It’s okay to smell paint thinner or nail polish on the places they’re supposed to be: paint and nails, respectively. But when that kind of smell permeates your house, you have every right to be concerned.
Your house may smell like paint thinner or nail polish because of the acetone odor released by a refrigerant leak from one or more of your appliances. Other sources of this smell include a sewer gas leak, mold and mildew, and faulty electrical wiring.
If you want to know how to get rid of that paint thinner or nail polish smell in your house, stick around. I’ll discuss why it happens, why you need to get rid of it ASAP, how to determine where it’s coming from and how to get rid of it.
Why Your House Smells Like Paint Thinner or Nail Polish
Have you painted the inside or outside of your home recently? Or is someone painting their nails? If it’s a “no” to both of these questions, the smell of nail polish or paint thinner in the house is naturally concerning.
What you need to know is that the chemical compound acetone is the main culprit behind this smell, and it can originate from different sources within your home.
Before I go into detail about these sources, I think it’s important that you know what acetone is and why you need to address that paint thinner or nail polish smell ASAP.
Acetone is a chemical compound used to manufacture plastics, fibers, and many other industrial products.
Acetone has a distinctive smell. Most people are familiar with it because it’s an important ingredient in common products including (you guessed it) paint thinner and nail polish.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies acetone as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) substance.
I should emphasize “generally recognized as safe” is not the same as 100% safe. It only means that, under normal circumstances (i.e., if you’re using that substance the way it should be used), that substance shouldn’t cause any harm.
Acetone is highly flammable. In addition, overexposure to acetone vapors can lead to health issues ranging from mild to severe, life-threatening poisoning.
Where Does Paint Thinner/Nail Polish Smell Come From?
There are numerous health risks posed by acetone vapors. So, if you detect that distinctive smell in your home, it’s best for you to investigate the source and get rid of the vapors as soon as possible.
Here’s a list of potential sources of acetone vapors:
- Actual paint thinner or nail polish: Before you check your house’s nooks and crannies for potentially dangerous sources of that acetone smell, I think it’s worth checking if someone in your house is using paint thinner or nail polish first. The solution may be as simple as asking that person to stop their usage of the stuff (at least, for the time being).
- Refrigerant leak: Refrigerants are compounds that, in gas or liquid state, play an important role in the cooling systems of refrigerators and HVAC appliances. They also smell like acetone. So, if you smell paint thinner or nail polish seemingly out of nowhere, one of the first things you should check for is a refrigerant leak in your refrigerator or HVAC unit.
- Sewer gas leak: Cracks and breaks in sewer pipes allow the gasses within to escape and flow into your house. Sewer gasses are a combination of toxic and nontoxic gasses, so the specific odor depends on the different components. Sometimes, sewer gasses can smell like acetone.
- Mold and mildew growth: Moisture creates ideal conditions for mold and mildew. As these organisms grow, they emit chemicals, some of which have an odor like that of acetone. If mold and mildew are allowed to thrive in the vents of your HVAC units, the air they blow out carries that smell that you would mistake for paint thinner or nail polish.
- Damage to electrical wires: This might not be the most likely cause of that acetone smell in your house, but it’s still worth checking out. After all, faulty wiring can be a fire hazard. Faulty wirings are a likely cause of your issue if there’s been a recent power outage in your area.
Getting Rid of the Smell
Once you have determined the source of the acetone smell in your home, you can solve the problem accordingly as follows:
- Contact professional services. In the case of a refrigerant leak, sewer gas leak, or electrical wiring issues, you should contact a professional. Unless you’re a professional yourself, I suggest not DIYing this problem.
- Have your HVAC appliances cleaned. If mold and mildew growth in your HVAC units is responsible for the paint thinner or nail polish smells in your house, they will have to be thoroughly cleaned. You can try to do so with a water hose and special cleaning products for these units. But if you’re not up to the task, you’ll have to bring your appliances to a professional cleaning service in your area.
- Open your doors and windows. This seems simple enough, but opening windows and doors can make a world of difference when it comes to the ventilation in your home. This allows the fresh air from outside to flow indoors and replace the unpleasant smells.
- Use a fan. Another way to improve the ventilation in your home is by using a fan. If you have one or more, place them near the open windows and doorways so they can blow out the unpleasant smell outside of your home.
- Use an air purifier. An air purifier could work wonders for you if your house smells of paint thinner or nail polish. Of course, you have to make sure you choose the right type of air purifier. Specifically, you need to look at filtration because that’ll largely determine how well the purifier can get rid of that annoying acetone smell.
- Use natural odor absorbents. Air purifiers and fans can be very helpful, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on solving your acetone smell problem. Baking soda, vinegar, and charcoal are some of the inexpensive ingredients that can solve this problem for you. All you have to do is place one of these in bowls and leave them in the rooms with the odor. They should absorb it after a few hours.
That said, if you don’t mind spending a little extra cash to get rid of the acetone smell in your house, I suggest buying the VEVA 8000 Black Air Purifier. Aside from its sleek look, it also uses “activated charcoal nano-technology” to get rid of that annoying acetone smell in no time.
Alternatively, you can go with the Germ Guardian Air Purifier. Like the product I talked about above, it also uses activated charcoal to get rid of any unwanted smells. Also, it can help clear your house of viruses that can cause serious illnesses like the flu.
Final Thoughts
The paint thinner or nail polish smell in your house can come from refrigerant leaks, sewer gas leaks, or mold and mildew growth. Regardless of the source, the root cause of these odors is the organic compound acetone.
While the USDA considers acetone generally safe, prolonged exposure to acetone vapors can result in health issues that range from mild irritation to more serious damage to organs and nerves.
Therefore, it’s crucial to eliminate these odors by fixing leaks, cleaning out mold and mildew, using an air purifier, or simply opening windows and providing better ventilation.
