Paint smell - how to remove from painted cupboard?

waterwatereverywhere

Hi

We re-used an old kitchen cabinet but (stupidly, as it turns out) painted it on the inside as it was a horrible colour.

Now it reeks of paint. I've googled and people suggest cutting up a raw onion to absorb smells but just wondered if this works and/or if anyone has any other suggestions for getting rid of the smell.

At the mo we can't use it to store food items in because of the smell. We're leaving the cupboard door open as much as possible but this doesn't seem to be helping much.

Many thanks for any tips.

nickj_2

as the paint dries out it will smell less - could you not store things like tins that won't be affected by the smell , not sure about the onion thing , give it a go - the worst that can happen is that everything smells of onion

Plasterer

Never heard of the onion trick, however as above says the once the paint has finally dried the smell will go. Did you gloss it? if so this obviously takes a lot longer to dry

27col

Just wait for a bit and it will go away.

vikkers14

beleive it or not ..the onion trick works

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

Many thanks Vikkers - have tried the onion and it's now smelling, well oniony and a bit painty still. How long should I need to keep replenishing the onion and how long should I leave it for does anyone know?

I also vaguely read somewhere about I think it was bicarbonate of soda - can anyone speak for or against this pls?!

I would use it for tins but we hung the unit ourselves and I don't have supreme faith in our DIY skills (going my past disasters) so don't want to tempt fate by putting really heavy stuff in there.....!

charlysez

i use a bowl of white vinegar in the room when painting, it clears the smell of paint, might even do the onion now.

Steve_xx

I think you use bicabonate of soda to get rid of smells. Sprinkle some into a small bowl and put it in your cupboard.

vikkers14

Ingredients: One or more onions.
Directions: Slice or chop the onions - the more surface area, the faster it can absorb bad smells. Now lay the onions out on a dish for as long as necessary. As the onion pieces shrivel and dry out, they will absorb aromas from the air.
Finally, to get the onion smell out of your home or office, I recommend diffusing essential oils or using your favourite incense, which might not have been powerful enough to remove a chemical smell on its own.
It sounds pretty odd... but it really works!

theloft

1. The onion remedy really works, it was recommended by a decorator, but it won't get rid of all of the smell.

2. You could also use an air freshener, the one with the wick that you pull up.

3. The worst paint smell ever was when I used Dulux 'Once' - never again it stunk for weeks, even on radiators which you think would dry it out quicker.