How to Eliminate Cannabis Odor
Eliminating The Odor Of Cannabis
Marijuana is a topic of much debate in recent years, with legalization and decriminalization sweeping the nation here in the US (and around the world).
Many states are taking a progressive stance about accepting of the world’s favorite sticky green herb, legalizing its use and giving people the freedom to buy, use and even grow the plant as they see fit (within limits of course).
Yet for those of us that enjoy cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes, there is one aspect that we wish we could more easily manage: the smell.
Sure, we all love that skunky, pungent aroma and associated flavor. But that doesn’t mean we want our homes, furniture, clothing, hair and more to constantly smell like we just hot-boxed the house. If you smoke weed, you know the smell it omits is distinct, and not all that desirable outside of the times you want to actually smoke or vape it.
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If you smoke in your home, the smell of marijuana can negatively impact property. It can leave its aroma and residue behind on floors, walls, paint, furniture, and more. This can reduce your property’s value, hurt the chances of resale, and if you rent, severely decrease the likelihood that you’ll be able to get your deposit money back.
If you’ve ever moved into a home that reeks of marijuana, or happened to be the culprit of the odor yourself, you know it can be challenging to get rid of the smell. This can be especially troublesome if you have children, pets, those with lung sensitivities, asthma and more. You may also want to be more discreet about your use of the herb, either for professional, religious or other personal reasons.
If you’re at your wit’s end trying to find good ways to reduce, eliminate or prevent the smell of marijuana from sticking around in your home, we’ve got you covered. There are a number of highly effective products and tactics you can easily employ to get rid of the smell of marijuana in your home.
Let’s dive right in….
Understanding the Cause of Marijuana’s Smell
Marijuana comes from the Cannabis plant. It consists of the bud, flower and dried leaves of the plant. These parts of the plant are rich in trichomes, THC, and the cannabinoids that cause the sought after desired results of smoking marijuana. But have you ever wondered why or where marijuana gets its notable, unmistakable (and potent) aroma from?
Often referred to as dank, musty, and skunky, the distinct smell associated with weed is derived largely by the flower. Buds of the flower contain phytochemicals known as terpenes. This is important because terpenes are potent scent chemicals created naturally by the plant to attract pollinators while warding off predators, and contribute greatly to the scent of marijuana both in its natural state and when smoked.
These terpenes are also directly involved in creating the unique flavor of your marijuana. The broad diversity of terpenes is one of the interesting characteristics of varying strains and how those strains both smell act medicinally.
Some of the more common types of terpenes include:
- Myrcene: also notably found in the flowers of hop vines
- Alpha-pinene: commonly found in pine needles
- Limonene: as the name suggests has a citrus-like aroma and is found in lemons
- Linalool: found in lavender
- Beta-caryophyllene: can be found in the black pepper plant
The cannabis plant gives off differing scents as it goes through its lifecycle, with this smell being heightened when the plant is exposed to heat (including being burned). As the plant ages and reaches maturity (around when it is harvested) it becomes notably more “skunky” and “weedy”.
How to Get Rid Of The Smell of Weed in Your House
As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of pain”. Or in this case, a little bit of preparation can prevent your home from smelling like marijuana in the first place. Trust us, reducing the likelihood of the scent seeping into surfaces is much easier than removing it once it's already there (although we’ll cover that as well).
- Limit Exposure
This one is a bit common sense, but worth the add anyway. Direct or indirect exposure to marijuana smoke is one of the leading reasons your home, car, and personal property smell like weed.
For example, if you walk into the house of someone who smokes cigarettes, you know it right away. The aroma lingers in the air and particulates from the smoke adhere and stick to surfaces.
Because the odor-causing substance hasn’t been contained, the smell continues to contaminate an area.
- Odor Proof Options
Smell Proof Bags
There are products on the market that can help with this dilemma. If you have ever tried to carry around weed in a zippy bag, you know it doesn’t help with masking the smell.Hemper Camouflage Smell Proof Bags will run you around $10. Their ability to neutralize the odor of weed, and help keep your cannabis fresher longer, make them worth the money.
Doob Tube
If you have a blunt that still has some tokes left in it, having aDoob Tube would also help. These tubes only cost a couple of dollars, and they will help keep your doob fresh and stink-free until you have time to finish it. Containment and proper storage of your cannabis is an excellent way to help reduce the overwhelming aroma it can leave behind.
Old Fashioned Aeration
Consider simply opening up some windows, turning on any fan vents in your home and firing up a fan placed in a window (backwards) to suck the air and smoke out. Sit next to the backward-facing fan and blow any smoke in that direction. This works by both sucking the smoke out while other vents and windows act to increase the amount of fresh air in the residence. It’s a free 1-2 combo that does wonders if you’re careful.
- Clean Your Tools
Dumping out an ashtray is going to help reduce the smell, but it won’t get rid of it entirely. The best way to go about eliminating the stink is to wash the ashtray. The same can be said for your bong, pipe, bowls, or Dab Tools. Regular cleaning should be done to allow for clean hits, but you also want to keep your tools clean to avoid mold growing on your unused tools.
There are a few different cleaners on the market that are easy to use and will leave your tools fresh. Some examples are:
- KLEAR Kryptonite Cleaner
- Formula 420
- Formula 710 Rig Cleaner
The cleaners listed above will all run around $5 each. Kryptonite cleaner also puts out a variety of cleaning kits, and prices for those vary. If you keep your smoking tools clean, it will keep the smell of weed in your home to a minimum.
- Treat the Air In Your Home
There are a few different ways you can clean the air in your home. There are some sprays on the market that are made with marijuana users in mind. These products are formulated to eliminate the smelly molecules in the air, rather than just mask them.
Hemper Tech Odor Eliminator Spray ($5) and Ozium Spray ($6) will both help neutralize the overpowering smell of your weed. You can use any spray with a strong smell to cover up the scent, but they will not get rid of the stink.
You can also buy candles to help control the smell. AROMAS makes a few different scented candles that are specifically geared toward cannabis users. These candles will run around $10, and they will help remove the stink of the weed while giving off a pleasant smell of your choice. Check out more Odor Eliminating products.
- Use an Air Filter
No, we’re not talking about the old toilet paper roll stuffed with dryer sheets filter. There are products on the market that took this outdated idea and turned it into a working product.
ASmoke Buddy will run you about $22, but it will filter out a majority of the smell when you exhale. They come in a variety of designs, so there is sure to be one that will suit your personal liking. The concept is the same. Once you take a hit off your joint, exhale the smoke into the Smoke Buddy. So what’s the difference between this and the empty toilet paper roll? The Smoke Buddy has actual filters in it, not a bunch of dryer sheets.
Final Thoughts on Getting Rid of Marijuana Smell in your Home
The smell of weed is often indescribable, yet highly recognizable. Use these tips to help keep your home smelling fresh and cannabis-free. If you find your house still has an odor after trying some of the products mentioned above, you may have to do a little deep cleaning. Any carpet cleaner with baking soda in it will help remove the odor of marijuana from your rugs. Sprinkle it on and wait a while before vacuuming it up.
Another way to control the smell of weed is to limit how much you are smoking in your home in the first place. If it’s nice outside, maybe consider stepping out before you light up. Your friends and family will thank you for not subjecting them to the smell of overwhelming cannabis. There is one more way to try and get rid of the smell of marijuana.
Almost anything can be washed in a white vinegar mixture. If you find the smell lingering on the walls, in the drapes, or on your clothing, baking soda and vinegar are two chemicals that are great at neutralizing odors. By keeping your tools and house clean, and containing your supply of cannabis, you should be able to keep your home mostly scent-free.
