How To Get Rid Of Paint Smells – Our Top 7 Tips

We’re all too familiar with the distinct paint odour that lingers after refreshing the interior of a property. While modern products, especially low-VOC paint, are designed to reduce volatile organic compounds, even the best formulations can leave a strong paint smell for a short time. The good news? With the right tricks, you can absorb paint smells, speed up the airing-out process, and enjoy your fresh interiors sooner. 

The strong smells come from the solvents a paint emits as the paint dries, and it naturally fades once fully cured. Until then, here’s how to get rid of new paint smells in your house and clear the air in a newly painted room efficiently, using items you already have at home.

It is easier than you think to get rid of new paint smells after your professional interior paint job and you will most likely find everything you need in your property already. Read our top tried and tested tricks for how to get rid of paint fumes. 

1. Ventilation & Keeping your house cool

Most importantly, the key to eliminating any odours from the inside of your property is through great ventilation. Ensuring constant airflow is the fastest way to remove paint scent. Keep your windows open and encourage fresh air to circulate. If possible, leave the property breezy as long as you can, especially if you’re airing out a newly painted room overnight. This simple step alone goes a long way in reducing paint smell. 

We always highly recommend, where possible, that you let the room rest after a fresh paint job. If practical, avoid sleeping in or heavily using the area until the next day. Allowing the space to sit untouched means the air can clear faster without being disrupted. 

Using a quality air purifier can remove fine particles and help clear any lingering odours in a newly painted room. This is especially helpful in winter or rainy seasons, when ventilation can be more challenging. A cool temperature slows down how quickly paint products off-gas, which can help reduce that initial burst of strong odour. Turning on your air conditioner can help circulate air and keep the house cool while still improving airflow and even reducing humidity.

2. Baking Soda or White Vinegar

A bowl of baking soda placed around the rooms naturally absorbs smells and helps neutralise lingering odours. This is another great option for households that prefer a scent-free solution. Small bowls of white vinegar can help cut through the lingering unpleasant scents of freshly painted walls. Don’t worry, the vinegar smell will fade shortly after you remove the bowls. 

3. Activated Charcoal around the room

This is another great deodoriser. Crush some wood charcoal and leave it overnight in containers throughout the room.  In the morning, your paint fumes will be gone. Activated charcoal works exceptionally well to absorb odours quickly. Leave trays around the room overnight for best results.

4. An onion absorbs odours 

Not everyone loves the smell of onions, so this one is a little riskier, but we can assure you it works a treat.  Cut a few brown onions into quarters and place them around the room.  The onions absorb those lingering paint odours.

5. Candles & Essential Oils

To entirely remove the solvent fumes from your property, an effective way is to light a candle in the room, letting it burn for a few hours.  The flame of the candles helps to burn any flammable components in the paint solvent.  Please note you should never leave a candle unattended and be especially careful if any kids are around. Scented candles can help mask unpleasant scents, or a few drops of essential oils often work well.

6. Water

If you are concerned about the safety issue with burning a candle then simply place a few buckets of water, or lemon water for some added zest, around the room.  This will help absorb some of the paint vapours, helping you achieve a fresh-smelling interior.  Although the water method is not as effective as charcoal or candles, it is still useful, especially if you’re sensitive to smells.

7. Peppermint, Vanilla or Coffee Grounds

These are both great smells that are strong enough to cover up the paint fumes.  If you like these smells, then try to place a few drops of pure vanilla extract or peppermint oil on cotton balls, then place these around the room.  For a more intense smell, add these oils to small bowls of water.

If you love the smell of coffee, then you are in luck.  Freshly ground coffee beans work a treat when placed in small bowls around the room.  Be warned: any visitors may become confused and start putting their coffee orders in as they walk through the door.

After A Fresh Paint Job: What to Expect

Once your rooms have been freshly painted, it’s completely normal for a light scent to linger for a short period. Every home is different, and factors like ventilation, humidity, the type of paint used, and the size of the space all influence how quickly the air clears. In most cases, a newly painted room will settle far sooner than people expect, particularly with today’s improved paint technology. Our painters always close up their paint cans and open windows for proper ventilation if you’ve given us the okay to do so. 

If possible, try to leave the area undisturbed for the first evening. Allowing a newly painted room to sit overnight without heavy use helps the paint cure properly and gives the space time to breathe. Keeping windows open, maintaining consistent airflow and avoiding closing the space off too early all make a noticeable difference to how quickly the scent fades.

You may find that different surfaces dry at slightly different rates. Feature walls, trims and doors often feel dry to the touch before they’ve fully cured internally, so even though the surface looks ready, it may still release a light odour for a little longer. This is completely normal and part of the natural drying process. 

Most importantly, remember that the scent will continue to dissipate steadily as the paint settles. As long as the room has some air movement and isn’t sealed up too soon, the environment will return to normal quickly. By the next day or two, most homeowners find the fragrance has softened significantly, and the space feels comfortable, fresh and ready to enjoy. 

These tips work great for freshly painted commercial spaces as well. 

Choosing the Right Paint for a Fresher Finish

One of the easiest ways to minimise lingering scents in your newly painted space is to start by choosing the right paint in the first place. Modern formulations have come a long way, and many products are designed specifically to reduce odour, improve air quality and make the painting experience more comfortable for homeowners. 

Water-based acrylics are now the go-to choice for most interiors because they dry quickly, have a much milder scent and release significantly fewer fumes while curing. These options are ideal for bedrooms, nurseries and living areas where you want to use the space again sooner. Oil-based paints still have their place, particularly on high-wear surfaces like trims and doors, but they naturally take longer to dry and produce a stronger scent during the process.

If you’re sensitive to smells or want to keep the home usable throughout the project, choosing low-VOC or eco-friendly paints can make a noticeable difference. These products release fewer airborne compounds, meaning the scent fades sooner and your rooms feel fresher faster. They’re especially helpful during warmer months or if your home has areas with limited ventilation.

If you’re unsure of how to get rid of fresh paint smell or which product is best for your space, our team is always happy to provide advice, as well as colour consulting. The right choice can make the project run more smoothly, the results crisp and clean, with the overall painting experience being far more enjoyable.

Ready to Refresh Your Home?

If you’d like to enjoy a beautifully finished interior (without the hassle), our skilled painters are here to help. ROCHELE® uses high-quality products and best-practice techniques to ensure a cleaner, faster drying process every time.  Give us a call on (07) 3113 9177 or email us on [email protected] for your no obligation free quote. 

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