How to Get Rid of Weed Smell – Our Top Tips & Hacks!

We’ve all been there. You light up and relax, only to realize that your extra-pungent weed is omitting a smell that just won’t seem to clear from the air. Talk about putting a damper on your high.

In these situations, it can be easy to panic. Luckily, there’s no need to worry! If you want to smoke discreetly without the telltale weed smell giving you away, you’re in the right place.

We’ve put together a complete guide to getting rid of the weed smell, with vital tips about storing and smoking discreetly. Read on for a comparison of the different methods available, followed by some common mistakes and a few handy FAQs to answer any remaining queries.

Getting High On The Low

There are many reasons for wanting to enjoy cannabis covertly.

Maybe you’ve got your parents or work colleagues visiting, and would rather not broach the conversation of marijuana use with them. Maybe you don’t want to attract the attention of neighbors, or just want your home to smell fresh and avoid the smell of stale smoke in the morning. Regardless of your reasons, we’ve got you covered.

Our team has compiled a list of ways to help cannabis consumers mask the pungent odor of weed smoke from the air. While some are more effective than others, there’s certainly something on this list that can help you in your time of need.

With our tried and tested methods, lighting up doesn’t need to be stressful. If you’d like to smoke pot on the down-low, read on for all the must-know info, including ways of storing and smoking weed discreetly and common mistakes to avoid.

Getting Rid of a Weed Smell

While Smoking

As any smoker will know, the strongest smell is omitted when the cannabis product is smoked, whether that’s in a joint or with a bong or pipe.

While there’s no effective way of stopping marijuana smoke from smelling like cannabis (it comes from burning cannabis, after all), there are ways to remove it from the air and neutralize the distinctive smell.

By removing the particles that carry the strong smell, it’s possible to remove the odor from the air. It’s also possible to mask the telltale weed smell with air fresheners and other strong odors. Read on to find out about how to get rid of weed smell after smoking, from scented candles to ventilation.

While Storing Your Weed

The most strong-smelling cannabis will give off a pungent odor even when not being smoked. This can be a major source of inconvenience if you’re trying to store your weed discreetly.

If you’re not lighting up but

Ways to Get Rid of Weed Smell

Pungent cannabis can omit a strong weed smell both before and after smoking, so if you want maximum discretion, it’s a good idea to understand how to prevent weed smell while storing as well as after smoking.

First let’s go through common ways to remove smells after smoking, weighing up different methods to determine the most effective one. Secondly, we’ll explain how to prevent strong odors while storing. There are several ways to do this, though some are far more effective than others.

After Smoking

Here are the most popular ways of removing the smell of cannabis from the air after smoking.

1.) Use Air Fresheners

A common-sense option, deodorizing air fresheners can be surprisingly effective at masking the weed smell (think: Febreeze).

For a long-lasting effect, opt for plug-in air fresheners rather than ones that come in a gel case. Wall-plug air fresheners release spurts of perfume at regular intervals, meaning they can effectively replace the weed smell with a fragrant alternative, like a citrus scent.

Air fresheners won’t remove the weed smell immediately, as they’re masking the smell rather than removing the smoke from the air. Consider pairing with another method on this list (e.g. opening a window) to maximize effectiveness.

2.) Light Incense

Many smokers recommend burning a few sticks of incense before lighting up your joint or pipe because it can pre-emptively mask the smell of the weed smoke.

If using incense as a cover-up, be sure to choose a milder scent, and ideally something natural. This will gently blend with the existing smoke to counteract its recognizable smell.

Though incense can certainly counter the weed smell, be aware that this method involves adding more smoke to your room. If you want to minimize smokiness, a candle or air freshener is a better option.

3.) Use a Sploof

If you’ve never heard of a sploof before, don’t worry! Put simply, a sploof is a piece of kit designed to absorb your exhalation, minimizing the smell that comes with smoking weed.

While there are commercial products like the Sploofly and the Eco Four Twenty out there, homemade sploofs (consisting of a dryer sheet attached around an emptied paper towel roll or toilet paper tube with a rubber band) are popular, traditional way of trying to mask weed smoke odor. But…

As far as odor prevention goes, we wouldn’t recommend this method. Though the amount of smoke may be minimized it isn’t completely removed, meaning the weed smell will remain when using one, even if slightly muted.

Even high-end commercial sploof models are typically unable to fully prevent the smell of cannabis from entering into the air – If you’re looking for a way to completely eradicate weed smell & smoke from leaking out into the air, you’ll likely want to keep searching.

4.) Open A Window

While most of the other methods on this list focus on masking the smell of weed, opening a window is the only sure-fire way to remove smoke particles from the air.

Though this won’t be an option for everyone, opening a window is the most effective way of removing the weed smell from a room. If there’s a breeze outside the wind will clear out the air in no time, and the room will be left mostly fresh (if a little cold).

If the air is still, or if you’d like to remove the smell quickly, we’d recommend using a fan or your air system to increase the air circulation inside. With a fan on full power and an open window, smoke will be cleared in no time at all.

Rather than masking the smell with other odors, getting rid of the smoke is the only sure-fire way to stop your home from smelling of cannabis. Just be aware: Even with an open window, unless you’re blowing all of your smoke directly outside, some smoke particles will likely end up remaining indoors, contributing to a smokey smell over time.

5.) Light Scented Candles

Similar to a plugin air freshener, a good scented candle can help to mask the smell of marijuana, though it won’t fully remove weed smell on its own.

Citrus scented candles- like lemon, lime, and mandarin- are often the strongest. Their fresh scent can counteract your weed’s skunky scent without producing more large quantities of smoke (like incense does).

We’d recommend lighting a scented candle after you’ve cleared the smokiness using the window-and-fan method (or your AC), to counter any lingering smell.

While Storing Weed

Now we’ve covered the best methods for removing odor after smoking, here are the most effective ways of preventing your weed from smelling while you store it.

1.) Use Natural Odor Deodorizers

Certain household products- like baking soda, coffee grounds, and vanilla extract- are naturally de-odorizing, meaning they absorb odors from the air. If you place these products with your stash, they may be able to absorb most of the weed smell before it can escape your storage container.

If you don’t want to use coffee grounds or baking soda, there are natural odor deodorizers available to buy from popular brands like Marsheepy. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can also fashion your own using a dryer sheet. Just be aware: Storing strongly scented items next to your cannabis can introduce cross-over between the two. If you don’t want your weed tasting vaguely of Downey, be careful how you store the two together.

2.) Store in Airtight Containers

To combat the smell while storing your cannabis, always opt for an airtight container.

This can be anything from sealed Tupperware or mason jar to a vacuum-packed bag. It’s important to ensure that there are no tiny gaps, as these will let air (and the smell) out.

When you open the container to roll a joint or smoke up, be prepared for a strong omission of the weed smell- consider lighting a candle, spraying an air freshener, or opening a window to pre-emptively counteract the odor.

3.) Choose Non-Pungent Strains

While all weed carries a scent, some strains are more pungent than others. If the smell is an issue for you, you can minimize your worries by opting for a strain with a more subtle smell.

The recognizable skunky smell given off by some weed is down to myrcene- a compound found in Sour Diesel, AK-47, and other strains with skunk genetics. Weed that has a high concentration of myrcene is sure to give off an overwhelming smell, even before it’s smoked. To avoid this pungent odor, choose low-myrcene weed instead.

4.) Use an Air Freshener

As discussed in the above section, an air freshener in a fresh citrus scent can effectively counteract the smell of smoking weed. A deodorizing freshener will be far more effective than a regular body spray.

This is also true of storing weed. If you have a regular place for your stash, invest in a plug-in air freshener to go nearby. Though it may not mask the scent entirely, it’ll reduce the pungency of your supply and keep your room smelling fresh day-to-day.

Common Mistakes

When you’re looking to enjoy your weed without drawing attention, there are a few common mistakes that you should try to avoid.

Choose non-airtight mason jars

It’s easy to buy any old glass jar and assume that it’s airtight, but this can lead to odor escaping from your storage container while you store your weed. Be sure to opt for a mason jar with a rubber rim that seals the lid on tightly.

For an extra level of protection from odor, you should also consider storing your marijuana inside a Ziploc bag or plastic medicine container inside your sealed mason jar.

Remember alternative ways to consume marijuana

Just because smoking is the most popular way of consuming cannabis, doesn’t mean it’s the only option you should consider! For anyone seeking a discreet high, edibles may be a great alternative. Though baking your own edibles may omit an odor, buying and consuming them will be entirely scent-free.

Similarly, consider investing in a vaporizer. Though these will still give off a smell, they are far more covert than a joint, as they emit vapor rather than heavy smoke. If a vape appeals to you, read more about the smell of vaping weed

Don’t overdo the coverup operation

In the moment of panic upon realizing your room or apartment is full of smoke, it’s easy to go from 0 to 60, rushing to spray anything you can find to cover up the smell. At this moment, it’s important not to overdo it, because the overbearing smell of air freshener and body spray may be a dead giveaway.

Instead, take a deep breath. Open a window (if you can), boot up your fan, and spray just a little air freshener. Maybe light some incense or a scented candle too, for good measure.

Understanding the legal status in your area

Before you light up, it’s important to understand the legality of what you’re doing. If you’re on unsteady legal ground, it’s important to avoid attracting the attention of the authorities- the best way to do this is to smoke in the privacy of your own home.

Even if you live in a legalized state, there may still be rules against public consumption, so it’s important to read up to know where you stand. In general, if you bought your cannabis from your local dispensary, you’re probably good.

Don’t forget about the weed smell on your skin & clothes

If you’re followed some of the methods above, you’ve likely succeeded in covering up the telltale smell of weed, but it’s important not to forget about yourself. After lighting up, the smoke can cling to your clothes, on your skin, and even in your hair.

To remove the smoky smell from your person, it’s best to shower and change into some clean clothes. Once you’ve done this, most of the weed smell should be removed, and any lingering scent will be covered up by the freshness of your shampoo/soap/etc.

Putting too much confidence in your sploof

A mythological MacGyvering of a smoking device, the sploof has often hailed by old-timers in the cannabis community as a surefire way to cover up the smell of weed smoke. And yes, dryer sheets are odor absorbent, it’s important not to overstate their effect.

While breathing into a sploof may minimize the smoke you exhale into the air, it doesn’t prevent a smell from spreading around the room; sploofs are far from air-tight, and even then a dryer sheet won’t completely filter out smoke & smell. Don’t get caught out by assuming that your sploof will do all the work for you!

FAQs

Is it possible to get rid of the weed smell?

As we’ve outlined above, it’s certainly is possible to remove most the weed smell inside your bedroom, house, or apartment. “All” is a somewhat subjective term, though, and can be difficult to guarantee.

The most effective way of canceling out the odor of cannabis is taking a double-pronged approach: First, clearing the particles from the air with ventilation, then and masking the smell with a room spray or a scented candle (again, we like citrus fruits for this purpose). Once you’ve done this, the pungent smell should clear in no time.

What gets rid of the smell of weed the fastest?

While opening the window widely will clear the marijuana odor over a few hours, more ventilation is needed to remove the smell quickly.

To get the air in your room circulating, fire up a fan on full power, or turn on your air ventilation system. As long as a window is also open, this will freshen up the air and clear the smoky smell. Pair this technique with a plugin citrus freshener or scented candle and you can’t go wrong.

How long does the smell of weed last in an apartment?

Once you’ve smoked in your apartment, the actual smoke should clear within a few hours provided you’ve opened a window and got the air circulating. A deodorizing freshener like Febreeze should speed up the process, too.

If you indulge regularly, though, the smell can cling to any soft furnishings- like curtains and your sofa. If these aren’t washed, the smell of stale cannabis may hang around for longer.

Final Thoughts

When you smoke a joint or blunt or use a bong or pipe, marijuana smoke is inevitable, and no amount of handy tricks will change this. Crucially, it’s about what you do afterward. Rather than letting the smoky air settle into your sofa, curtains, and clothes, you can freshen up the room (and yourself) for maximum discretion.

If you’d rather avoid exhaling smoke altogether, consider other options, like edibles and vaping. While vapor can also carry an odor, you may find it easier to manage.

If discretion is vitally important (i.e. you’ll face problems if your cannabis use is detected), consuming an edible rather than lighting up will save you considerable stress. Other marijuana products – like resin, rosin, and hash oil – also carry less of a smell than a flower from a cannabis plant does. To minimize the scent during storage, consider these alternatives to traditional weed.

Hopefully, after reading this guide, you’ll have a better idea of how to prevent weed smell from disturbing your high. Whatever the reason for your discretion, everyone should be able to smoke weed in peace. Happy smoking!