If you need to be discreet or simply want to minimize the smell of cannabis in your space, a handy device called a sploof can help prevent those weedy odors.
Learn how to make your own sploof, or check out a few convenient ready-made ones for your next session.
What is a sploof?
When smoking indoors from a pipe or bong, a sploof is a convenient tool used to help quell the smell of burning cannabis. It's designed for the user to exhale smoke through a tube and a series of filtering materials to remove or mask odors before they disperse into the air. Sploofs are traditionally made with an empty toilet paper roll and a few scented dryer sheets.
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The filtering material is the most critical since it traps the smell. Along quick, homemade sploof, several pre-made options are on the market using stronger filtering materials.
Why use a sploof?
There are a few key advantages to using a sploof.
- Discretion: Many of us love the smell of weed, but for those who don't, a sploof helps minimize the distinct aroma, maintaining discretion.
- Simplicity: Using a sploof is straightforward. No complex setup or techniques are required.
- Cost-effectiveness: Homemade sploofs total just a few cents, and even if you buy one, it's a small investment compared to dealing with cannabis odor-related issues.
The effectiveness of a sploof will vary depending on factors like the design of the device, the materials you use, and the concentration of the smoke.
How to make a sploof with dryer sheets
Here's the most common way to assemble a sploof:
Materials
- Empty toilet paper roll or paper towel roll cut to size
- Handful of dryer sheets
- Rubber band
Step 1: Seal one end of the roll
Cover one of the open ends of your cardboard roll with a dryer sheet and secure it with a rubber band. This creates a smoke filter and a barrier to prevent the dryer sheets inside from falling out.
If you don't have an empty toilet paper roll, you can cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle and use it as your tube to blow smoke into. A plastic bottle can serve as a sturdier, longer-lasting sploof frame.
Step 2: Insert dryer sheets
Scrunch up about 5 - 7 dryer sheets and stuff them one by one into the roll. Push them down gently with your finger or a pen. Each sheet should be pressed down to the bottom of the roll.
Step 3: Test the sploof
Light up and slowly exhale a small puff of smoke through the end of the roll that isn't covered with a dryer sheet. The sheets inside will help filter and neutralize the smell as the smoke passes through, but you should smell the air and see how well it's working after you exhale your first puff.
You may need to add or remove dryer sheets to improve the airflow and odor control.
How to make a sploof without dryer sheets
Out of dryer sheets? You can still make a sploof with other filtering materials, including:
- Paper towels
- Tissues
- Potpourri bags
- Coffee filters
- Activated charcoal filters
- An old cotton T-shirt
Note that using these materials instead of dryer sheets may not result in the most effective odor elimination. If you blow a ton of smoke into your sploof, there's a greater chance some of it will escape when running through thicker filters like the paper towels mentioned above.
Tips for how to use a sploof
Using a sploof is a relatively simple process. Here are some tips for how to use one effectively:
- Use in a well-ventilated area. For the best results, use your sploof in a room with good airflow or near an open window to help disperse any smoke the sploof doesn't capture.
- Take small puffs. Avoid taking a large bong rip when exhaling through a sploof. If you're exhaling a lot of smoke at once, the sploof might not catch all of it.
- Exhale slowly. When you exhale smoke through your sploof, you want to do it slowly and steadily so the filters don't get overwhelmed.
- Replace the filters regularly. After using your sploof several times, the filters can get gunked up and become less effective. Replace the filters after every use or every other use to maintain effectiveness.
Generally, a well-constructed sploof can significantly reduce the smell of smoke, making it less noticeable in indoor spaces. However, sploofs are not foolproof and may only partially eliminate some odors, so consider using it with a combination of methods, such as smoking near a window or using other air purifiers.
How long does a sploof last?
Homemade sploofs require more frequent filter replacements than commercially available ones, which often feature more advanced filter systems. Personal sensitivities to lingering odors can also influence how often you want to replace the filters.
Generally, homemade sploofs last one or two smoke sessions before they decline in effectiveness, while commercial options can last several months, depending on how often you smoke.
5 recommended sploofs to try right now
If you need to smoke discreetly more often than not, purchasing a device that's more durable than a DIY sploof may be a good idea.
Here are some popular options:
Smokebuddy
The Smokebuddy has been a staple in the sploof space and a favorite of discreet smokers since 2008. These compact, portable air filters come in various colors, styles, and sizes. You can get one that looks like a grenade or glows in the dark — the world is your oyster.
Each device has a specially designed carbon filter with ceramic bead technology that works to neutralize and eliminate the odor of weed smoke for more stealthy smoking on the go. Bonus: A portion of every Smokebuddy sold supports causes like children's hospitals, cancer research, disaster relief, and veteran family support.
The original Smokebuddy devices reportedly last 300 smoke sessions, but that number may vary depending on how heavily you smoke during those sessions.
Price: $20 to $45
Smoke Trap 2.0
The benefit of the Smoke Trap 2.0 is that you can replace the filter cartridge, reducing costs and waste in the long run. This device also features a rubber mouthpiece for snug smoke exhalation, a 3-stage HEPA and activated coconut carbon filter to minimize odors, and a sleek, pocket-sized design.
It's slim, not much thicker than an iPhone, and comes in black or silver. Much like the Smokebuddy, one filter should get you through 300 or more sessions, but that may depend on how you smoke.
Price: $17.99
Sploofy Pro II
The Sploofy Pro II distinguishes itself with its sleek, matte design and comfortable grip. It's engineered for continuous usage, so unlike a DIY sploof, you don't need to worry about exhaling small, slow puffs with this device.
The Pro II is enhanced by its replaceable cartridges, including the ability to use the Original Sploofy cartridges, and arrives with a preinstalled filter. It comes in black, red, and teal.
Price: $21.99
The Sploofer
Though it's one of the cheapest options available and looks like a kazoo, The Sploofer offers a range of qualities, from the replaceable outer shell to replaceable filters.
At 4.62 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches, it's also one of the smallest models. It comes in three colors: black, green, and pink, and you can fill it with HEPA filters bought from the Sploofer website or your own dryer sheets.
Price: $14.95
Smoke Hunter 1.0
The Smoke Hunter 1.0 looks like a refillable water bottle. It has a larger filter capacity than most models, a four-layer filter, and a lid you can clip over the mouthpiece to seal off the filtration system as soon as you exhale.
The matte black design is simple and the only color available, though it does have a handle that you can use to clip the device onto your belt with a carabiner. The brand reports that the filter can outlast 1,000 puffs, but you may need to test it to find out if those are big or small puffs it can handle.
Price: $20.99
