How to Get Rid of Paint Smells

Painting a house does not have to be a toxic and noxious affair. Paint smells will go away in time, but the smell of paint in a wall can linger for months and irritate the noses of people with a keen sense of smell. If you need to get rid of that paint smell quickly and easily, here are some ways to do it.

Use Odor-Free Paint:

Odor-free paints are available from many household supply stores. They use little to no solvent, and contain softer binders compared to traditional latex and acrylic paints. While odor-free paints do not have the same hardness and gloss of traditional latex paints, they do have a less powerful odor. Odor-free paints are also softer, which means that the paint is easier to use than traditional paint.

Light a Candle:

One time-tested way to get rid of solvent fumes from a freshly-painted room is to light a candle or a match to burn out the fumes. A trick used by many veteran house painters is to light a candle in the middle of the room and let it stay there for about three hours. The open flame will burn out the flammable substances in the solvent, like benzene and other hydrocarbons.

Use a Bucket of Water:

If you don't want to risk a fire hazard by lighting a candle to burn off the fumes, you can simply place a few buckets of water in the middle and around the room to absorb the solvent vapors. While not as effective as a candle, it is a safer option especially if you're painting a room finished or made with wood. The odors will be removed overnight, although you'll still have a faint smell of solvent that will linger and will go away in time.

Less is More for Paint Thinner:

If you're using traditional latex paints, you may want to tone down on the amount of paint thinner you use. Three-quarters of a small bottle of paint thinner for every three gallons of paint is usually enough to act as a solvent for the paint. The more paint thinner you use, you'll end up with runny paint with a very strong odor. Go easy on the paint thinner; don't add more paint thinner than you actually need.