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OrangeHow to Get Rid Of Acrylic Smell?
Learn how to keep your home fumes-free when you use acrylic paints
Acrylic paint is one of the most popular types of paint for various indoor painting activities, from artistic painting projects to home renovation and design tasks.
This paint dries fast and comes in a wide variety of colors. But also, it has quite a strong smell that all paints typically have.
To some, the smell of paint is ok, but what if you can’t stand it? In this case, you will want to know how to get rid of acrylic smell in your house easily and quickly. In this article, you can find the answer to this question.
We are going to tell you what you can do in order to get rid of acrylic fumes.
Also, you will learn why the smell of acrylic paint might not be good for you and your health.
In addition, we will explain how you can get the smell of acrylic monomer from your home if you make acrylic nails there often enough.
How to Get Rid Of Acrylic Paint Smell?
How to get rid of the acrylic spray paint (or other acrylic paint) smell from the item? This is quite a frequently asked question, especially from those homeowners who tend to paint and repaint different items in their home now and then.
Acrylic does not smell the same heavily as oil paint, for example, however, its odor is also hard to call pleasant and enjoyable.
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to remove the smell of acrylic paint, both interior or artistic, from your living space.
Below, you can check out several options available and make use of the one that is the most suitable for you in each particular case.
Candles
Using scented candles is probably one of the simplest ways to remove the odor of freshly applied paint from your apartment or house. In addition, this option is relatively cheap and easy to afford.
Scented candles are a great solution for eliminating paint odor, of course, if the odor is not too stubborn or heavy. All you need to do is just lit the candle and leave it in the room that is soaked with the smell of acrylic paint or monomer.
The scent of the candle will do its work and in an hour already your home will be almost free from odor. Within a few hours, the smell of paint should be removed completely.
The best part of using this option is that scented candles are available in a wide variety of flavors, colors, and they are often nicely decorated.
So you can choose a flavor you like the most, and use the candle as an interior decor while it is burning!
DimaBaranow via crello
Charcoal
Charcoals are highly effective in removing the paint fumes from newly painted walls. This product works as a sort of sponge, absorbing all the unwanted and bad smells from the area around.
This is why charcoal will easily provide you with an odor-free room within just a few hours. A good way to have a fumes-free space if you need to use it soon after the paint is applied.
Related: What Color Paint Goes With a Gray Roof?
Baking Soda
If you don’t like candles or you are afraid to live an open fire in your home, you can always just place a bowl filled with baking soda in the painted space. It is enough to enjoy a room free from paint odor.
Like charcoal, baking soda also has the property of absorbing bad odors.
It is useful in eliminating even the strongest paint smell.
And if you are hesitant about how a bowl of baking soda will look in the room, feel free to place it in a nice container and decorate in a pretty way!
ajafoto via crello
Related: How to Remove Paint Marker?
Coffee Beans
Coffee beans can be used as another way of eliminating paint odors. Not only do they reduce the paint fumes and absorb the strong smell, but they also spread a soothing effect in the entire room.
In addition, coffee beans will work the same way as scented candles do, filling your home with the scent of fresh and cheering coffee!
VikaKhalabuzar via crello
Water and Lemon
This method is good to use while you are painting something in a room. All you need to do is the following:
- slice a few lemons
- take a bucket of water
- add a few sliced lemons in a bucket full of water
- place it in the room while painting
The water in the bucket will absorb some of the paint solvents while the lemon will provide the entire room with a clean, fresh cirus scent. For best results, we recommend you leave the bucket in the freshly painted room overnight. Like this, you will find a room with a fresh aroma the next morning.
Related: Watercolor vs Acrylic Paint
How to Get Rid Of Acrylic Nail Smell In the House?
Acrylic fumes may appear and spread not only because you have used acrylic paint on your walls or furniture recently. Also, this odor may appear if you tend to make acrylic nails at home! And believe it or not, the smell of acrylic, in this case, is the same irritating as the odor of paint!
An unpleasant smell can really spoil a cozy living room or any other space in your home. However, this is not only the unpleasant smell that you should be worried about.
You might not be aware of this, but the fumes from acrylic nail polish is bad for your health!
Luckily, there are a few simple things that can be done in order to get rid of the acrylic smell in your house if you make acrylic nails there often enough.
Here is what you will need to do:
- Remove the source of the odor.
- Make sure your nail polish containers are properly sealed and put away.
- Open the doors and windows while working with the nail polish.
- Get some ventilation going by opening the room up. If there are windows on different sides of the room, that will help even more because they will create a cross breeze.
- Keep a fan going while working with acrylic nail polish, and after. If you have a box fan, set it backward in one of the windows to pull the air out.
- Burn a scented candle afterward.
You should keep in mind that air fresheners and aromatic sprays are not usually good enough to fight against strong chemical odors like acrylic or other paint or chemical odors.
This is why burning a scented candle for about half an hour works much better.
If the acrylic odor is strong enough, leave the candle burning longer until you can see that the chemical smell is gone.
Remember that it is essential to clear the air before getting rid of the acrylic smell. If you just cover up the smell, it will not bring down the harmful effects of breathing in the acrylic fumes!
In the future, you can easily avoid filling the room with the acrylic smell by opening your windows and turning on the fan beforehand.
Also, make sure that you are only using acrylic-based products in a well-ventilated area.
Stubborn odors and dangerous fumes are only a couple of the hazards that can damage your home and lower its value.
Like this, now you know what to do and what products can be used in case you need to get rid of the stubborn acrylic smell in your home.
As you can see, each of the options we suggested is absolutely harmless for your health since it uses no chemicals!
So you can use any of the options suggested if you, for example, have a baby in your home, or in case you are allergic to some chemicals.
AllaSerebrina via crello
Related: How to Get Acrylic Paint Off Wood?
How Harmful Can Acrylic Fumes Be?
Many of those who work with acrylic paints or other acrylic products at home often enough tend to wonder: how bad those ptoducts can be? Are they harmful to humans? Can they cause any damage to your health?
Well, in fact, yes, they can. See, it does not matter whether it is paint or nail polish, in each case, it contains chemicals. And as you surely know, those are nasty things to inhale! Especially if you are sensitive to such things.
Acrylic paint is a fast-drying type of paint that is made of pigment. That pigment is suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion and plasticizers, silicon oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps.
And since this paint is chemical by its nature, like any chemical product, it can cause irritation if it gets onto your skin. Acrylic paints can also be potentially harmful if you happen to swallow them, but they are still not as nasty as oil-based paints in particular!
Additionally, the fumes from these types of paints can irritate your eyes, nose, or throat.
In the majority of cases, irritation should go away when you go out into fresh air. But that’s if you have been exposed to acrylic fumes for a short period of time.
If you work with this type of paint (or any other paint) long-term, make sure that you are wearing a protective mask or even a respirator!
IgorVetushko via crello
Related: How to Clean Dried Acrylic Paint Brushes?
Can acrylic paint make you sick?
This is another huge point of concern for many of us. The answer is yes, acrylics can be dangerous. They can have a negative effect on the human body.
Long term exposure to this type of paint can affect the body kidneys, in particular, as well as the liver and central nervous system.
So if you work with acrylics, we recommend you wear protective gloves and mask, and always make sure that you work in a well-ventilated room.
Like this, you are now aware of much more things regarding acrylic paint and acrylic nail polish than before, we hope.
We told you what can be done in case you need to get rid of the stubborn acrylic smell in your home, and what options you can make use of.
BrunoWeltmann via crello
And since all of the methods we suggested are chemicals-free, you can use them safely with no fear!
Also, we told you what harm acrylic paint and its fumes may cause to you. So if you work with this type of paint often enough (for example, if you are an artist), make sure you protect yourself with a facial mask and protective gloves, and always keep a window open and a fan working!
It will help you to avoid inhaling way too much of the potentially dangerous acrylic fumes!
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Frequently Asked Questions
⭐How soon can acrylic smell disappear?
Depends on how much you applied. On light coatings, the smell goes away in a few hours. Heavier coatings take 3-5 days.
⭐What happens if you inhale too much monomer?
In this case, you can get headaches, dizziness, nausea, and irritation. If it gets onto your skin, it may lead to dermatitis!
⭐What acrylic colors are toxic?
Usually, it’s indicated on the package. But typically, toxic acrylics are cadmium, cobalt, manganese, chromium, and lead.
12 thoughts on “How to Get Rid Of Acrylic Smell?”
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Is acrylic smell dangerous? I notice that, if I inhale too much, my head starts aching.
Well, as far as I know, acrylic paint fumes are not toxic, meaning that the’re not deadly or something! But they can indeed irritate your throat and lungs, as well as cause headache if you inhale too much. This is why it’s recommended to keep your windows open or your ventilation working while you’re using acrylic paints.
Hi! Does anyone know how to get rid of monomer smell in house?
I simply use a few steps to remove this odor. I remove the source of it first of all. Then, I open the doors and windows to let more fresh air in. Also, it can help a lot if you get some ventilation going by opening the room up or getting a fan going. Finally, I often burn a scented candle! You can use all of these tips or only one of them, it’s up to you.
Oh, that was a really helpful article! I’d also like to ask about nail polish though. How to get rid of nail polish smell quickly? I tend to paint my nails myself at home but the smell is so heavy to me that I often have headaches!
I guess that the best way to do it is by ventilating the room. You can turn on your venting system or open the windows if the weather allows. Or both. The more fresh air gets into the room the sooner you’ll get rid of that smell.
How long does acrylic smell last after I finish a painting? I want to make a painting for my sister to give her as a Birthday present, but I’d like to do it so that she doesn’t notice. Which means I need to get rid of the paint’s smell.
Well, typically, acrylics don’t smell as long as other paints, e.g. oil-based ones. Those are really stinky! But the longevity of the smell will depend on the size of your painting I guess. When I used to paint with acrylics, I remember that a fresh mid-size painting was still smelling the next day after I made it.
Hey folks! Does anyone know whether there’s non-toxic acrylic out there? I want to buy some for my kid but I don’t want to use the paint that’s filled with chemical crap. Maybe, somebody knows any safe brands, or something.
Hello. Unfortunately, I can’t name the exact brands, but I do know that non-toxic acrylics exist. Those are mostly kids paints. So I guess you can just search on the internet.
Hi heard that acrylic paint and other similr paints can be used as drugs…Now I’m really afraid of using them! What if I get addicted?!
Hi! Well, unless you inhale the fumes daily, it’s very unlikely that you get acrylic addicted. I work with acrylics for several years already, and I still need no rehab! But some of the toxic chemicals in paint provide an intense high indeed, that can be easily obtained by those who are otherwise unable to afford or get access to other drugs.