How To Remove Paint Fumes From Home
Have you ever gotten lost in a sea of ideas when staring at a dingy wall? Would it look well in off-white or beige? Will Chocolate Brown have a harsh demeanour?
House renovations involve numerous decisions- one of them being repainting walls. The colour and texture of paints are crucial factors when it comes to revamping your home.
Wall paints can make or break the look of your property, but we have to admit they release toxic paint fumes that are immensely difficult to get rid of. What can we say? We must lose a lot in order to gain something.
Well, worry not! Agency21 International is here to help you out with highly-effective remedies to rid your house of paint fumes!
So, What Are Paint Fumes?
As paint settles, fumes are released into the atmosphere. These fumes are known as “paint fumes,” and are commonly confused with regular paint smell. However, if you can smell it, you are inhaling some toxic fumes!
It is important to note that acrylic or water-based paints do not release toxic fumes, however, oil-based paints can be a problem!
Oil-based paints entail volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When released, these chemicals evaporate into the air. The substances are hazardous to human health, especially when the paint dries out. Removing paint fumes from home is therefore imperative.
Volatile organic compounds typically include acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, methylene chloride, etc.
Why Do We Need To Remove Paint Fumes From Home?
Volatile organic compounds can cause numerous health problems upon exposure. When oil-based paint fumes are released into the air, they can cause minor or major health problems.
Following are a few health problems associated with paint fumes:
- Irritated skin
- Stomach ache
- Itchy eyes
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Trouble breathing and swallowing
- Pneumonia
- Irritated throat and lungs
- Visual impairment
- Temporary memory loss
How Long Do Paint Fumes Take To Diminish?
The time duration differs in each scenario i.e., the type of paint used, the temperature, the number of paint layers used, and, most crucially, the ventilation of the room all influence how long paint fumes last.
Regular paint fumes normally last between fourteen to twenty-four weeks after exposure. Oil paint takes at least two months to rid the paint fumes. Overall, it is a long-lasting process and it needs to be expedited.
Before entering the painted room, one should wait at least three days. After three days, the paint has dried out and the smell has dissipated to the point where it no longer remains. Furthermore, it is unlikely to endanger health.
How Do We Remove Paint Fumes From Our Home?
Let’s cut to the chase and discuss how paint fumes can be removed. Following are a few common ways to expedite the process of alleviating fumes released through paint:
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Proper Ventilation:
Open up those windows and doors and let the air pass through. Inhaling fumes can be extremely toxic to human health, therefore letting it out is simply imperative!
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Run Those Fans To The Fullest:
Fans, of course, will not eliminate paint fumes; nevertheless, they will propel the vapours out of the house. You can also use electric fans near the windows and doors to help waft the odours out of the freshly painted area.
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Air Conditioning:
In the summer, turn on your air conditioner to boost ventilation. Turn it up to high and leave it on until new air is brought into your home and paint fumes are removed.
Here are a few DIYs you can try to remove paint fumes from your homes:
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Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are easily available and are probably lying around at your house as well! It is a cost-effective solution to your paint fumes worries.
Take small containers and fill them with coffee grounds. Then place them all around your room. Coffee grounds absorb air molecules, especially the ones that cause paint fumes.
Also, who does not like the smell of coffee in their living space? This is indeed the best solution for coffee lovers!
Furthermore, we advise you to throw away the coffee grounds right after. Consuming the same coffee will be extremely toxic and highly dangerous for you!
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Water Buckets
Believe it or not, buckets full of water are the most common way to get rid of fumes in your house! Yes, you heard it right, something so cost-effective and easily available doing the trick seems pretty absurd, but it’s true.
Fill a few buckets with water and place them in the painted room. The water will absorb any fume particles in the air and clean it as much as possible. However, you’ll have to repeat the process a few times for it to work.
You can add some lemon and salt to the water for this trick to be more successful, however, water is not as effective as other solutions.
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Scented Candles
A few scented candles lying around in the house can alleviate the effects of released paint fumes. The scented wax will mask the odours, and the heat will physically burn them out of the atmosphere!
This might not be an efficient way to remove paint fumes from your home as you cannot leave candles unattended in a room. Also, it may be dangerous if you have children in your house.
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Baking Soda
Baking soda is another convenient yet cost-effective solution to removing paint fumes from your home. It is commonly used in households to get rid of bad smells anywhere.
Little bowls with some baking soda are enough to absorb toxic air particles from the newly painted room.
We highly recommend baking soda to do the trick as it can get rid of even the most potent paint odours.
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Vinegar
We are sure that you or someone living in your space has at least once tried vinegar as a remedy to get rid of extreme odours.
Place small bowls of vinegar in your newly painted room, and watch the vinegar do wonders! It will absorb all the paint fumes in the air that have occupied the room.
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Charcoal
The charcoal will remove paint fumes from your home in a matter of a few hours. In typical residences, it is infamously used to absorb unwanted odours. If you wish to skip the hassle, several air purifiers include charcoal as well.
If you don’t want to hunt for charcoal-infused air purifiers, you can get rid of paint fumes by placing crushed charcoal around a freshly painted room.
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Onion
Although we are not a big fan of an onion-smelling room, it is also a good way to get rid of paint fumes. You can slice a couple of onions and put them in different bowls and plates.
Place them around the room for a few hours to completely get rid of the paint fumes.
Moreover, just like coffee grounds, do not use the same onions in the food as they will have absorbed toxins contained in them.
Bottom Line
Removing paint fumes from your home might be a difficult chore, but the aforementioned DIYs can substantially assist in alleviating your situation.
Although onions and vinegar have a strong odour, they are not harmful to your health. To neutralize and eliminate paint fumes, add vanilla or peppermint extract.
Paint fumes are extremely harmful; therefore, you must plan ahead of time to get rid of them.
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