Good suggestion. Is it safe to mute somebody you're following on a temporary basis? Mute sounds like it may be semi-permanent or even force you to unfollow. On the other hand it might be the filter you're looking for. Haven't tried it myself. Anybody?
Edit: Tested and as expected it unfollows and mutes the person. Thankfully I was able to revisit one of their posts I had commented on and follow/unmute. I'm not sure if going to my comment history was the only way to get them back or not.