GoKawiilIn the US and globally, April 20 has become an unofficial holiday for weed smokers. While vaping, gummies and edibles are increasingly popular, a fair number of people still light up for a smoke, and that can result in a lingering odor many find unpleasant.
I'm one of those people, and GermGuardian's new FLT420B air purifier filter is designed to filter out cannabis smoke more effectively than regular air purifier filters.
"As cannabis use becomes more widely accepted, we recognized a real gap in the market for a filter purpose-built to tackle cannabis smoke odors, not just mask them," said Rukky Ojakovo, senior director of heaters and air quality at Guardian Technologies. "In our two-week in-home test, over 90% of users rated it very effective at reducing cannabis odor."
I've been using the FLT420B filter in my home with a GermGuardian AC4880B air purifier for several weeks now, and I've been impressed with just how effectively it tackles smoke odors. In my case, the odor is more from cigarette smoke than marijuana (I had the great misfortunate of having indoor smokers move into the unit below me). The FLT420B filter has been effective at tackling the smell.
GermGuardian says the filter can remove cannabis odor in about 90 minutes. It's also compatible with a wide range of the company's models. GermGuardian
"While the FLT420B was engineered specifically for cannabis smoke, its advanced odor-control media targets VOCs [volatile organic compounds] broadly, making it effective against other herbal smoke as well," Ojakovo told me over email.
According to GermGuardian, the filter is 300 times more effective than standard HEPA smoke filters and targets odor-causing VOCs at the "molecular" level. The company says it can remove cannabis odor within 90 minutes. Though I'm not a marijuana smoker myself -- I'm very sensitive to bad odors, and I have two asthmatic cats -- I'm planning on testing this soon by using cannabis-scented incense sticks.
In the meantime, to test this, I placed the entire AC4880B air purifier unit, with the smoke filter installed, in a closet in my wife's office and shut the door. With the UV-C sanitizing light, which potentially generates a small amount of safe ozone, the entire closet was effectively deodorized in about 24 hours.
I asked Ojakovo what played the largest role in clearing the odor from the closet. The filter was the primary driver.
"The FLT420B's advanced odor-control media is specifically designed to capture VOCs and lingering odors like cigarette smoke," Ojakovo said. "The UV-C light is great for reducing airborne bacteria, germs, and mold spores, but is less targeted toward chemical-based smoke odors specifically."
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