If you’ve found yourself with the urge to smoke, but you’re stuck indoors, there may still be options.
Of course, it’s always best to smoke outdoors, since there is better ventilation and the smoke has more areas to dissipate into (that aren’t parts of your home).
But with that in mind, if you’re still needing to smoke indoors, we have a few tricks on how you can smoke in your room without smelling it.
If you’d rather watch our video guide we’ve got it below:
1. Turn on an air purifier.
One of the best ways to treat indoor smoke is by turning on an air purifier. Air purifiers work by pulling air from the environment through a series of filters to remove harmful particles, bacteria, and odors.
Once the air is cleaned, it’s redistributed back through the vent
For the best odor control, try to find a purifier that has an activated charcoal or carbon filter. This filter is the most effective way for an air purifier to remove odors from the air and can make a noticeable difference
Here are some of our top recommendations for air purifiers with carbon filters:
BUDGET OPTION: For a budget option that uses the same charcoal material, consider the Smoke Buddy.
This product allows you to inhale as you would normally, but as you exhale, you exhale into the device which filters the smoke into the Smoke Buddy, drastically limiting the amount of smoke that can escape into your room.
RELATED – Do air purifiers remove odors? (spoiler: yes, but only some)
2. Open a window.
Where you can, try and open up a window while you smoke.
The open window provides more ventilation and gives the smoke an area to exit so that it doesn’t linger in the room and settle. Once it’s settled, it can be harder to remove the smoke smell.
As you smoke, try to exhale directly out of the open window. Again, this helps to get the smoke out of the room as quick as possible. The longer it lingers, the longer it lasts.
3. Close any air vents.
Now this one may seem counter-intuitive, but be sure to close off any interior air vents.
Smoke that gets into the air vent can be easily sucked through your HVAC system and travel to many rooms in the house in a short amount of time.
This is especially critical if you’re trying to secretly smoke in an interior room of the house. Parents, roommates, spouses, or children can quickly detect smoke that travels through the air vents into adjacent rooms.
How to quickly close an air vent?
Most air vents have little metal levers that slide forward and back, opening or closing the vent. For added protection, you can also tape a plastic bag or piece of paper on top of the vent.
If you block the vent, be sure to take it off after you’re done smoking to return proper ventilation to the space as well as not raise any suspicion.
RELATED – Best air purifiers
4. Put a wet towel by the closed door.
With blocked vents inside the room, the last line of defense against the smoke sneaking out is to protect the air gap at the bottom of the door.
Just like smoke can sneak through vents, it can also go under doors.
For a quick fix, throw a towel or a pile of clothes on the floor by the door. This extra fabric helps to keep the smoke from exiting the room.
For even better coverage, try getting the towel wet. Smoke has more trouble traveling through moisture so this is just an extra barrier.
Smoking in the Boys Room…
Remember that song “smoking in the boys room”, a 1970’s classic about lighting up in the bathroom? Not only was this song immensely popular, but they may have been onto something.
Smoking in bathrooms hold a few bit advantages over other rooms.
Advantages of smoking in bathrooms
- Tile floors reject odors: Most bathrooms have tile or linoleum floor, both of which are better at resisting a smoke smell compared to carpeted floors.
- Wet towels make sense: Using the wet towel trick, it can be hard to smoke and use a wet towel at the base of the door in any room besides a bathroom. If you get caught, a wet towel is just not going to make sense in any other setting.
- Turn on the shower: If you want to keep people from barging in and catching you mid-smoke, try turning on the shower. The steam will help to absorb the smoke and it guarantees a level of privacy.
5. Put your hair up & limit clothing.
Smoke sticks to whatever it comes in contact with. If you’re trying to sneak a quick smoke, try to limit these items.
- If you have long hair, put it up in a ponytail or bun and get it away from your face.
- Take off any jackets or long pants and instead opt for tank tops, shorts, and other tighter fitted clothing.
- You will likely want to change your clothes immediately after you smoke anyway to hide the smell, so it’s just easier if you limit yourself to just the basics.
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6. Mask the smell.
Whether you choose to smoke in the bathroom or any other room, it helps to use something to mask the smell of smoke.
You can use:
- Candles
- Essential oil diffusers
- Plug-in air fresheners
- Spray can air fresheners
For the best results, light or turn on the fragrance dispenser before you start smoking. Then light up and enjoy your smoke.
When you’re finished, douse the cigarette in cold water and allow the air freshener to continue to run. This helps to make sure that all the smoke smell is covered up.
If you’re extra concerned, you can even leave the freshener running after you’ve left, but be sure to monitor it (especially if it’s a candle).
7. Keep it short.
Every extra minute that you spend taking a drag is one extra minute that smoke has to spread and settle into your surroundings. For the sneakiest smokes, try to limit yourself to just a couple minutes.
Keeping it short, as well as following the tips listed above, you can certainly have a quick smoke without leaving lasting impressions in the room.
8. Freshen up.
Last, but not least, remember to freshen up after you’re done smoking.
One of the biggest misconceptions that smokers may have is that people can’t smell the smoke because they can’t smell it.
In most cases, this simply is not true.
Think of it like a painter on the job. They are sitting in the midst of the fumes for a prolonged period of time. When they leave, they may think the air smells, but in most cases the smell of the paint can linger on their clothes or body.
The same can be said for smoke.
After you’re finished smoking, follow the fresh checklist below to help get rid of any smoke smell that could still be on your body.
- Brush your teeth
- Take a shower
- Wash your face
- Wash your body
- Wash your hair
- Change into fresh clothes
Final Thoughts
Still not sure how to smoke in your room without smelling it?
Using a combination of these tips, you will likely be able to enjoy a quick smoke without lasting effects on the room or having any other members of the household become suspicious.
Upstairs tenant vents huge volumes of smoke and now low odor caustic chemicals inro my apartment and adjacent apartment on the first floor these the smoke and chemicals also go into common areas on the first floor
the Upstairs tenants apartment remains odor and smoke free
What mechanical system in the building is she utilizing to get all of the cigar cigarette pipe tobacco Wood smoke and now these caustic chemicals into my apartment and the neighboring apartment and the common areas downstairs?
We suspect and we have no building knowledge she is somehow utilizing the baseboard heating and an insulated ceiling would really appreciate your input thank you
I am not sure, but my guess would simply be that the smoke is getting into the building ventilation system and some of that smell / odor / smoke makes its way into your apartment.
This really is more of a question for the landlord / building manager. Only they would really know how the building is setup.
This is pretty good advice, as well as accurate too…
My fiancé and I are living in a hotel for a short time and there’s a strict policy saying no smoking, no vaping, no THC. Well we’re pretty heavy smokers and the rooms here are all indoors, and only assessable by card entry only! SUPER aggravating especially that we are on the top floor. So we’ve been smoking in the bathroom.
1. We turn sink and shower on as hot as possible and let some steam build up.
2. We dampen a towel, and lay it at the bottom of the bathroom door.
3. We make sure the exhaust fan is on.
4. We have a cup of water to ash in ( leaving no evidence of exposing smoking)
5. We only smoke one cigarette per time, and we get half each.
6. Stand under the exhaust fan and keep our arm held up so the smoke is vacuumed up the fan.
7. Then when we’re all done we use blunt spray it’s the best thing we’ve ever used and works 10000% only spray it twice.
8. Exit the bathroom after turning off the water but leave the fan on so that any excess is vacuumed.
Mane Derek Hales you the man teaching peeps to sneak one real quick, mad respect much love for the real questions xD anyways not a comment but had to say thank you
I got your back, CJ
My roommate is smoking in the room and fucking it up. I own the furniture, linens etc. i smoke outside.
I got an ozone generator to see how that does…any experience with them?
I’ll make sure that all pets and humans are not inside .
Ozone generators can be very dangerous if you aren’t careful. It will work, but use with extreme caution. Only use when all living things have vacated that home. And ensure sufficient time to air out the home after it has been turned off.
I live on the 2nd floor and smoke in my apartment, apparently my neighbor who lives right under me smells it, yesterday at 3 am she started insulting me and saying she’s gonna call the cops, I have like a vent thing in my bathroom, so is it better to smoke there? The problem is, the bathroom is right next to the main entrance door.. I really don’t know what to do (she’s like over 60 and really aggressive – my neighbor)
You really need an air purifier. It’s going to be tough for her to not smell it if you’re venting it outside.
i live on the second story and just jump out my window and smoke on my roof and keep a diffuser and candle on inside, towel at door and spray perfume when im done. however im not talking about cigarettes thing more… green i still get scared this is not enough do you think its fine?
I’d also close the window after you’re outside, you want that tight seal to prevent smoke back flowing into the room.
Do you have any recommendations for smoke eater machines that use replaceable carbon air filters that are affordable? My wife is 30 years older than me and is from that generation that smokes in every room of the house. I’ve never had a problem with her habit until it came to selling our home. Now that we’re in a new home, I’d like to reduce the aftereffects of her habit without inconveniencing her. I’m willing to make the upfront investment in multiple smoke eaters, but the replaceable filters seem so expensive, especially when they need to be replaced every couple months.
Perhaps consider the Airdog X3 – https://amzn.to/3l8A5qy
It uses washable filters, and their carbon filter never needs to be replaced. It simply needs to be refreshed by placing it outside for several hours. The carbon interacts with the sunlight to refresh itself. Then it’s ready to go again.
Basically where I live there are no smoking in any condominiums / apartments that have more than 5 units. All claims to be smoke free property. What is my chance if I find an apartment on the top floor with no neighbor attached on either side, you think it’s safe to smoke in the balcony? Thanks!
Zero. I would not risk that. You will almost certainly get found out by the condo.
Even if they don’t smell it, someone will see it, or at some point catch the smallest wiff and it’ll be over.
I live with my parents and my dad knows what the smell of smoke is and I have wasps in my window but my rooms upstairs do you think I be ok with a fan on would they find out?
Probably not worth risking it if you’re dad is already aware of the smoke and knows the well. That’s just asking for it.
This is such a stupid comment I’m sorry but come on
if u blow smoke from behind the fan will it like face the fan at the window blow from behind it will it go through ?
In theory, yes.
Yep, I am a smoker, have been for a long time. Just moved into an apt. where there is NO smoking, or else you get set up for Eviction. I have tried many of your techniques, however, smoke still lingers. I decided to buy 2 floor fans, facing the window, and keep them on throughout the day. What is your advice on this?
Yikes…that’s a hard choice. Personally, I would not risk eviction.
While these tips will definitely help, I’m not sure they are 100% fool proof to the point you should risk eviction.
The dual fans toward the window is a good idea. However, what if your neighbors smell / see it and then report you?
Put the fans in the window pointing out. Also incense, smoke odor candles, ozium.
What should I do, if i’m smoking near window and wind blow inside the room?
Close the window
U gotta blow the air at the top of ur window, airflow gets pulled in through the lower part and pulled out from the top.
I have a roommate that smokes and they like to leave the door open. I just need to know how can I keep that smell from coming into my room? I have asthma and I get bad headaches from this.
Seal your door as best you can. At a minimum, rolling up towels and putting them at the base of the door will help.
Beyond that, you might consider closing your vents when they are smoking. You might also consider adding an air purifier to your room, see here – https://moderncastle.com/air-purifiers/
However, I will say it’s going to be incredibly difficult to keep the smoke out long term. Your HVAC system is going to spread that all over your home no matter what you do.
So the exhaust fan in my bathroom makes anyone outside aware of the cigarette smell. If i cover the fan with some paper, can anyone outside still tell if I’m smoking? Appreciate you taking the time for all the tips and links! Thanks
I’m not sure paper would cut it. You’d need something with creates a better seal.
Maybe some type of plastic or cling wrap (the sort of stuff you wrap over left overs in the fridge). That (in theory) should prevent smoke from leaking out the vent.
Anyone know about smoking near a fan facing out a window? Would that be enough to suck in and propel all the smoke outside?
That would definitely help.
I once new a smoker who had landlord living in front main house. He always used a fan up against the window facing inward not out . Try it it was to keep smell from traveling to the landlords windows
they’re not. Sorry. I smoke a cigar to unwind and it’s been rainy lately. So, I went inside and tried the smokeless ashtray. Not good at all. I ended up getting an attic fan with some dryer ducting. No joke; I put the fan in the window, the ducting ran to the ashtray next to my chair, and it sucked the air out.
We’re moving, but I plan on doing the same thing in the new place. Also, get an area rug to go over the floor or area rug. Ruggables makes really nice washable rugs and that helps with the smell, a lot!
are any of the smokeless ashtrays any good ?
We haven’t tested any smokeless ashtray, yet, so we cannot say for sure. Sorry 🙁