Paint odours

[laybylaz]

How do I prevent paint smells when decorating? These newer 'oil' paints cause more problems than the old traditional oil paints ever did - headaches, nausea, etc. One tip which worked well in the old days was to slice up an onion on a plate and put it in the room BEFORE starting to paint - but this isn't so successfull with the new-type paints (such as Once).

[snook]

If you can get hold of it, you could try papier d'arm�nie. A friend sent me a little booklet of these papers from France for the very purpose you mentioned. Each page is split into three little strips, and you pull one out (they're perforated), fold it so that it's concertina-ed, then light it and blow it out immediately. Sit it in an ashtray and let it smoulder and it gives off a wonderfully scented aroma for quite a while. A few of the little strips should neutralise any paint odour, or anything else really (cooking smells, pet odours, tobacco, etc).

Not sure if they're available in England, but you could also use incense sticks I suppose, which are similar (and they come in lots of different aromas these days, in case you think they're sickly, as some of them no doubt are).

[stanleyman]

The only real answer is plenty of ventilation, read the can not old wives tales. Paint contains many toxins and breathing the fumes will do you no good.