Does An Air Purifier Help With Marijuana Smell? (Explained)

Even though marijuana is becoming legal and more accepted, I understand you probably don’t want your house to constantly smell like weed smoke. As such, countless people come to me asking how they can keep their house from smelling like a Dutch coffee shop.

There are a lot of theories on how to eliminate the odor, but I’m always happy to recommend an air purifier to help reduce the smell of marijuana in indoor air. So sit tight because below I’ll explain exactly how an air purifier can help with marijuana smoke and odor removal.

Do Air Purifiers Help Remove Marijuana Smoke?

Air purifiers can absolutely help with weed smells! I recommend using a purifier with a true HEPA filter paired with an activated carbon filter for best results.

Carbon air filters remove airborne odor particles that cause the “weed smell.” A HEPA air filter can catch bigger particles, like the particles of marijuana carried through your indoor air with weed smoke.

The pollutants in weed smoke are particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There are quite a bit of liquid particles in the smoke as well, which may impair lung health over time, according to the American Lung Association.

A carbon filtration system is excellent for removing VOCs but must be replaced before they become clogged with VOC molecules.

The size of the air purifier you need will depend greatly on the space of the area you want to address. For example, if you’re looking to use it in just one room, then you’ll want a small one that covers around 200 square feet.

A medium-sized purifier that covers up to 400 square feet should do the trick for larger rooms. Of course, many may want to ensure their entire house stays smoke-free, so I recommend whole-house air purifiers.

How To Use An Air Purifier To Get Rid Of Weed Smell?

Air purifiers use different technologies to help eliminate indoor air pollution, including the smell of marijuana. Carbon, ozone, and HEPA technologies are commonly used in many air purifiers.

Carbon filters, also known as activated carbon filters, work by adsorbing the molecules of the pollutants onto the activated carbon, where they remain trapped. Ozone generators produce ozone molecules that react with pollutants in the air and break them down. Ionizers use negative ions to remove pollutants.

Just know that ozone can be harmful to humans and pets produced in large amounts, and I don’t necessarily recommend them.

HEPA filters capture solid particles, including airborne contaminants such as dust, pollen, and smoke. A HEPA air filter can capture weed smoke particles, which can help to reduce the smell of marijuana in your air and improve air quality.

I recommend pairing the HEPA filter with an activated carbon filter. Such a system will eliminate almost every pollutant, including pot smoke, from your indoor air.

While running your purifier, wash curtains and rugs that may have absorbed unpleasant odors. Then, clean the house while you’re at it, keeping the windows open for good ventilation.

A general rule is to run the purifier for at least 8 hours a day to improve your air quality. If you’re doing the entire home, you can run it 24/7 if the smell permeates your house.

Make sure your air purifier is in the room where you have your smoke sessions. If you smoke everywhere, you can move the purifier around or consider buying multiple purifiers.

Other Ways To Remove Marijuana Smell In The House (DIY Technique)

In addition to purifiers, I also recommend several other methods to remove marijuana smell and improve indoor air quality. There are quite a few, but they vary in efficacy. Of course, air purifiers tend to be the most effective, but to get the most out of them, you can use them in conjunction with other methods:

1. Open a Window: Opening doors and windows will bring fresh air to your home or room and dilute indoor air pollutants. The best way to keep your house from smelling like weed smoke is to push the smoke outside.
2. Use incense: These are equally (if not more) as intense in smell and can overpower the cannabis odor. However, if you don’t like the smell of incense or scented air in general, then it’s not the best solution.
3. Use odor-absorbing materials: Activated charcoal, baking soda, and vinegar can all absorb marijuana odors. Place bowls of these materials around the house, especially in the rooms where you hit your bong.
4. Use a Sploof: When you smoke, you can exhale the smoke through a sploof, eliminating a good amount of the odor as the airborne particles get trapped in the air filter. They’re pretty effective, but again, they should be paired with an air purifier to really eliminate the smell.
5. Use essential oils: Essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and lemon can help to mask the smell of marijuana. Add a few drops of these oils to a diffuser or spray bottle and they can be used to quickly freshen up the air (or at least mask one smell with another).
6. Clean surfaces: Like other odors, cannabis smoke can cling to surfaces like walls, carpets, and furniture. Clean these surfaces with a mixture of vinegar and water or a store-bought cleaner to get rid of the smell.
7. Avoid smoking indoors: The surest way to keep your house from smelling like weed smoke is to avoid smoking indoors altogether. Smoke outside or in a well-ventilated area to minimize the amount of smoke and odor that enters your home.

How Bad Does Marijuana Smell?

I know some people who don’t notice the smell of marijuana anymore. Perhaps you’re not aware, or you’ve simply grown accustomed to the smell. However, to the uninitiated, it’s very pungent and highly identifiable smell. There’s really nothing else that resembles its strong herbal scent (unless you’ve smelled a skunk).

No matter what the “base” smell is, though, you can count on it being quite potent and quick-traveling. Before it’s smoked, it has an herbal scent, but once it’s been smoked, it’s mustier or sometimes overly sweet.

Even if you don’t notice it anymore, if you are smoking in your house and not using an air purifier, you can guarantee that the smell is going to be noticeable.

Is Weed smoke bad for those not using it?

Studies have shown that second-hand marijuana smoke can be bad for you. “Particulate levels from second-hand cannabis smoke are even higher than particulate levels from second-hand tobacco smoke,” says No Smoke.

They state that on average, the PM2.5 emission rate of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes indoors produces very high indoor PM2.5 concentrations, which is quite dangerous to those breathing it in.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment reported at least 33 individual constituents present in marijuana and tobacco smoke are Proposition 65 carcinogens.

Other studies show that exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke (at an amount similar to what’s allowed in smoking sections in restaurants) for just 30 minutes impaired blood vessel function.

That makes it very important to keep your air clean.

Common Marijuana Smell and Air Purifier Questions

Will a Holmes air purifier work for weed smoke?

The Holmes air purifier won’t completely eliminate the odor of cannabis. However, by adding their “SMOKE” filter line and adding carbon to them, they’ll produce much better results.

Will blowing weed into an air purifier kill the smell?

Blowing weed into an air purifier won’t kill the smell, and it can damage the purifier. Stay within the “exhale space” of the purifier, but don’t blow directly into it. It might help, but it’s not worth risking damage to your device.

Will smoking weed shorten the lifespan of an air purifier?

Smoking weed won’t shorten the life of an air purifier. No matter what, you’ll always have to maintain the purifier and change the filter. However, that doesn’t Purifiers are designed to eliminate impurities in the air, and that’s exactly what it’s doing when you smoke marijuana.

Conclusion

If you need to get rid of a little marijuana smoke, I can confidently recommend an air purifier. They’re simple to use and non-invasive and can eliminate the odors caused by marijuana smoke and other pollutants in the air.

So, whether you’re dealing with a small amount of cannabis smoke or if you smoke weed every day like Dr. Dre, investing in the best air purifier can be a great solution to keep your home smelling fresh and clean.