A fresh coat of paint can turn ordinary-looking wood into something beautiful. However, new paint does tend to emit an unpleasant smell. The odor from certain brands of paint can be especially strong, and many people attempt all sorts of home remedies to no avail. If you want to remove odor from wood, you first need to understand what's causing it. Although it only takes a couple of hours for paint to dry, it can take weeks for it to cure. Most any kind of paint will put off some level of odor until it has an opportunity to cure completely. This can sometimes take as long as 3 to 4 months. However, you can speed up the process by employing a couple of simple but highly effective strategies.
Step 1
Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water. Use a rag to apply the solution to the wood.
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Step 2
Rinse the solution immediately to prevent damaging the paint. Move on to step 3 if any odor remains.
Step 3
Point a fan at the wood to encourage the paint to cure. Try this for about four to five hours a day for about one week. Move on to step 4 if any odor remains.
Step 4
Place the wood in the sun to speed the paint curing process. Leave the wood in the sun as long as you can or until the odor has dissipated completely. Bring the wood inside at night. Monitor weather conditions carefully when placing wood outside to cure, because moisture from rain or humidity can warp wood, effectively ruining it. Skip this step if the wood is not portable.
Step 5
Repeat step 4 until the odor dissipates completely.
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