If home is where the heart lives, then home is what that should be taken care of the most. One of the easiest way to give your worn out home a new look is by coating it with a new color.
However, you may not like the lingering fumes that follows your paint job. But the fun fact is, like every other problem this one also has a bunch of solutions. Using paint edgers instead of typical brushes, can reduces little bit of unwanted paint fumes
And to know about all the nitty gritty of those solutions, you have to be patient enough to give this article an attentive read. So, join me in the exploration of the answer of how to get rid of paint smell in the easiest way possible.
Know About Paint Fumes
Before jumping into the solutions let me give a brief on why you should not tolerate the paint fumes at the first place.
As EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, US) suggests that the solvent that is used to make the paint easily applicable, also makes it tough to dry out. So, when the thinner is evaporating it leaves a kind of choking smell.
And not to our surprise this whole process can cause health issues like breathing problem, dizziness, headaches, vision problems etc. In its severity it can also cause cancer, lung issues and other respiratory problems.
Did I make you petrified already? Don’t worry at all. Just stick to any of the following tricks and get rid of that foul, heart wrenching fume in no time.
10 tips to get rid of paint smell Easily
Method 1: The savior lemon-water
This method is on top of my favorite list, because it’s not only eradicates the smell but also leaves a fresh lemony fragrance in the room. So to have a refreshing breath of air, you need to follow the steps mentioned below:
- Take a full bucket of water.
- Add a hand full of lemon slices in it.
- To optimize the result add a pinch of salt.
- Keep the bucket in the room overnight.
And that’s it. You got the natural air-freshner.
Method 2: Ground some coffee
I think this would be dumb of me to ask who doesn’t love the intoxicating coffee fragrance? Even if a person doesn’t love to drink it, would love to have some coffee flavored breeze in the room.
But do you know a bowl of coffee can absorb paint smell in a jiffy? And for this what you need to do is:
- Ground some fresh coffee beans.
- Or take out some instant coffee from the packet.
- Keep it in a bowl.
- And leave for a night.
Yes, you already have that smell removed even before the night ends.
Method 3: Lightened candle
A lightened candle not only removes darkness from the room but also it burns out the inflammable solvent component of the paint. And to do this method you shall
- Buy a medium size candle if you don’t have one handy (You may buy both plain or fragranced one)
- Put it in a bowl of water.
- Lighten it.
- And leave it burning in the room for a few hours.
But be cautious if any kids are around.
Method 4: Vinegar, The Ultimate Rescuer
Have you started counting the cost just after hearing the name of vinegar? Okay, let me explain first. First of all, you need white vinegar here, not apple-cider. So the acetic acid in it is a great odor neutralizer. Now trust me and follow this few steps:
- Buy a bottle of white vinegar not the culinary one.
- Since white vinegar contains 10% acetic acid, it is supposed to be more effective.
- Pour it into a bowl
- Place it somewhere in the room.
That’s everything you need to do. Just after a few hours it will start absorbing the smell.
Method 5: Peppermint/Vanilla extract
If the answer is yes, then you’d like to add some in the paint before applying it. It will minimize the extremity of the smell. Or
- Take a few cotton balls.
- Pour some peppermint or vanilla extract in them.
- Put it in different corners of the room.
The strong perfumed essence of it will surely reduce the paint smell.
Method 6: Baking Soda, The Smell Shaker
Baking soda is probably one of the widely used cleaning agent. But do you know this inexpensive deodorizer works wonder in absorbing reek? What you will be doing is:
- Get some baking soda.
- Take a small bowl.
- Put some soda in the bowl.
- And place it in a corner of the room.
Or if the room is carpeted you can simply sprinkle some soda and vacuum it up after a few hours.
Method 7: Let’s burn some coconut shells
Dry coconut shell is not only a super fuel for flaming fire but also it helps in extinguishing smell. Just
- Collect some dry coconut shells
- Keep it in the fire place.
- And kindle the flame
- Or if you don’t have a fire place you can take a relatively big steel bowl.
- And burn the shells in there.
Two things you have to keep in mind while doing it are 1. Be very careful when it’s burning, 2. It may leave even a stronger smell. So my recommendation will be not to go for this method if you are not a big fan of burning smells.
Method 8: Diatomaceous Earth may help
The diatomaceous earth is basically a processed fossilized plankton. And the silica content in it may be of help in absorbing fumes. The method is very simple:
- Buy a packet of food grade diatomaceous powder.
- Food grade one is needed since the conventional one is harmful for the pets (You can buy online or from any hardware stores)
- Get a disposable can or baking pan.
- Pour some of it.
- And place it in a place in a corner where you may not need to go for a while.
Method 9: Give charcoal a try
Charcoal is also believed to be one of the best smell absorbing properties. So you may
- Crash some charcoal.
- Take it in a bucket and place it in the room even before you painting job begins.
Within hours you may feel a difference in the air of the painted room.
Method 10: bucket of water
Now all of the above things may or may not be handy at the peak of your need. So if you are looking for something plain and simple just
- Fill 2-4 water buckets.
- And keep it in the room.
Just remember the more the buckets the faster it eradicates the smell.
extra tips On How to get rid of Paint Smell
So here are a few things you have to keep in mind before starting painting:
Final Note
The one thing I’d like to emphasize most is not to re-use the kitchen ingredients like coffee, vinegar etc. as it contains the toxic paint properties.
Hopefully this guide will suit your best preference and help you in how to get rid of paint smell easily.
