Getting Rid of Paint Smells
Getting rid of paint smells is one of the most common questions Toronto homeowners ask after a fresh interior painting project, and the answer involves more than scattering air fresheners around a room. Home Painters Toronto, the HomeStars Best of Award 2026 winner with over 1,200 positive reviews and 37 years serving the GTA, specifies low and zero VOC paint products on the vast majority of interior projects specifically to minimize the odour and indoor air quality concerns covered in this guide. Everyone wants to feel proud of their home, and updating with fresh interior painting is a big part of that, but the smell of paint odour that often comes with it can be genuinely unpleasant, particularly during Toronto winters when opening windows for hours is not a practical option. This guide covers why paint smells happen, whether they pose a health risk, and the most effective ways to clear the air.
Is the Paint Smell Harmful?
The chemicals present in paint fumes, primarily volatile organic compounds or VOCs, can cause both short and long term health effects. While painting, and as the paint is drying, some people experience symptoms such as headaches, eye watering, dizziness, and breathing problems. Other immediate symptoms include throat and lung irritation and vision problems. According to Health Canada's guidance on volatile organic compounds, known or suspected health effects of VOC exposure include irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory system, dizziness, fatigue, and exacerbation of respiratory conditions such as asthma. For most people, short term exposure to the VOC levels typically found in residential settings does not pose a significant health risk, though children, pets, and individuals with respiratory sensitivities warrant extra caution during and immediately after painting.
Understanding VOCs: Why Paint Smells in the First Place
VOCs are a large family of chemicals that contain carbon and hydrogen and evaporate readily at room temperature, which is exactly why paint releases its characteristic smell as it dries. According to Health Canada's healthy home guide, paint, varnish, and glues often have a noticeable smell that comes from VOC emissions, and these compounds can cause breathing problems, headaches, and irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat at higher concentrations.
Most VOC concentration is released in the first few days after application, with the rate decreasing steadily as the paint film fully cures. This is why the strongest odour is noticeable immediately after painting and why most of the smell clears within the first week, even though trace off gassing can continue at progressively lower levels for weeks afterward.
How Long Does It Take for the Paint Smell to Go Away?
Modern paint formulations have significantly reduced how long paint smells linger compared to older products. Today, paint smells typically clear within 3 to 5 days, though the timeline depends on the location where the paint was applied. Indoor applications with windows kept open as much as possible clear faster than enclosed spaces with limited airflow.
How Do You Get Rid of the Smell of Paint in a House?
The smell of paint is generally gone once the paint itself has fully dried. Changes in how paint is manufactured mean that overwhelming paint fumes are not as strong as they used to be. Water based paints in particular do not carry strong smells, so most lingering fumes clear within a couple of days. For homeowners who want to speed up the process, several methods are available.
Methods for Speeding Up Paint Odour Removal
Each of the following methods addresses paint odour through a different mechanism, and combining several produces the fastest result.
| Method | How It Works | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Cross ventilation with fans | Open windows and doors with fans angled toward openings actively pull fresh air through the space and carry VOC laden air outside | Any room; the single most effective method, but requires the paint to be touch dry before fans are switched on |
| Baking soda | Naturally absorbs odours through a chemical adsorption process; placed on open plates or sprinkled on soft furnishings | Enclosed rooms; effective on both hard surfaces and fabric |
| Activated charcoal | A porous material that adsorbs odour molecules, the same mechanism used in air purifiers and cooker extraction hoods | Rooms where baking soda residue on furnishings is impractical |
| Keeping the room cool | Lower temperatures slow VOC evaporation, reducing the immediate intensity of fumes | Winter painting projects where heating cannot be avoided indefinitely |
| Low or zero VOC paint | Reduces the total volume of volatile compounds released during application and drying | Prevention at the product selection stage, before painting begins |
| Air purifier with activated carbon filter | Continuously filters airborne VOCs without affecting paint drying time, unlike fans | Rooms where fan use is impractical or where filtration needs to continue after the room is back in use |
| Onion halves | Onions are porous and contain sulphur compounds that interact with and help neutralize some paint odour compounds | Smaller rooms; effective but introduces a temporary onion smell of its own |
| Vinegar in open bowls | Mildly acidic vapour helps absorb and neutralize certain odour compounds in the air | Smaller spaces; a long standing household method that complements ventilation |
| Candles or scented products | Masks rather than removes the odour by introducing a competing scent | Short term masking only; does not address the underlying VOC source |
How to Get Rid of Bad Emulsion Paint Smell
Paint can sometimes develop an especially unpleasant odour, occasionally linked to bacterial growth within the paint itself, particularly in paint that has been improperly stored before application. Addressing this involves cleaning the affected surface thoroughly, repainting where necessary, and storing paint materials properly going forward to prevent bacteria from taking hold in stored product.
Removing Paint Odour From Cabinets
Enclosed spaces like cabinets retain paint odour longer than open rooms because airflow is limited. Baking soda placed inside the cabinet on a small dish or tray, left for an extended period with the cabinet doors propped open, naturally absorbs the trapped odour over time. This approach works particularly well for kitchen cabinet painting and spraying projects, where the enclosed cabinet interiors need separate odour treatment from the rest of the room.
Getting Rid of Paint Smells During a Toronto Winter
Winter painting in Toronto presents a specific challenge: opening windows for extended ventilation is impractical when outdoor temperatures are well below freezing, yet ventilation is exactly what clears paint odour fastest. The trade off between heat loss and air quality is one every Toronto homeowner painting between November and March has to navigate.
Short, intense ventilation bursts, opening windows fully for 15 to 20 minutes at a time several times a day rather than keeping them open continuously, balance odour removal against heat loss more effectively than either extreme. Running an air purifier with an activated carbon filter continuously between ventilation bursts maintains air quality without the heat cost of round the-clock open windows. Choosing low or zero VOC paint products is especially valuable for winter projects specifically because it reduces the total ventilation burden needed to clear the room.
Reducing Odour Through Proper Paint Handling During the Project
Limiting paint exposure to open air throughout a project reduces the cumulative odour released into a room. Covering a paintbrush during breaks rather than leaving it exposed, keeping paint container lids closed whenever the product is not actively in use, and using sealed, disposable containers all reduce the total volume of VOCs released into the air over the course of a multi day project.
Using the Proper Products to Minimize Paint Smell
Selecting the right products is the most effective way to avoid dealing with strong paint odours in the first place. Zero or low VOC paint produces meaningfully fewer paint smells. Most interior paints today carry at least a low VOC rating, but zero VOC paints are the most effective choice for avoiding strong odours in a Toronto home.
Oil or alkyd based paints and primers are best avoided where possible, since they carry significantly stronger odour than water based alternatives. In some cases, an oil based primer remains necessary, such as for smoke sealing or stucco painting. When an oil based primer is required, a low odour formulation is the better choice. Waterborne primers formulated for stucco ceilings, latex based but performing similarly to an alkyd product, are also available; Benjamin Moore Canada's waterborne ceiling paint is one widely available product in this category.
Airing Out the House: The Most Reliable Method
When all else fails, the most reliable way to remove paint odours after interior painting is airing out the house through sustained ventilation. The advantage of this approach is that it removes the source of the odour from the air directly, rather than masking or partially absorbing it. Within 2 to 3 days of consistent airflow, a house is typically free of paint smell and any associated fumes. This remains the fastest route to a fully odour free, toxin free painted environment, balanced against the practical limits of heat loss during a Toronto winter.
Cost of Low-VOC Interior Painting in Toronto in 2026
Choosing low or zero VOC products does not typically add significant cost to a standard interior painting project. Home Painters Toronto is WSIB compliant, fully insured to $5 million general liability, and all interior painting is backed by a lifetime warranty. All prices below are in CAD and exclude HST.
| Scope | Estimated Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interior room (living or dining) | $400 – $900 | Low or zero VOC paint included as standard at no additional charge |
| Interior room (bedroom) | $400 – $800 | Includes prep and two topcoats |
| Interior room (nursery or children's room) | $400 – $800 | Zero VOC paint specifically recommended for these rooms |
| Kitchen cabinet painting or spraying | Quoted by scope | Enclosed cabinet interiors benefit from extended ventilation and odour treatment |
| Full home interior repaint | $3,000 – $7,000 | Staggering rooms over several days reduces overall household disruption from odour |
For a full breakdown of interior painting costs, see our interior painting cost guide.
Real Project: Low-VOC Nursery Painting in a Riverdale Home
Riverdale Nursery: Zero VOC Specification, Winter Ventilation Bursts, and No Detectable Odour by Day Three
A homeowner in Riverdale contacted Home Painters Toronto to repaint a nursery before the arrival of a newborn, with specific concern about paint odour given the room's intended occupant. The project was scheduled in late winter, ruling out extended open window ventilation as a primary strategy.
Our team specified a zero VOC interior latex paint throughout, which eliminated the strongest source of potential odour before application even began. The project was scheduled early in the week to allow maximum ventilation time before the family planned to use the room. Short, intense ventilation bursts were used throughout the two day project rather than continuous open windows, paired with a portable air purifier with an activated carbon filter running between ventilation periods.
By the third day after the final coat, the homeowner reported no detectable paint odour in the room, well within the typical 3 to 5 day window even with the reduced ventilation approach necessitated by the winter timing. The zero VOC product selection was the single factor that made the compressed winter timeline workable without compromising air quality for the family.
Home Painters Toronto is WSIB compliant, fully insured to $5 million general liability, and all interior painting is backed by a lifetime warranty. For completed projects, visit our Toronto painting projects page. Same day free estimates are available seven days a week across the GTA.
Choosing a Colour for Your Interior Painting Project
Beyond paint odour, choosing a colour can be its own challenge entirely. The first consideration is which room is being painted, since different spaces have differing needs and vibes. For bedroom colour schemes, thinking about stress relieving colours is often helpful, given that a bedroom's primary purpose is supporting sleep and feelings of peacefulness.
For a living room or other main living spaces, thinking about overall design aesthetic is often the more useful starting point. Whether a home leans more modern or classic in taste affects which colours feel most cohesive throughout. Our guide on colour theory and modern versus classic style covers this decision in more depth.
Conclusion: A Fresh-Smelling, Freshly Painted Toronto Home
Getting rid of paint smells does not have to be one of the most frustrating parts of an interior painting project. The combination of low or zero VOC product selection, strategic ventilation, and odour absorbing methods like baking soda or activated charcoal addresses the issue from multiple angles at once. For Toronto homeowners planning an interior painting project, Contact Home Painters Toronto for fast free quotes and warranty backed work. With over 37 years of experience in interior home painting and 1,200 plus positive reviews on HomeStars and Google, our team specifies low and zero VOC products as standard practice to keep every project comfortable from the first coat. Call 416.494.9095 or email [email protected]. We are open seven days a week.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Rid of Paint Smells
Sleeping in a freshly painted room is generally not recommended for at least 24 to 48 hours, and longer where possible, particularly for children, pregnant individuals, and people with respiratory sensitivities. According to Health Canada's healthy home guide, it is best to avoid being present during renovations including painting, and to wait until the area is completely cleaned up and all fumes have cleared before returning. Zero VOC paint significantly reduces this waiting period compared to standard or oil based products.
Most paint smells from modern water based products clear within 3 to 5 days with proper ventilation. Toronto winters can extend this timeline since continuous open window ventilation is impractical, though short, intense ventilation bursts combined with an air purifier can keep the timeline close to the standard range even when windows cannot stay open continuously.
Vinegar in open bowls placed around a freshly painted room can help absorb and neutralize some odour compounds, and it has been used for this purpose for decades. It works best as a complement to proper ventilation rather than a replacement for it, since vinegar addresses ambient odour in the room rather than the VOCs still off gassing directly from the paint film.
Sustained ventilation, opening windows and using fans angled toward the openings, remains the fastest and most reliable method, typically clearing a house within 2 to 3 days of consistent airflow. Combining this with low or zero VOC paint selection from the outset produces the fastest overall result, since there is simply less VOC volume to clear in the first place.
Yes. Beyond the indoor air quality and health benefits, low and zero VOC paints produce meaningfully less odour during application and drying, which shortens the practical ventilation period needed before a room can be comfortably used again. This is particularly valuable for nurseries, bedrooms, and any space where the room needs to return to use quickly.
Yes, both work through genuine chemical adsorption processes rather than simply masking odour. Baking soda is a mild alkaline powder that absorbs acidic odour compounds, while activated charcoal is a highly porous material that traps odour molecules within its structure, the same principle used in commercial air purifiers and cooker extraction hoods. Both are effective complements to ventilation, though neither replaces the need for fresh air exchange entirely.
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