Apartment smells like paint - what to do?

Question

My apartment smells like paint. I haven't painted, the hallway doesn't smell like paint, and I can't smell paint outside any of my neighbors apartments. I'm a little worried it could be gas I'm smelling. My stove is electric, and it's the middle of the summer. Could I still smell gas? If it's not gas, how do I get rid of the odor? It's giving me a headache.

Answer 1

Get a carbon monoxide detector or call the gas company. If it is gas, a carbon monoxide detector should detect it or to be extra sure a gas company person or furnace person could use a detector to detect for gas leaks.

Besides that, you can open up the windows and let the fumes get blown out.

I also remembered something about curing sick building syndrome using tea. So I looked it up.

"Tea bags can cure sick building syndrome. People who move intoa new house can suffer nausea and sore throats due to the chemicals from fresh paint and glue. One of the chielf culprits is formaldehyde. Now the Tokyo Metropolitan Consumer Center has found that tea bags scattered around the house soak up the formaldehyde, aided by tannin in the tea. They found that the concentration of formaldehyde in the air fell between 60 and 90 percent. Dry black or green tea is said to work best."

Natural Health Newsletter
July 22, 2000

Answer 2

Are you sure it's paint? You mentioned a gas smell, they don't usually smell the same. Have any of your neighbors painted? Is your toilet flushing quite slowly? The problem with apartments is it could be anything. If you don't have any gas appliances the building itself may have gas service for something.
The best thing you could do is call the complex maintenance department. NOTE NOTE NOTE the time you called them and when they came out and what they did. Great way to cover yourself down the road.

Answer 3

First if you think it might remotely be gas - call your utility company. Better safe than sorry. Second, you can place kitty litter around - it absorbs odors like crazy. Or alternatively put out large bowls of vinegar all around the house.

Answer 4

Place small bowls of vinegar around the apartment. The vinegar absorbs odors.

Answer 5

Another thing you can do is get in touch w/your local fire dept. They can, in many cases, bring in portable gages to detect gas and other chemicals.
And if you have the money, you may want to call a vent cleaning co.

Answer 6

Get a air cleaner with ioniser, doesn't have to be expensive, i got mine cheap at wallmart.