You may be in love with the color of the walls, but after a few days, you find yourself avoiding that room because of the headache-inducing smells.
As painters San Diego points out, you don’t have to endure the stench for a month as you wait for the odor to fade. As long as you give yourself enough time to do your thing, several strategies and tricks can assist reduce or eradicate the odor. Here are the most effective ways to eliminate paint smell.
1. Ventilation
According to most people, ventilation is one of the best ways to keep the paint smell out of the space you’re working in. The paint smell can be kept out of a room by leaving open doors and windows. It’s possible to make your ventilation system using strategically placed fans if you’re painting a room without this type of built-in ventilation or want to speed up the process, as suggested by Country Living. You can try blowing the vapors out of the space by placing fans in the middle of the room and directing them towards any exits, such as windows or doors.
2. Sodium Bicarbonate
Chances are you’ve got an open box of baking soda stashed somewhere in the back of your fridge, doing its best to absorb and neutralize any odors that may be floating around. The same approach applies to painting. As long as you have a box of baking soda and a few minutes to spare, you can start tackling the paint odor by simply placing bowls of baking soda in the room where you’re painting. Removing the stench can also be effective in rooms with a lot of furniture or carpeting, which tends to absorb the aroma.
3. Slice the Onions
In order to use this odor-eliminating trick, you’ll need a couple of onions from your kitchen. Yes, those are the onions you use in your favorite recipes. You may be hesitant to use this substance in your home because you’re more used to using it in the kitchen, but it works wonders with DIY odors. According to the Service Sutra, cut at least two onions in half. Place the stacked cut-side of the onion halves facing upwards on a plate or bowl, then place the plate or bowl in the newly painted room. The onions will then be able to absorb some of the noxious odors that are circulating throughout the house.
4. Activated Charcoal
Those who believe that charcoal grilling is preferable to gas grilling may have a stockpile of charcoal briquettes for their summer barbecues. On the other hand, charcoal may be an absolute powerhouse when combating unpleasant odors. However, briquettes or charcoal you’d use for a barbeque are still better and can help soak up some paint fumes if shopping isn’t an option. On the other hand, activated charcoal is recommended by the Lifetime Custom Painting Inc. for optimal results.
Despite its appearance, the powdery black combination can absorb a wide range of odor-carrying molecules thanks to its treatment with high heat.
5. Candles
Those who adore the soft flicker of a candle flame and the diversity of mouthwatering scents are in for a treat. Numerous benefits to lighting a candle in a room that smells strongly of paint. To begin with, it will disperse the scent of your candle around the room, just as if you had lit it somewhere in your house. As a bonus, the flickering flame of a burning candle can also help eliminate those pesky volatile organic compounds (VOCs) floating about in the air.