get rid of weed smell is an essential part of sharing your dank stash with others either in your home or on the go.
Not all parents or potential employers will approve, so it’s helpful to have a few tricks up your sleeve when it comes to masking, hiding and eliminating the strong odor.
In this article we’ll take you through how long weed smells usually last for – from no time at all if you’ve swallowed (vaped) it to approximately 90 minutes if smoked heavily in an enclosed room with no ventilation. We also cover how exactly that pot smell works and its effects on us, plus share our top tips on getting rid of marijuana smell fast and effectively including natural home remedies like brewing coffee or using oils like cinnamon, citrus fresh orange zest or even burning incense sticks.
Did you know? Some animals such as ladybugs actually use their sense of smell to find mates!
The smell of cannabis is hard to mistake and often lingers in the air. If you’re trying to keep your house smell free or just want to be rather discrete, removing the weed smell is a must. Luckily for you, there are a few great ways to do that. We’re going to cover 7 surefire methods on how to get rid of weed smell and keep it out of your space.
1. Let it air out!
One of the easiest and most effective methods to eliminate weed smell in any area is by simply increasing airflow and ventilation where the marijuana is being consumed. Fresh air will help disperse odors and prevent them from sticking around.
If you are smoking indoors, try to do it by an open window so the smell doesn’t accumulate.
You should also check out how to sober up from weed, as staying alert can help you manage ventilation more effectively. In some cases, using a fan or air purifier can dramatically cut down how long the smell lingers indoors.
Vent the room regularly and the smell won’t be able to sink into all that fabric, furniture and walls.You can learn more in this blog about how to get rid of weed smell.
2. Air purifier
Investing in a good air purifier will make a noticeable difference when it comes to the smell of weed. Air purifiers with either HEPA filters or activated carbon filters work best at eliminating both airborne particles and odors.
HEPA filters catch tiny particles, such as smoke and ash, while carbon filters absorb molecules that create smells, so they’re particularly effective at removing strong odors like that of marijuana.
Put the air purifier in the room you smoke and run it for a couple of hours to clean the air. To achieve better results use an air purifier that is specifically designed for odor control and keep it running on regular basis regardless if you smoke or not.
3. Use Odor Neutralizing Sprays
Most air fresheners are designed to mask odors, but they do little in the way of actually getting rid of them. However, odor neutralizing sprays like Febreze, Ozium, or any other odor eliminator can break down the weed molecules in the air which will help leave the room smelling fresh again.
Spray the neutralizer in the air and on fabrics such as curtains, couches or carpets where the smell is likely to linger.
For optimal effect, apply right after smoking.
You can pick these sprays up easily at most stores and they work very fast at helping to get rid of the smell of cannabis so they are good to have on hand for immediate marijuana odor control if you need it.
4. Scented Candles or Essential Oils
Aromatherapy can help to cover up the scent of cannabis. By lighting a scented candle or using an essential oil diffuser with scents such as citrus, lavender or eucalyptus, you can mask the smell of weed and introduce a pleasant aroma into your environment.
Candles with more intense natural scents will instantly overpower that of the weed, while an essential oil diffuser is the gift that keeps giving in terms of releasing scented freshness.
Incense is another alternative that creates a powerful smell; it can blend with the smell of weed or even cover it up. Again, these are not ways to get rid of the smell completely but definitely dilute and help tone down.
5. Wash Clothes, Linens, and Towels
Much like cannabis smoke clings to hair and skin, it can also cling to clothes, linens, and towels. Washing these items can help remove the smell of smoke from your personal belongings.
Use fabric fresheners or sprays on couches, rugs and carpets.
Wipe down any hard surfaces, which can include tables but also walls and windows, with a vinegar solution or an all-purpose cleaner. This will help remove any residue that may have stuck around. Regular cleaning will keep odors from building up in your home and prevent the lingering scent of weed from staking its claim on your place.
6. Try Activated Charcoal or Baking Soda
Activated charcoal and baking soda make great natural odor absorbers. They don’t simply cover up the smell of weed— they actually absorb and neutralize it.
Place bowls of activated charcoal or baking soda in the room where you’ve smoked to help absorb odors from the air.
If you have a carpet or upholstered furniture, sprinkle baking soda over it and let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then vacuum well.
These are cheap, easy to use products that would be great as a way to reduce the lingering smell of weed in an apartment or a house.
7. Switch to a Vaporizer or Edibles
If you’re the type of person who will be needing a long-term solution to how to minimize weed smell, it might make sense just to change up your consumption method. Smoking is going to produce the most noticeable and lingering smells, but vaping and edibles can provide opportunities for getting high with much less scent.
Vaporizers heat your cannabis to a temperature that is lower than the point of combustion that smoking joints or bowls requires. This means there’s simply fewer scent-causing particles being released into the air. To be clear, there still is an odor when you use a vaporizer, but it tends not to stick around in any capacity.
Vaporizing and edibles produce pretty much no smell. Vaporize or go for an edible and you’ll have pretty much no cannabis smell to cover up (send us a thank you card when 420 rolls around).
Conclusion
There’s no need to let the smell of cannabis interfere with your enjoyment or use of it. Sometimes a simple fresh scent will do the trick, while other times you’ll want to use an odour eliminator. Either way, you have plenty of options to choose from! Fresh air, including good ventilation and outside breezes, is always helpful. However, so are other methods such as cleaning up post-sesh and using baking soda or an air purifier.
And if all else fails… perhaps practice blowing your smoke through a homemade sploof (yes – those do actually work!). Some people also report that smoking within a “smoking room” keeps the smell exclusively contained in there.