Whether you've recently painted a room in your home, painted a piece of furniture, or you have moved into a new home that was freshly painted, the paint odor in your home is not healthy and should be removed as much as possible.
That stinky paint smell is not just annoying, it is actually hazardous chemicals that you are breathing into your body.
Here are a few ways to remove paint smells from your home.
photo courtesy of Robert S. Donovan flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/6021868900
Why Paint Stinks
Many paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These VOCs are released into the air as your paint dries, releasing odors that can last for days weeks, or more inside your home.
Most paints with VOCs might stop smelling bad after a few days, but they will still release harmful chemicals in the air of your home for up to a year after it was first painted.
The amount of chemicals released depends on the paint type, the ventilation of the room, the humidity, the amount of air flow, the temperature throughout the day, and other environmental conditions.
No VOC Paint
The best option to keep paint odor out of your home is to use no VOC paint since prevention is the best defense against paint odors.
When selecting paint for your home, purchase low-VOC or, even better, no-VOC paints.
These paints contain fewer harmful chemicals and emit fewer odors compared to traditional paints
The outside of the paint cans are often labeled "low odor" or "odorless", however make sure to read the fine print on the can to make sure you know exactly what you are purchasing.
Fresh Air
If you have already painted without no VOC paint, you can open many windows in your home to let fresh air inside.
The fresh air and breeze will help the paint dry faster and circulate fresh air throughout your home.
Just opening one window will not work nearly as well as opening two windows on either side of the room, creating cross ventilation. The air will blow in one window and out the other, removing some of the toxic air in the process.
You can even add a box fan to the window to increase air flow.
Make sure to keep your doors to other rooms in your home closed and your central air conditioner off so the paint smell does not go throughout your house.
For optimal results, continue ventilating the room for several days after painting to ensure that all traces of paint odor are eliminated.
Air Conditioner
If you have painted your entire home, or most of your home, you can run your air conditioner or whole house fan to remove the stinky new paint smell.
If you have only painted one room of your home, you should probably keep your air conditioner off because this may distribute the smell to other rooms in your home, which is not good.
Air Purifier
You can purchase an air purifier #ad to clean the air in your home and remove new paint smell.
The air purifier will remove toxins and reduce bad air from the paint and other sources in your room.
A quality air purifier is a good investment to improve the air quality in your home, even after the paint odor is gone.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is a natural odor absorber that can help neutralize paint smells in your home.
You can put bowls of activated charcoal around the painted area of your home to absorb odors and improve your indoor air quality.
Another option is to use activated charcoal air purifiers or bags specifically designed to eliminate paint odors.
Make sure to replace the charcoal regularly to maintain its effectiveness in removing odors.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another natural odor absorber that can help eliminate paint smells from your home.
You can sprinkle baking soda on your carpets, upholstery, or other surfaces near your paint odors, then allow it to sit for several hours or overnight before vacuuming it up (make sure to test this in an inconspicuous area before applying to your entire area).
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are another natural deodorizer that can help reduce paint smells from your home.
You can fill bowls or containers with coffee grounds and place them around your painted area to absorb the odors.
The strong aroma of coffee will mask paint odors while the coffee grounds work to neutralize them.
Make sure to replace the coffee grounds regularly to ensure they are most effective.
Cover the Smell
You can do things like adding potpourri to the room, adding a cut up onion to the room, adding vanilla extract to your paint, or spraying air freshener in the room, but that only covers up the bad air smell in your home and does nothing to remove the air pollutants.
Commercial Odor Eliminators
If natural remedies are not effective in removing paint odors from your home, consider using commercial odor eliminators specifically designed for paint odors.
Choose products labeled as "paint odor eliminators" or "paint odor neutralizers" and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.
These products typically contain odor-absorbing compounds that neutralize paint fumes and leave your home smelling fresh and clean.
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