How To Make A Sploof

A rich terpene profile is a joy for stoners to smell. But sadly, not everyone agrees. Whether it’s nosy neighbours or prying police officers, there are those out there who, rather than smile at the scent of weed wafting on the breeze, will seek to bring misery down on those responsible!

So, how do you hide the smell of weed? One option is a sploof. Cheap, simple, and semi-effective, this device will help to absorb those cannabis fumes.

What is a sploof?

A sploof is a device created with a single purpose in mind; to capture and hide the smell of cannabis. Despite the name, sploofs do not actually work with spliffs or joints, but they do work to mitigate the smell from bongs, pipes, dab rigs, vapes, or anything else from which you take individual, larger hits.

Instead of exhaling your hit as you normally would, into the open air, you blow into the sploof, which does its best to absorb the smell and smoke particles for a (hopefully) more discreet experience.

Sploofs are available online or from some headshops. These purpose-made products needn’t be too expensive, but they aren’t exactly cheap either. Though, on the whole, they’re well-manufactured, do their job, and last for at least a couple hundred exhales before the filter needs to be replaced. Most branded sploofs utilise activated carbon/charcoal to offer the best absorption possible.

But why not just make a homemade sploof? DIY sploofs are incredibly cheap, but less reliable than manufactured products. Nevertheless, a little care should make one that is good enough for a single use.

How well does a sploof work?

The shortcomings of a sploof are important to consider. Put simply, if disguising the smell of cannabis is a matter of, say, prison or freedom, a sploof is not reliable enough. If, however, you just want to keep the smell to a minimum as a courtesy to those around you, then a sploof is the perfect tool.

The pros of a sploof are:

• Reduces the smell of weed smoke
• DIY sploofs are very cheap
• Store-bought sploofs should last some time

The cons of a sploof are:

• Doesn’t work with spliffs and joints (too much errant smoke)
• Manufactured ones can be expensive
• Homemade sploofs are of limited use

How long does a sploof last?

How long a sploof lasts depends on a range of factors. A store-bought sploof can take anywhere from 200–500 exhales before the filter needs replacing, depending on the product in question.

For homemade sploofs, it’s more variable. A cardboard tube stuffed with scented dryer sheets is unlikely to last more than a few sessions, simply because it’s too fragile. A cardboard tube stuffed with paper towels sprayed with air freshener will last a single session. That being said, they are so cheap and easy to make that this isn’t too much of a problem, as you can just make another at your convenience!

DIY sploofs crafted using plastic bottles and activated carbon can last longer. This is in part because the bottle is more robust, but also because the activated carbon will be able to absorb more before it stops working.

How to make a sploof with dryer sheets

Making a sploof with dryer sheets is incredibly easy, so cheap it’s almost free, and requires no hard-to-find or suspicious equipment.

Equipment

• Toilet paper roll tube or hard plastic bottle (if using a plastic bottle, one with a wide mouth is better)
• 6 dryer sheets (scented or unscented)
• Rubber bands
• Scissor or knife (if using a plastic bottle)

Instructions

Given how few things you need to make a DIY sploof, you won’t be surprised that the method is also very simple. Here’s what to do.

Step 1

If using a plastic bottle, cut the bottom end off so it’s open.

Step 2

Now, fill the bottle or toilet roll tube with five dryer sheets. Do not compress them too much.

Step 3

Secure one final dryer sheet with rubber bands over one end of the toilet paper roll tube, or the wider end of the bottle.

That’s it.

Making a sploof without dryer sheets

If you can’t get a hold of dryer sheets, you can use paper towels sprayed with an air freshener that removes odours, such as Febreze.

If using this method, there are two things to be aware of. First, definitely do not inhale through the sploof, as air fresheners may irritate your lungs. Second, you’ll need to spray the sheets just before you start smoking and throw them away after. This sort of sploof does not keep! You can always reuse the cardboard tube, though.

How to make a sploof with activated carbon

Another, potentially better, method is to use activated charcoal. Many manufactured versions employ this material, so why not do the same at home?

Equipment

• Plastic bottle
• Activated charcoal
• Scissors or knife

Method

Not too different from the other method, here’s how to make a sploof with activated charcoal.

Step 1

Soak the charcoal. This is the process that “activates” it, meaning it becomes able to absorb odours and particles.

Step 2

Poke 5–10 holes in the bottom of your plastic bottle.

Step 3

Fill the bottle with the charcoal. You can either put it straight in, or wrap it in a paper towel.

How to use a DIY sploof

Using a DIY sploof is very much the same as with a store-bought device; take your hit as normal, and then exhale it through the sploof. Make sure to breathe out into the mouth of the bottle, or the end that doesn’t have a dryer sheet over it. Then, the odour will be absorbed (hopefully!).

Homemade sploof: perfect in a pinch!

A sploof can come to the rescue if you’ve got no other option and there won’t be serious repercussions if you get caught. As you can see, they’re cheap and super easy to make, so there’s certainly no harm in using one.

Although, don’t rely on a sploof to perfectly disguise your smoking sessions. If you really can’t get caught having a smoke, either go somewhere that this isn’t going to happen—like the woods—or just refrain from smoking. Getting high isn’t much fun if you spend the whole time scared anyway!

If you want to mitigate the smell to please a housemate, or maybe just so your furniture doesn’t absorb that dank, weedy aroma, then both homemade and store-bought sploofs are a worthwhile accompaniment to your smoking endeavours.

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

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