Painting your house is such a fun way to spruce up your living space to give it a brand-new look. After the painting job is done, all you want to do is to sit and relax in your newly painted abode and soak in the lovely color scheme of your wall. But instead, you get a lingering obnoxious smell of paint that remains in your house long after the paint has dried. Sometimes the smell is so pungent that it can give you a headache or make you feel dizzy. The volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are emitted from most of the paints, and that’s what causes the characteristic odor. In your search for painting services in Bangalore, Delhi or any other metro, do not forget to ask them on their procedure for eliminating odor. If you have water seepage in your walls, it may heighten your problem further by trapping more fumes, its best to search for experts online for “waterproofing in Bangalore” or any other location for a solution.
Let’s take a look at some inexpensive ways to get rid of these fumes by using natural odor eliminators that are easily available at home.
1. Onions- Like the famous idiom goes “poison kills poison”, the overpowering smell of onions can easily absorb the pungent paint fumes. All you need to do is to peel and cut two or three onions, place them on a saucer and leave it overnight in the freshly painted room. Onions are brilliant absorbents and can reduce the paint odor to quite an extent. Do not reuse the onions and throw them away, as the VOCs absorbed by them are highly toxic.
2. Baking Soda- For years we have been using this magical, white, scentless powder to fix myriads of household issues. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to you if we advised you to use baking soda to treat the paint fumes. Dissolve baking soda in a shallow bowl of water and leave it in a room that has a strong odor and in no time you will notice a change in the odor levels. You can sprinkle baking soda on the rugs, sofa and other upholstery, leave it on for several hours and vacuum it. Any locked paint fumes on your furniture and carpet will get absorbed by this household staple.
3. Charcoal – Activated charcoal is highly porous and can effectively absorb the pungent odor. It is easily available at the nearest hardware store, a bag full of it enough to do the trick.
4. Fresh Coffee Grounds – Who doesn’t like the nutty, smoky, aroma of freshly grounded coffee? Place a bowl of fresh coffee grounds in the area which has been repainted, and watch how it draws the paint fumes towards itself, leaving the room fresh.
5. Fragrant Candles – Burning fragrant candles is also another great way to freshen up your newly painted room. Choose natural beeswax or soy-based candles over paraffin-based candles that may release additional toxins in the air.
6. Water with Lemon/Vinegar – Leaving a bucket full of water along with lemon or vinegar in the center of the room will help in the absorption of paint vapors. You can also put several bowls of water with immersed lemon slices at different places in the room, for a citrus fragrance in the morning.
Leaving your windows open is a must while the painting job is going on, you can further regulate the air inside the room by leaving the fan switched on. Follow the above suggestions to remove the paint odor without much hassle and these options are easy on the pocket too.
