Follow these 3 easy steps to deal with paint fumes and you greatly reduce the risk of developing short-term and long-term conditions. Painting isn't dangerous by any means, but it's important to be aware of potential risks even if they can be easily avoided.
By Joanne Perkins
Paint can be dangerous. You might not think it, but a lot of paints contain chemicals that can cause a number of different conditions, such as headaches, dizziness and irritation around the eyes. Paint fumes aren't necessarily going to cause you a great deal of harm the minute you start painting, but if you take a few precautions, you can greatly minimise the risk of developing something you'd rather not have. Inside paint fumes are chemicals called 'volatile organic compounds,' or VOCs for short; the amount of VOCs in paint fumes varies from make to make. Side-effects from paint fumes can be short-term and long-term. You can reduce the risk of developing both short-term and long-term effects by following these 3 steps:
1. Buy low-VOC paints
A lot of companies now manufacture low-VOC paints or even paints that are completely free from VOCs. Using these paints greatly reduces the risk of developing harmful conditions. Alternately, you could go for paints made from all-natural products; these tend to be a bit more expensive than standard paints, though some find it worth the extra cost.
2. Keep your room ventilated
Keeping your painting room well ventilated is a simple and effective thing to do to. This keeps air circulating and prevents paint fumes from just building up in your room with nowhere to go. Wear a paint mask and take regular breaks outside of the room you're painting in. Keep all windows and doors open and use fans to help direct the fumes out of the room - keep windows and doors open and fans going even after you've finished painting as well.
3. Water or vinegar
A quite surprising way to get rid of paint fumes is to have a few buckets of water stand in the middle of the room. This works because water is good at absorbing solvent vapours. Alternately you could try filling a bowl with vinegar and leaving that in the middle of the room, or you could light some scented candles. Another good way is to cut an onion in half and leave each half at one end of the room - don't worry, this works wonders because it's good at getting rid of paint fumes and it doesn't leave your room smelling of onions either.
Don't be put off by the dangers of paint fumes: short-term side-effects such as headaches and dizziness can be got rid of by moving to a different room and getting some fresh air. Long-term side-effects, such as kidney and liver conditions, can be avoided by following these 3 easy steps.
Joanne Perkins is a Berkshire-based artist with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and specialises in painting Berkshire landscapes. She is happy to accept all queries and questions. For more information about Joanne, her work and her current projects visit: http://joannesberkshirescenes.com/default.aspx
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