How to get the smell of marijuana out of your home

However you feel about it, you almost definitely know it: that skunk-like scent that lingers on street corners, in concert venues and parks, and maybe even in your own home. The smell of marijuana, instantly recognizable, makes some people scowl and others smile. But almost everyone can agree they don’t want it stinking up the house.

As more states legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana and the taboo dissipates like smoke, professional cleaners say it is increasingly common to encounter houses with a persistent cannabis smell. “Recreational marijuana is kind of similar to a glass of wine here,” says Sharleen Schuiling, owner of California cleaning company Om Sweet Om.

The easiest way to omit the smell of marijuana in the home is, of course, by only smoking outdoors. However, there are reasons someone might choose to smoke inside. Schuiling, whose company uses all natural products, says several of her clients, including cancer patients, use marijuana medicinally. Some are not able to move outside to smoke.

“They feel weak or they feel sick,” Schuiling says. “Depending on where you live, the weather might not permit you to smoke outside. You might have neighbors you don’t want to offend with the smoke odor. So whether it is pure laziness or you don’t feel well enough to go outside, it happens.”

Cannabis is a potent plant. “It has a lot of terpenes and some sulfurous compounds,” says Laura Haupert who, as chief scientific officer for air freshener brand Cannabolish, studies the chemical composition of the drug. “Unfortunately, sulfur compounds have a really low odor threshold, meaning that you can smell them at a really, really low concentration.”

When the plant is burned for consumption, new chemicals form during the process of combustion. Some particles that make up the smoke are heavier than the air, and “when you blow them, it is going to surround that area and stick to the fabric,” Haupert says. “If you are going to eliminate an odor, you have to eliminate every place that odor is. So, when you are thinking, ‘my house smells,’ you have to think about everywhere that smoke might have been.”

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Proper preparation is the “most important” way to reduce the smell of marijuana in the home, says Grace Reynolds, president of the American House Cleaners Association. That means maximizing ventilation. “Opening windows is a great idea,” she says. “Ozone generating machines are also really good at collecting those organic particles and binding them with oxygen to eliminate the smell that’s in the air.”

More typical air purifiers, especially those that have medical grade, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, can now aid in diminishing smoke and smells as well, Schuiling says. Traditional ceiling and mobile fans can also work in a pinch.

Cannabis journalist Miguel Antonio Ordoñez recommends smoking in the bathroom with the shower running, which can help push smoke through the bathroom fan.

It is not just where you smoke, but how and what you smoke, that makes a difference in the ensuing stench. Some devices, for example, produce more smoke than others. “Some people use a one-hitter pipe because you light it up, you blow out the smoke and it is gone,” says Ordoñez. “Unlike a joint, which is like a little torch in your hand.”

Certain marijuana strains also have a tendency to cause more unwelcome smells than other strains. Ordoñez recommends doing your research, whether online or at your dispensary, before buying new marijuana strains.

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The scent of marijuana tends to be strongest just after smoking. To cover that smell, try lighting candles or incense, Reynolds says. She also has less traditional solutions: “Say your mother-in-law is coming over or something like that, and you need a quick fix. You can even pop popcorn in the microwave.”

Reynolds also recommends boiling vinegar or essential oils, especially lavender and citrus oils, to help cover the smoke smell. But keep in mind these scents mask the marijuana odor while doing little to actually remove it.

“The smell can go on to every surface and coagulate with different contaminants from your house, into your bags and furniture and everything,” Reynolds says. “So those are more temporary short-term fixes.”

Say you have tried the proper ventilation techniques and covering up the smoke smell, but there is still a lingering odor. Since marijuana smoke binds with contaminants, including dust and grime, it is important to clean “top to bottom,” Reynolds says. In bathrooms, the smoke smell can also stick to hard water buildup.

Reynolds recommends washing anything that has been near the smoke, including bedding, curtains and rugs. Make sure to check whether an item is machine washable. If it is not, take it to a specialist. Fabrics tend to collect smoke particles or resin, which is the sticky insoluble residue that builds up on smoking devices.

“If you cannot get it out of the fabric, you will have a slight odor all the time,” Schuiling says. She suggests soaking clothes in alcohol, or spot cleaning with it. You can also try adding a touch of orange essential oil to further mask the smell.

Alcohol can also combat resin buildup in other places around the home. “If the resin has gotten onto your table and it is sticky, you can use alcohol with orange oil and a straight edge, whether plastic or razor, to help remove it,” Schuiling says. She recommends spot testing alcohol and essential oils on clothing, curtains and furniture before fully cleaning with them, to make sure they do not leave a stain.

Try a varnished spot under the table, for example, or a small patch on the back of your curtains. Reynolds says steam cleaning a couch, carpet or upholstery can also help lift stubborn scents. But if all else fails, consider getting your home professionally cleaned.

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