Do you want to get rid of the ‘paint smell’ quickly? Lingering odours after painting can affect air quality in your home due to the chemical compounds in paint.
Greenshop Paints has a range of environmentally friendly paints and finishes that are perfect for creating a sustainable future – without sacrificing the quality or performance you need. Our range of natural paints will help to reduce fumes and odours in your home.
Low VOC emulsion paints may be the best option for dealing with paint odour because it contains far fewer harmful chemicals than standard paint.
Why Does Paint Smell?
Paint smells because it contains chemical compounds called VOCs. The unpleasant odour comes from the chemicals that keep paint liquid. As your paint dries, the solvents evaporate into the air, releasing a strong smell. This process is called "off gassing".
What Are VOCs?
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compunds. These chemicals which are released into the air as paint dries can cause headaches, dizziness, and respiratory problems. Some individuals can even suffer from paint allergy or have asthma triggered by paint which makes it particularly important to reduce exposure to these fumes.
Because low VOC paint contains fewer of these harmful chemicals, it is a safer and healthier option for indoor painting projects. It's also a particularly good option for those looking for a child safe paint product to protect babies and children from fume exposure.
Using this type of non toxic paint will help get rid of the smell of paint faster because it releases less fumes into your home environment. Low VOC paint has additional advantages, such as improved air quality and reduced environmental impact, in addition to reducing the smell of paint. It is important to note that, even when using low VOC paint, proper ventilation is still required to ensure adequate air flow and safety during the painting process.
In this blog post we’ll discuss three solutions to help you get rid of ‘paint smell’ quickly: ventilation, natural solutions and chemical solutions. So read on if you’re looking for some tips on how to make your home look great while keeping yourself safe from harmful fumes.
Consider our Auro 555 low-VOC emulsion paint:
Best Ways to Get Rid of Paint Smell
But what are the most effective methods to get paint smells out of your rooms after decorating? Here's the best ways to chase away those fumes!
Get Rid of Fumes With Good Ventilation
Ventilation is the most effective way to quickly get rid of strong paint smells. Open windows and doors, use fans, and install an air purifier to help circulate the air and remove odours.
Open Windows & Doors
Opening a window or door will allow fresh air in while allowing any VOCs from the paint to escape outside, naturally. This can be done when painting indoors. If you’re painting inside, make sure to open multiple windows for maximum airflow. You can also prop open a door if it leads outside as this will help keep the room ventilated during your project. Be sure to keep the room ventilated for a few hours to get the most from this method.
Use Fans:
Fans are great for circulating air throughout a space which helps move paint fumes out faster than just relying on natural ventilation alone. Place one fan near an open window or door so that it pulls air out of the room while another fan pushes fresh outdoor air into the space from another area in your home such as a hallway or living room.
Ventilation is an effective way to reduce the paint odours and fumes in your home quickly and naturally, but there are other solutions that may be more suitable for certain situations. For example, using natural ingredients like baking soda and essential oils or charcoal briquettes can help absorb odours.
Natural Solutions to Reduce Odours
You can make use of natural products to help absorb and neutralise fumes and odours from paints.
How to Use Baking Soda to Get Rid of Paint Smell:
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a common household item that can be used for a number of things, including removing paint smell.
This is how it works:-
When you paint a room, the strong paint odours can linger for days, if not weeks. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the paint cause this odour. If inhaled in large quantities, these compounds can be harmful to human health.
Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, so it can absorb paint odours from freshly painted rooms, naturally absorbing paint odours. Simply place a few bowls of baking soda around the newly painted room overnight to remove the smell of paint. You can also sprinkle baking soda on carpets or furniture that has absorbed the paint’s odour. Allow the baking soda to sit for several hours or overnight before vacuuming or wiping it away with a damp cloth.
It’s important to note that while baking soda can help reduce paint odour, it won’t completely eliminate it. Additional methods, such as opening windows, using an air purifier, or using a specialised paint odour-eliminating product, may be required in some cases.
Using Essential Oils to Neutralise Paint Fumes:
Because essential oils contain natural compounds that can neutralise and mask odours, they can aid in the removal of paint odours. A few drops of essential oils can help absorb and remove the strong scent of paint from a room or area when used in conjunction with other odour-eliminating techniques such as proper ventilation and air purifiers.
Lavender, lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil are some of the best essential oils for removing paint odour. These oils can be diffused in a room, mixed into cleaning products to help remove paint fumes while leaving a refreshing scent.
Chemical Methods to Reduce Paint Smell
Chemical solutions can be used mask paint odours. Odour neutralising sprays can be used to eliminate unpleasant smells from the air. These sprays contain special compounds that react with odour molecules, breaking them down into harmless components. They are easy to use and come in a variety of scents, so you can choose one that fits your home’s decor.
Odour absorbing gels are another option for eliminating bad smells from the air. These small beads contain activated carbon which is highly absorbent and traps odours inside it, leaving behind fresh smelling air. The beads last up to 60 days before needing replacement and they come in various sizes depending on how much coverage you need in your home or office space.
Scented candles can also be used as an effective solution for masking paint odours. Candles come in many different fragrances such as lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, or citrus which help create a pleasant atmosphere while covering up any lingering paint fumes at the same time. Care should be taken when flammable materials, such as paints or solvents, are in proximity to open flames like those emitted from scented candles.
Explore our range of natural paints, including our popular, Lime Earth Paints.
Ensuring Home Air Quality is Maintained
It is critical to eliminate any paint fumes as soon as possible, regardless of the kind employed. Ventilation is key for any painting project, as it helps to disperse the smell from fresh paint. Essential oils and baking soda can be employed to naturally absorb smells, an effective natural approach for tackling paint smell. If ventilation, natural solutions and essential oils don’t do the trick, chemical products such as air fresheners or deodorizers might be necessary to fully get rid of any odours. Greenshop Paints offers a wide range of environmentally friendly paints that are low-VOC and have minimal odours so you won’t need to worry about getting rid of ‘paint smell’ quickly.
See Also: Vegan Paint - our guide on why conventional paints are not vegan friendly, and how our Auro paint range is suitable for those wishing to use ethical paints.
We at Greenshop Paints understand the importance of using natural paint products to reduce the environmental impact of paint and want to help you achieve a sustainable future. To ensure your freshly painted room is safe from unpleasant paint smells, we offer a wide range of natural paints. Let us help you find the best way for getting rid of ‘paint smell’ quickly and safely so that you can enjoy all the benefits our eco-friendly paints have to offer!
