Vaping Smell – What is It?
Does vaping smell? It’s a question a lot of people considering switching to vaping may have, but what’s the truth?
A vape actually produces vapour rather than smoke, so vapes don’t smell like cigarettes.
But, what do vapes actually smell like, and does vaping leave a smell? We’ll take a look in this guide, so you can find out everything you need to know about what vaping smells like.
Does Vaping Smell?
As we’ve explained, vapes don’t smell like cigarettes because they don’t produce smoke. The vapour produced by vapes does smell, but this smell will generally reflect the e-liquid used. For example, when somebody vapes with a strawberry e-liquid, the vapour produced will likely smell a little bit like strawberry.
Generally, the vapour produced won’t be too unpleasant to smell, but sometimes there can be a more unpleasant odour coming from the vape if there’s an issue with it. If you’ve got a burnt coil, you might find that there’s not a very nice smell as a result, and likewise if your vape hasn’t been cleaned in a while it can affect the overall vaping smell.
How Long Does the Vaping Smell Linger?
When it comes to vaping, the smell won’t linger as long as the smell of cigarettes.
Vapour from vaping and cigarette smoke, while they might look similar, are different at their core. The former is produced through converting a substance in a liquid phase to a gaseous phase, while the latter is produced through combustion.
Vapour isn’t as dense as cigarette smoke, so it tends not to last as long, even indoors – particularly if the area is well-ventilated. The particles are different: cigarette smoke contains less volatile, more stable particles which linger longer. In contrast, the particles in vapour don’t linger as much – vapour might smell, but it probably won’t last.
Will Vaping Leave a Permanent Smell in the House?
Simply put, no – it shouldn’t. Unlike cigarette smoke, the smell of which can be tricky to remove, vaping shouldn’t leave a permanent smell.
However, the smell from vaping can linger for longer than you might like, depending on a handful of factors. Fortunately, there are ways to help speed up the process and get rid of the vape smell, which we’ll explain below.
One quick thing to bear in mind is that a leaking vape can make you and your clothes smell. For that reason, always make sure that it’s kept upright and that you’re using the right e-liquid for your device – as propylene glycol is thinner than vegetable glycerin, e-liquids with a higher PG ratio risk leaking out of some vapes.
How to Get Rid of the Vape Smell From the House Quicker?
There are some simple ways to help get rid of the vape smell, including the below.
Ensure better ventilation
To help prevent the vaping smell from lingering, it’s important to keep air moving around the area in which you use your vape. Opening a window, weather permitting, is a good option, as is running a fan or even just keeping doors to other rooms open to allow air to circulate around.
Meanwhile, some window units have small vents which you can open up while vaping to allow the smell to dissipate but without making the room cold.
Use lighter vape flavours
Some e-liquid flavours are stronger than others, and some will smell more pleasant than others. Hence, it can be a good idea to choose a light and fresh e-liquid. This way, even if the smell does linger a little, it might not be as much of an issue.
Use an air purifier
Air purifiers can be adept at removing the smell of vapour. They differ from fans in that they not only move air around but also filter the air and remove odours, so they can certainly come in handy when you want to prevent smells from lingering.
Use flavourless e-liquid
These e-liquids are made from a base liquid and nicotine, with no added flavour. You can vape them on their own, or sometimes they come as nicotine shots, used by people who make their own e-juice.
Using unflavoured e-liquids isn’t a choice all vapers will be willing to make, as people will often have their favourite flavours as part of the vaping experience, but they can certainly help in preventing any lingering vaping smells.
Vacuum and wipe your surfaces
Where vapour particles can settle on windows and furniture, they can usually be removed with a damp cloth. Even just water may well do the job, though you might want to use some detergent too – simply wipe your windows, shelves, and furniture, and the smell should disappear without too much trouble.
If you’re still struggling with the smell, however, you might want to consider steam cleaning your furniture. Steam can tackle vape smells by dissolving them at high temperatures, but without damaging your furniture in the process. However, you shouldn’t need to do this on a regular basis if vape smells are the sole reason.
So, does vaping leave a smell? Yes, but as you can see, it won’t linger like cigarette smoke and there are ways to help speed up the process of removing the smell too. Similarly, heated tobacco products like IQOS can also smell, but not linger. IQOS leaves less smell on furniture and fabric than cigarettes, and leaves less lingering smell on hands, hair and clothes than cigarettes. You can find more about the smell of heated tobacco here.
