Thread: DIY- Inexpensive odour neutraliser

Bad smells, stink and hefty weed odours is something every indoor
cultivator needs like another hole in the head. Because the problem
arises as a result of growing activities, it is logical to take
preventative measures. Many weed growers use carbon filters to
get rid of weed smells and that can often be expensive, depending on
the size of your space, of course.
For those starter growers and other interested parties, investing in ventilation and
filters can be a big step and it’s great if there are cheaper methods that are still
effective. One of these methods is to build an odour neutraliser. These work
excellently and are easy to build and cheap to run and you can easily make and use
more than one. Plus it has the advantage of being useful anywhere, even in the toilet
and is efficient enough to drive off the smell left by a baby’s bad nappy. Anything
that smells bad can be exorcised by this gizmo.
What you will need to construct the odour neutraliser is:
Either a computer driven ventilation fan or a normal rotating fan €30.00
Air freshener product such as Ona or Febreeze €10.00
Hydrogel (polymer crystals) €10.00
10-20L plastic bucket with lid € 4.50
You can use either a computer generated ventilation fan or a regular one. On the first
photo you can see all the things you require for this project so let’s make a start. For
practical purposes I use a large bucket but you can use either a smaller or larger one
with no problem. Cut a hole in the lid large enough to fit your ventilation fan and
then secure it to the lid. There are many ways to achieve this so choose one that is
suitable for your lid and your fan. If you look at the photos you will clearly see how I
mounted my fan. Once that is done, you need to cut large holes into the sides of the
plastic bucket. That is all the heavy work done and now you can fill up the bucket
with the other ingredients. To nine cups of water, you add one cup of smell
neutraliser product such as Febreeze or Ona and add a half-cup of polymer crystals.
Place the lid on, turn on the ventilator and within 5 minutes the whole place should
be smelling good and clean and fresh…..
The workings of this method are simplicity itself. The foul air is sucked into the
bucket where it comes into contact with the air freshener and so becomes clean as it
is once more blown through. The neutralised product absorbs all the bad smells and
the polymer crystals serve to suck up the moisture which ensures that the air
freshener lasts longer so that you only need to add a little more occasionally. The
crystals themselves work well for many years and can swell up to fifty times their
original size.
The only maintenance necessary for this odour neutraliser is to top up the water and
air freshener now and then. Normally it needs no extra attention for about four weeks
at a time. There are about five different kinds of smell neutraliser that you can use, be
aware that other similar products will not work. Other smell absorbers will also work,
even the soluble variety and these come in different colours and perfumes. So dare to
change your Cannabis fumes into a vanilla flavoured fragrance.
All in all this is a very efficient and inexpensive alternative to carbon filtered
exhausts. A combination of the two is the best way to be absolutely sure that you are
not pervading the atmosphere with a bad pong. A smaller version of this odour
neutraliser can be used in the bathroom or living room where it can efficiently
eradicate even cigarette stink. Its a good idea to keep one in your communal space
just in case any whiffs from your grow space invade while you have visitors. Often
one does not notice the smell of one’s own hole and in this way you can be sure that
you stay sweet. Prevention is always better than the cure and you’ll be amazed at
how much the smell in your grow room can be changed.
The only problem here is that you might end up with such a nice smelling place, that
all your friends would want to be there all the time.
Have good clean fun! the postman.