The strong, earthy scent of good cannabis is highly touted among enthusiasts and often used to judge whether the bud is quality. However, some people do not want to loudly advertise the fact that they smoke weed.
Firstly, cannabis is still illegal in some states. Even in states where it is legal, you might just not want your house to smell so strongly. Maybe you are not sure how cool your neighbors really are.
In these cases, making a sploof can be recommended. It is super easy, and a tried and true method for hiding the smell while smoking indoors.
What is a sploof?
A sploof is a way to filter the smell of cannabis smoke. It is created out of an open cylinder that you can comfortably fit your mouth on, and filter materials that are breathable. When you exhale smoke, you exhale into the tube and the filter collects the smoke and odor.
What you are left with is clean smelling air, virtually undetectable of aroma.
The classic handmade sploof design uses a dryer sheet as the filter. This fragrant piece of thin cloth acts both as a filter and an air freshener. Some commercially made sploofs feature a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Commercial products last a long time and can be purchased at a headshop near you.
However, the homemade version sets the standard and is both cheap and disposable.
When to use a sploof
Having a sploof ready to go is a good idea in several instances, some obvious and some not.
The most common reason is to be inconspicuous with your weed use. Local and state laws may play a factor in your case, or perhaps it is the lingering stigma that often is associated with smoking. Having to be concerned about who might be watching (or smelling) you while smoking can certainly ruin a good session.
Some people use sploofs simply to be courteous. When traveling or staying with friends it could be good form not to make the place smell smokey and dank.
Whichever the reason, having a sploof on hand is a simple and effective way to lessen the odor of smoking. Start by creating one at home, and you will see how easy and portable a homemade sploof can be. Chances are you already have everything you need.
Sploof supplies
There are a variety of household items that can be crafted into a sploof. The materials you choose depend on your budget, desired level of filtration, and how long you want your sploof to last.
Any sploof construction method follows a basic design principle: place filtration materials at one end of a hollow tube and use the other end to exhale your hit into the sploof. The filter is the key part of the construction, as it traps smoke and cannabis odor.
Dryer sheets are the easiest filtration device, and if you do not already have one in your laundry room they are incredibly easy to get. Activated charcoal or air filters are durable, more so than a dryer sheet, though the scent of the dryer sheet will add a bit of freshness to the air.
Next, you will need some sort of tube. The convenient and sturdy option is a plastic bottle, but commonly people use cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls.
Whichever materials you decide, all homemade sploofs need these things:
- Cardboard toilet paper roll or paper towel roll, or plastic bottle
- Scissors or a sharp knife
- A rubber band, string, or tape
- Dryer sheets (scented or unscented), activated charcoal, or filter of choice
Dryer sheet sploof
Assemble all your chosen materials and get ready to build your sploof.
Step #1: Get the tube ready
Depending on if you choose to use a cardboard tube or plastic bottle, this step will vary.
With a plastic bottle, you will want to carefully cut the top of the bottle off with your knife or scissors. You will want a wide opening at the top. Then cut some holes in the bottom. You do not want your holes to be too big or too small, so the best practice is to start with smaller holes then widen them a bit after you try out your sploof and are not happy with the airflow.
A cardboard tube from toilet paper or paper towel is more straightforward. To prepare, just remove any lingering paper product from the tube core. A paper towel roll may be better because the length allows for more filtration to be added.
Step #2: Pack the tube with dryer sheets
Packing the filtration is the most important step of constructing a sploof. You will need several dryer sheets to make an adequate filter.
Place one sheet in the tube at a time, in a loose bunch. Stuffing them in this way allows for breathability but efficient odor control. Try to avoid large gaps in between the multiple sheets, and use as many as can comfortably fit without overcrowding.
Using either scented or unscented dryer sheets is effective, but the scented sheets add a nice fresh smell which hides the weed odor even better.
Step #3: Cover the top
The final step in sploof construction is to secure the far end of the tube (the end opposite the part your mouth goes on). Fold one single dryer sheet in half and place it over the tube opening. Secure this with a rubber band, tape, or string. Now your sploof is ready!
Using activated charcoal
Activated charcoal is perhaps most efficient for eliminating the smell of weed. Here is how to make an activated charcoal sploof.
Activated carbon, aka activated charcoal, is absorbent yet porous. A small piece of activated carbon has a surface area measuring thousands of square inches, which is what makes it such a good filter. It can be completely natural for those who like to use organic elements.
Step #1: Assemble your supplies
Unlike a dryer sheet, you probably do not have activated charcoal laying around. You will likely have to purchase some, which luckily is becoming an easier thing to do.
You can search online, or even call local stores such as Petsmart to see if they have activated carbon in their storefronts. Activated carbon comes in chunks or in powder- DO NOT get the powder as it is ineffective for a sploof, can make a huge mess, and potentially be a breathing hazard.
Step #2: Prepare bottle, tube, or roll
This process is the same as the dryer sheet method. Cut the top off a plastic bottle, then add holes near the bottom. Skip these steps if you are using a cardboard tube, but be sure to still remove any paper product that may still be attached.
Step #3: Contain the charcoal
To contain the charcoal, you will still need one or two dryer sheets or similar material. Fold one in a loose bunch and insert at the far end of the tube. Do this if using either a cardboard tube or plastic bottle.
If using a cardboard tube, fold the second and secure it at the end of the tube with rubber bands, tape, or string. This prevents the charcoal from making a mess while exhaling your hit into the sploof. This step is not necessary with a plastic bottle, as the structure of the bottle prevents the mess.
Step #4: Put the charcoal inside
Place the chunks of charcoal into the body of your sploof. Do not overfill the tube or your sploof will be messy to use, and you could get charcoal in your mouth. If your charcoal seems dusty, you can rinse it underwater and let it dry completely before using it.
Step #5: Cover the charcoal
It is best practice to also put a barrier between your mouth and the charcoal, or else you might end up eating some charcoal particles. This is not harmful in any way, but is not very tasty and could ruin the taste of the bud.
You can use dryer sheets or other similar material such as food-grade cheesecloth- any loose weave natural fiber.
Two to three layers, or folds of the fabric, would be sufficient.
Step #6: Test your sploof
You finally get to try your sploof! Spark some dank weed in whichever method you prefer, and as you go to exhale blow your entire hit into the sploof tube. You can use your hand to cover the mouthpiece after exhaling, to avoid unfiltered smoke leaking out in between hits. All the while the charcoal will work its magic to absorb the smoke and odor.
At this point is when you would judge the holes you cut if using a plastic bottle. If the smoke is coming out very slowly, widen the holes a little bit. This helps regulate the pressure between the outside and the inside of the sploof, moving the smoke through the filter more efficiently.
