How do I get rid of the smell of paint? 5 natural remedies to try
Upcycling furniture or inspired to revamp your room with the new double drenching trend? Autumn is an ideal time to refresh your space for cosy season, but the only real downside to painting is the pungent odour that can linger for hours, days or even a few weeks, if it's not properly ventilated.
It's worth noting that a good range of interior paints now have low or minimal VOCs (try Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Earthborn).Essentially, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals that evaporate from the paint into the air, which is why your freshly painted walls can leave a lingering odour throughout the home. The lower the percentage of VOCs, the less likely the paint is to emit a strong odour, so bear this in mind for your next decorating project.
Jimmy Englezos, Ronseal’s paint expert, has shared five natural hacks to help eliminate this unpleasant paint smell – and best of all, you'll likely find them all in your kitchen cupboard.
How to get rid of paint smell effectively: natural remedies to try
1. Baking soda
Baking soda is one of the handiest items to have at your disposal, and you can buy it for around 65p at the supermarket. Not only can it help with cleaning, but baking soda naturally absorbs smells and odours. Jimmy recommends pouring several tablespoons into bowls or plates and leaving these around the room overnight to absorb the smell. It can also be sprinkled onto soft furnishings such as carpets and sofas and then hoovered up the next day.
2. Activated charcoal
An alternative to baking soda, using activated charcoal is equally effective at absorbing odours from the air. 'Charcoal filters can be picked up from hardware stores or charcoal powder can be purchased online,’ explains Jimmy. 'Like with baking soda, leave it in small bowls around the room to soak up the paint odours overnight.’
3. Lemon juice
'Water absorbs paint odours on its own and has been used for centuries to do just that. But by adding some lemon slices or a few teaspoons of lemon juice, this will give off a clean citrus scent that helps to mask the paint odour,' explains Jimmy.
Lemon juice costs as little as 80p and a single lemon around 30p from the supermarket, so this is one of the most cost-effective solutions to mask paint odour and unpleasant smells.
4. Sliced onions
This one might not be to everyone's liking, as. you’re essentially replacing one strong odour with another, but when it comes to paint odours, onions can help. Costing as little as 12p, 'slice up several onions and place the pieces on plates around the room to release their scent', explains Jimmy. 'After a while, throw these into the household waste – never use them to cook with as they may have absorbed some of the VOCs.'
5. Coffee grounds
Similarly to onions – but with a much more pleasant and palatable scent – coffee can also help to absorb the smell of paint. 'For the best results, use already ground-up coffee as the powder will better absorb the smell of the paint odours,' advises Jimmy. Just remember to dispose of them afterwards.
What you should always do before a painting job
6. Ventilate well
Open the doors and windows to ventilate the room or use an air purifier and angle an electric fan towards an open window to direct the fumes out of your home.
7. Control the temperature
Keep the room relatively cool to help reduce the smell. 'However, make sure to never go below 10C as this can cause issues with the paint's consistency,' Jimmy warns.
8. Use a dehumidifier
Avoid painting during warm weather or on particularly sunny days when humidity levels are high – paint releases the strongest odours when it is being applied and waiting to dry, and high humidity levels will slow down this drying process. 'It's good practice to use a dehumidifier in the room beforehand to try and reduce the levels to between 40 and 50 per cent,' explains Jimmy.
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