Vaping continues to be a popular choice for cannabis enthusiasts who want to enjoy their favorite strain without needing to smoke. However, that doesn't mean vaping doesn't have its challenges. In particular, many vapers don't know how to get rid of vape smell after they've enjoyed a long, pleasant session with their favorite weed vaporizer.
Don't fret! The experts at Firefly have you covered. We know the tips and tricks to make sure you avoid the smell of vaping while still getting the enjoyment of your favorite dry herbs!
Why Vaping Produces a Smell
Vaping produces a smell because of the heat applied to the cannabis. In weed vapes, cannabis is heated by either convection or conduction. When the cannabis is heated, it produces fumes and vapor, which is what you end up inhaling. However, just like when you bake something in the oven, the vapor from a weed vaporizer will produce smells to go along with the vapor.
Why Does a Vape’s Heating Chamber Develop Odor?
After you've had several vaping sessions with your weed vape, you may notice that the heating chamber itself has begun to have a particular odor. This happens because, as cannabis is heated in your vaporizer, an oily residue slowly forms. You will notice that the same residue begins to build on glass pipes when you smoke weed, too.
As that layer of residue gets thicker and harder, the smell it creates becomes stronger or more pungent. Fortunately, weed vapes are usually very easy to clean (you typically only need a dry cloth or rubbing alcohol, but you have to handle it with care).
Some vapes are made to help reduce this kind of odor build-up. For example, the Firefly 2+ is designed for exceptionally easy cleaning, so odor build-up isn't an issue you'll need to be concerned with when using this device.
How Do I Get Rid of Vape Smell?
Regardless of the device you use, if you don't follow some of these simple cleaning steps, you'll find that vaping weed creates strong smells inside your home. Luckily, how to get rid of vape smell from weed is a straightforward process:
1. Keep Your Carpet Clean
Smells of all kinds can get stuck in your carpet, including the smells from vapor. Remember, vapor has oil that settles when it lands on a surface. If you vape weed indoors and have a carpeted floor, that oily residue can start to build up on your carpets. Regular vacuuming will solve this issue!
2. Use Cloth to Clean Hard Surfaces
A damp cloth is usually all that's needed to remove oily vape residue from hard surfaces. Wiping down tabletops and counters can really help reduce the smell of weed vapor.
3. Use a Steam Cleaner for Your Furniture’s Fabric
If you have cloth couches or recliners, vape residue can soak into the fabric of your furniture. This is more challenging to clean than hard surfaces, but a steam cleaner is usually enough to lift the oils out of the fabric and to reduce odors for furniture.
4. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Since most vape smells come from vapor residue collecting on surfaces over time, better ventilation to keep vapor from collecting inside will reduce unwelcome smells. Consider vaping by an open window or an open door if the smell from your weed vape is starting to bother you.
5. Choose a Less Pungent Weed Strain
Certain strains of weed have sharper, more pungent flavors than others, and when you use a weed vape, those pungent flavors can soak into everything. This is a particular problem for sativa strains that have exceptionally piney flavor notes, since those aromas tend to be very, very strong.
Fortunately, not all weed strains have such a strong, natural smell, even among sativas. Choosing a strain with more mild aromas can cut down on stubborn vape smells, or at least can make cleaning up after a heavy vape session a lot easier.
6. Buy an Indoor Air Purifier
If you don't want to regularly deep clean, and extra ventilation isn't an option for you, then an indoor purifier for your vape can really help reduce smells. Just make sure you exhale near the intake of the purifier, and the machine will filter out the particulates that cause strong odors.
7. Go for a Smaller Device
If you use a desktop vaporizer, you may be creating too much vapor to avoid smells, even if you have decent ventilation or if you're using an air purifier. Switching to a smaller device that focuses more on flavor and less on vapor (like Firefly 2+) can help you to reduce the amount of vapor created, reduce smells, and still have an incredible vaping experience.
8.Use an Air Freshener
The old techniques of getting rid of unpleasant smells can still work with vape smells! Using an air freshener or scented candles to mask the smell of your vape can create a pleasant, enjoyable atmosphere in your home without you needing to change your vaping habits.
9. Vape in the Bathroom or Kitchen
Both kitchens and bathrooms usually have extra ventilation (like a hood vent or an attic fan to suck up steam), which can help to reduce the smell of using a weed vape. If you're committed to vaping indoors, but have struggled with keeping carpeted areas clean, then the hard surfaces of a kitchen or bathroom can make cleaning a lot easier.
10. Vape at Lower Temperatures
When you vape at lower temperatures, you create less vapor, which means you'll produce less vape smell with each puff. You'll need a vaporizer built to vape at lower temperatures (such as the Firefly 2+), since many vapes aren't designed for low-temperature vaping. Many weed vapes don't offer variable temperature at all, so keep that in mind if you're looking for a new device that may create less vape smell.
Getting Rid of Vape Smell Off Yourself
Heavy vapors may end up with the smell of vape on their hands and clothes. It may be easier to know how to get rid of vape smell in your home, but it can be more of a task to understand how to rid yourself of vape smell! Remember, it's easy to become nose blind to odors on yourself, so be sure to follow these tips to keep smelling fresh!
Clean and Freshen Up Your Mouth
Even though you're vaping and not smoking, you'll still have weed odors that come from your mouth. Aside from typical oral hygiene (such as brushing daily, flossing, and the use of a mouth wash), a mint, piece of gum, or an extra blast of mouthwash after a vaping session can help!
Keep Your Hands Clean
Between packing your heating chamber and holding your vape, your hands are going to be in close proximity to non-vaped weed and weed vapor. You may not realize it, but your hands can start to smell like weed pretty easily, but the fix is easy. Just remember to wash your hands after each vape session (or use sanitizer if you're not near a sink) to reduce odors on your hands.
Ensure You Wash Your Hair Properly
Did you just finish a long, heavy vape session? Even if you were in an area with decent ventilation, vapor that ends up getting in your hair can leave vapor residue, which can cause your hair to smell. Fortunately, this is another easy fix. Just wash your hair after heavy vaping sessions to make sure there aren't any stubborn vapor smells lingering.
Getting Rid of Vape Smell: Now You Know
While we can't completely prevent vape smells from occurring, we do know how to get rid of vape smells when we find them. As general rules, you should:
- Vape in well-ventilated areas (or outside).
- Regularly vacuum and clean the inside of your home.
- Use candles or air fresheners to mask vape smells.
- Be sure to follow personal hygiene recommendations and regularly wash your hands, shower, and brush your teeth.
If you think your device is to blame for chronic bad vape smells, then a smaller device that excels at reducing those smells is ideal. The Firefly 2+ could be the device you're looking for, since it:
- Offers variable temperature settings. Lower temperature settings create less potent vape smells.
- Uses convection heating, which doesn’t produce smoke and reduces the smell of vaping.
- Has a smaller chamber, which is enough for enjoyable vaping sessions without creating too much vapor too quickly.
If you have any questions about how to reduce vaping smells, we'd love to help out. You can reach out to us with specific questions, or you can take a look at the features of Firefly 2+ to see if it's a good match for your vaping needs.