People think that tobacco has a way of stinking up a house, and that is certainly true. Anyone who thinks that tobacco is the smelliest thing that you can smoke or vape, though, clearly has never tried other dry herbs. Cannabis has such a powerful smell that it’s said humans can detect its scent in the air at one part per million. Some people want to keep their herb usage private. Others simply don’t want the smell to infiltrate their homes. Whichever group you fall into, you’ll want to take some steps to control the smell of your dry herb vaping. We’ve got several solutions that can help.
Keep Your Device Clean
Has it been a while since the last time you gave your vape a good cleaning? Your vaporizer’s oven and vapor path are most likely caked with thick, dark resin that has an extremely powerful smell. Clean your vaporizer periodically with rubbing alcohol to break up and remove the resin. Are your screens getting nasty? Throw them away and grab some replacement screens. Jason Cugle of Triple 7 Vaping says, “I always tell my customers that proper maintenance of a vaporizer isn’t just about keeping the flavor quality high and the vapor path clear. Scrubbing away those thick resins massively reduces any unpleasant smells from the vape.”
Check Your Vaporizer’s Gaskets
When you’ve opened your vaporizer to refill the oven, have you noticed some small silicone gaskets? Those gaskets don’t just keep the vapor from escaping your device while the oven heats up; they also keep the smell inside your device. If you’ve noticed that your device emits a more powerful smell when you vape than it did when it was new, check the gaskets for tears and replace them as necessary.
Store Your Vaporizer in a Smell-Proof Bag
Even if you keep it very clean, your vaporizer is going to give off a pretty strong smell when you’re not using it. If you keep your device in a cabinet, for example, you’d better be prepared for the smell to permeate the wood. Do you want to keep the smell of your device contained? Try storing it in a smell-proof bag. A good smell-proof bag really works for storing things like your vaporizer along with your herb grinder and other accessories. A smell-proof bag typically has several layers incorporating materials such as activated carbon, nylon, insulating foil, foam and silicone. The material allows air to circulate, but it keeps the smell in because the activated carbon and filtering foam trap the scent. A smell-proof bag is also a good solution for storing your herbs, but there are a couple of other options that you might consider as well. We’ll discuss those next.
Store Your Herbs in an Airtight Canister
An airtight canister is a great solution for keeping your herbs fresh and keeping the smell out of your home. Unfortunately, though, truly airtight canisters aren’t so easy to find. If you search many popular online retailers for airtight canisters, you’ll see canisters designed for coffee. Coffee beans release carbon dioxide after they’re roasted, so coffee storage solutions often have one-way valves that allow the gas to escape. That’s not what you want if you’re looking for smell-proof storage. If you can find a glass or metal canister with a pump that allows you to remove the air, that would be ideal.
Use an Oven Bag in a Pinch
If you can’t find – or can’t afford – a better solution for storing your vaporizer and herbs, try oven bags. You can find them near the aluminum foil in your local supermarket. Oven bags are made from nylon that’s highly resistant to heat and can contain the smell of almost anything. They don’t work quite as well as smell-proof bags – which use nylon in addition to several other materials – but they’re very good for the price. A scented reed diffuser placed near the bags can help to cover any smell that does manage to escape.
Use a Sploof When Vaping
Sploof is a funny word, and it’s also the name of a very useful tool that can do an excellent job of keeping the smell under control while you vape. To make one, you need a cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tube, some scented dryer sheets – the more pungent, the better – and a rubber band. Stuff as many dryer sheets as possible into the tube. Close one end of the tube with an additional dryer sheet, using the rubber band to keep the sheet in place. When you vape, exhale into the open end of the tube. The dryer sheets help to strip the vapor of its scent while imparting a powerful scent of their own.
Use a Scented Candle
When you vape, a strongly scented candle can be very effective in masking the odor. If you vape outdoors, try a citronella candle. Citronella contains limonene, and limonene is also one of the most plentiful terpenes in most cannabis strains. Since a citronella candle has a very strong scent, it’ll mask the smell of your herbs. It’ll also help keep mosquitoes away! The one drawback of citronella candles is that they also produce smoke and soot – so they’re only safe for outdoor use. If you vape indoors, try a lemongrass candle instead. Lemongrass also contains limonene.
Microwave Some Popcorn
No, this isn’t a tip for curing the munchies – although if you tend to feel hungry after vaping, popcorn will definitely do the trick. Have you ever noticed a “burned popcorn” flavor and smell as you reach the end of a vaping session? You’re not the only person who notices that smell – so microwave some popcorn just as you’re getting ready to start vaping. Microwave popcorn has an extremely strong smell of its own, and it’s close enough to the smell of your herbs that it’ll mask the scent.
