The smell of weed may be familiar and even pleasant to many. But when you’re trying to avoid the smell for personal or professional reasons, it may not be the most welcome of scents. Here’s how not to smell like weed as well as a few tips on how to remove the smell of weed if you’re already smelling like it. You might want to put the bong down for this one.
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Time Your Toke
The smell of weed can linger for several hours. And while there are quick ways to eliminate the smell, your safest bet would be to time when you smoke up. Definitely don’t smoke right before you leave your house. But if possible, give yourself non-toking several hours before you head out.
This way, you give yourself plenty of time to deodorize before your big appointment, whatever it may be.
Be Strategic With Your Toking Spots
Another great way to reduce the chances of smelling like weed is to be strategic about when and where you smoke.
The best option is to smoke in the open air, outdoors, where the smell can’t linger too long and stay with you. Pick spots that are well-ventilated and not too crowded. It also helps to try blowing smoke downwind so it’s less likely to seep straight into your clothes and stay there.
Additionally, smoke during the quieter hours when you’re less likely to have appointments. That way, you won’t end up rushing through at-home deodorizing options in a panic.
Ventilate Your Smoking Area
Outdoor toking isn’t the most accessible of options, of course. But there are ways to deal with weed smell even if you are restricted to smoking indoors.
One of the best ways to reduce the smell of weed is to ensure that your smoking area is well-ventilated. If possible, try opening one or more doors or windows in the room. If that isn’t an option, try opening one door or window a crack and turning on a fan, pointed toward the opening. This will help dissipate some of the smoke as well as reduce the intensity of the smell.
Dress Right
Stoner aesthetic might seem like an odd topic when discussing weed smells. But what you wear can help you smell less like the herb.
Wearing a jacket over your clothes, zipped all the way with the hood up, makes it easier to reduce how much of the smell stays on your clothes underneath. When you’re done toking, you can just take the jacket off.
Practice Good Hygiene
Whether you’ve done the above or not, you’ll find some smell will always linger after a toke. It helps to practice good hygiene regularly to keep the smell down to a minimum. This includes dental hygiene and regular showers. Particularly, wash your hands, brush your teeth, use mouthwash, and take a shower before you step out.
But hygiene also extends to using the right products to deal with strong odors, investing in deodorants and perfumes, doing laundry regularly using strong-smelling detergents, changing your sheets frequently, and keeping your home clean and deodorized. Make sure before you step out that there isn’t any weed on your person. Additionally, try and pick clothes fresh out of the laundry to wear, since they’re the least likely to smell like weed.
Eliminate the Source of the Smell
Your body, clothing, and home aren’t the only things to focus on when eliminating the smell of weed. Sometimes, it helps to tackle the smell at its source. Namely, the strain of weed you happen to smoke and the tools you use to smoke it.
Good quality weed, though often more expensive, typically has a standard, recognizable smell. It’s still pungent, but also pleasurable. And when stored properly in airtight containers, your weed will stay smelling fresher longer. Lower-quality weed, however, can sometimes smell rather odd. While not a problem for some stoners, it can be harder to deal with smells like that. Stick with what you know, and the regular methods will work better.
Beyond quality, individual strains have wildly different smells. Some strains have a more subtle smell, like lemongrass or citrus. Others can be more pungent, like skunk or diesel. Experiment with different strains to find the one that’s right for you and your situation. Ultimately, the goal is to smoke something that not only tastes and smells good but also doesn’t offend anybody or create too much of a stink.
It also helps to clear out your pipes, bong, and any other smoking tools you may be using. Not only will this help reduce the immediate smell of weed in your space, but it will also make the smoking process much smoother and more enjoyable. Cleaner tools are always good for a quality toke.
Mask the Smell
Items like air fresheners, purifiers, and candles can be helpful in masking the smell of weed, depending on the size of the room. You can also try using incense or essential oils to disperse the smell. If you’re particularly concerned about the smell, you can also look into odor-eliminating sprays that are specifically designed to remove the smell of weed. Removing the smell from your space will make it harder for it to latch onto your clothes.
It also helps to keep some portable options on your person at all times. You could pop a mint and use chapstick to deal with smells lingering in your mouth or on your lips. Wet wipes also help to limit the smell on your fingers.
It is important to note that layering smells on top of the weed smell won’t eliminate it. It will just mask the smell enough to hopefully make it less obvious. But this method will work better when paired with one or more other smell-eliminating methods listed here.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
It goes without saying that the single greatest way to not smell like weed is to not smoke up. Of course, we would never tell you to give it up permanently. That would be ludicrous.
It might, however, be beneficial to abstain for a few hours or days if you’ve got a major event coming up that you can’t show up to smelling like Eau de Cannabis.
Just make sure to roll yourself a few extra joints for when you’re done.
Smell is a Potent Wizard
We tend to remember how people smell, even if we don’t realize it. So if you’re trying to make an impression on someone, walking in smelling like the ghosts of tokers past is probably not the best idea. Learning how not to smell like weed is a good way to keep your first impressions in check.
