How to Get Rid of Paint Smell

After painting a house, the only thing that should linger is how much you admire the colour scheme you chose. While in reality, the fumes from the paint can still stink up your space long after the last coat dried. Whether you're adding a fresh layer to your kitchen, your bedroom, or any other room in the house, the odour can be unpleasant, to say the least. It's all due to VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which come from the materials used to make paint and emit that "freshly painted" odour.

You can reduce the chance of this happening by picking a paint formula with lower VOCs, fumes are sometimes still detectable. Nevertheless, here's how to get rid of paint smell in case you find yourself in this situation.

Use Fans

Pop open the windows as it is a must for any paint project, however, fans will help rush the fumes out of your house faster. Place box fans at the centre of the room, angled toward windows if possible, and in the doorway. (Fans will make the paint dry faster, so make sure to finish painting beforehand.) One more thing to keep in mind: If you're painting one room only, you can prevent fumes from drifting through the rest of your home by making sure to switch off the air-conditioning or heat systems and closing air vents in the room.

Break Out The Buckets Of Water

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective—place buckets filled with water throughout the room and let sit overnight. The water will absorb the paint vapours. This is an old trick that goes all the way back to the book The Expert Cleaner published in 1899.

Lay Out Bowls Of Vinegar

Full buckets are not needed to reap the odour-eliminating benefits of vinegar. Simply pour some white vinegar into small bowls and set them out around the room. The acetic acid in vinegar neutralizes molecules that carry odours. A quick tip: Use household white vinegar (as it is 10% acetic acid) instead of using culinary white vinegar (which 5% acetic acid) for quicker results.

Use Baking Soda

Likewise, you can leave out bowls filled with baking soda to neutralize and absorb odours. Though it's useful no matter the space, rooms with soft surfaces that tend to hang on to odours (like carpets) will especially profit from baking soda. Simply sprinkle it all over the carpet, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it.

Use Charcoal

Briquettes used for the grill can work in a pinch, but for faster fresh air, pick up activated charcoal from the hardware store. Activated charcoal is treated with high-heat to make it more porous, creating more spaces for odour-causing molecules to leave (and get absorbed in the process). Pour the charcoal into aluminium baking pans and leave in the room overnight.

Use Air fresheners

Air Purifiers for viruses are a perfect choice for getting rid of any unpleasant odour, They are a quick and easy solution to get rid of a plethora of unpleasant odours, such as pet, musty or smoke smells. They can also add a refreshing aroma to your home as you can also use the scent of your choice!