How to stave off paint fumes (what fumes?)

If you are considering transforming a room or two in your home with a fresh coat of paint but are concerned about the effects and inconvenience of paint fumes, then consider the following tips to help solve the problem.

The best thing you can do is increase the ventilation and air circulation in the room. Open the windows and doors, turn on the fan or position a free-standing fan directed towards an open window. The odour of fresh paint occurs from the evaporation of solvents in the paint, therefore the faster the paint dries, and the solvents fully evaporate, the faster you eliminate the fumes.

Masking the odour with chemical spray deodorisers only adds additional chemicals to the air. However, there are some natural products that you probably already have readily available in your home that you can use to help eliminate the fumes quickly.

• Baking Soda – Place several bowls or open boxes of baking soda around the room. Sprinkle a light dusting of baking soda on the carpet or floor and allow to sit for a few hours before vacuuming. Baking soda works by neutralizing the pH of the paint odour.
• Charcoal – is another well-known odour absorber. Crush some wood charcoal and leave it in bowls around the room. You will notice a significant decrease in the smell in a few hours and if left overnight can eliminate the paint fumes altogether. If you use BBQ charcoal briquettes, make sure you get ones that have no added lighter fluid.
• Coffee Grounds– Freshly ground coffee beans placed in small bowls around the room help to absorb odours and leave a pleasant aromatic coffee scent.
• Lemons – fill some bowls or a bucket with ¼ cup salt, water and a few sliced lemons and place strategically around the painted area. The water will absorb some of the solvents in the air, the salt helps to make it more effective for absorbing the odours and the lemons will add a fresh clean fragrance to the air.
• Onions – cut a few brown onions in quarters and place them around the room to absorb any lingering paint odours. Placing them in bowls of vinegar also helps to soak up the paint fumes and cleanse the air as vinegar is an effective natural odour neutralizer.
• Peppermint – is a strong smell and can cover the paint fumes. Place a few drops of peppermint oil (or pure vanilla extract) on cotton balls and place around the room. Alternatively, you can also add these oils to small bowls of water.
• Vanilla – Add one tablespoon of clear vanilla extract per litre of paint and stir well. The vanilla will neutralize most, if not all the paint fumes.

If you are planning to give your property a new lease of life, our team of fully licensed professional interior and exterior painters at Panache Painting & Decorating are here to help. Click here for more details. We specialise in domestic and commercial painting Sydney and offer a free, no obligation quote. Contact  today – 0421 174 103