# Wet Paint Smell in the home...when no one has been painting
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 17, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244 "2024-01-17T22:54:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/1 "2024-01-17T22:54:31Z")
I just returned from five days away and when I walked through the front door I was hit with a strong fresh wet latex paint smell. It was so strong I asked my wife if she had gotten to that hallway project we had talked about while I was away. She had no idea what I was talking about–she couldn’t smell it and she is usually much more smell sensitive than me. After a few minutes I couldn’t smell it anymore.
Now today, I get back from work and come in through the garage and as soon as I enter the house…I smell it again but not as strong…but I am smelling it still now two hours later.
So some notes-
Nothing has been painted in the house in over year. But there is a piece of furniture (a nighstand) that was recently refurnished and was treated with a polyurethane stain that unfortunately is still off-gassing fumes nearly 7 weeks later. It’s in an upstairs bedroom and is a very different smell.
We have electric baseboard heaters and it has been very cold so we are running the heat more.
Any ideas what could causing the smell…or causing me to smell something not there?
---
### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/2 "2024-01-17T22:58:46Z")
Wet latex paint, or wet oil paint?
---
### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/3 "2024-01-17T23:00:43Z")
Oh excellent question! Latex paint. (edited original to add)
---
### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/4 "2024-01-18T01:20:13Z")
I’ve heard it said that termites can give off a smell somewhere between wet paint and moth balls. Could also be a refrigerant link in the HVAC.
---
### Author:  [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/5 "2024-01-18T04:36:15Z")
Do you often leave the home for that many days? You may be used to a smell in your home. But if you return after a long enough time, it is now obvious. I smoke. But often am away for work. When I come home the tobacco smell is very obvious. But I get used to it again very quickly.
Maybe while you were away there was a large variation in temperature? The heater was on a lot? It may have caused something to evaporate a lot more than usual. Your wife would have acclimated to it as it happened.
Something in storage is leaking? Again a large temperature variation may have caused some container to leak or burst. Lid popped off.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/6 "2024-01-18T13:00:42Z")
Is there an open can in the garage or basement? Maybe it fell over, top popped off because of temperature change, hole corroded through can, rats ate a hole in it, etc.
---
### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/7 "2024-01-18T13:19:41Z")
This is a reach, but to me, the smell of latex has an undercurrent of ammonia smell. I don’t know if it just reminds me of an ammonia smell, or if ammonia is actually an ingredient in latex paint.
[I just googled, and this link says](https://research.columbia.edu/safely-handling-paints)
> latex paint is water based and often thought to be nontoxic. However, trace amounts of formaldehyde, isocyanates and **ammonia** may be present…
So, maybe you’re smelling some trace of ammonia that’s making you think of latex paint? Either from cleaning products, or some other things that can cause or generate an ammonia smell?
---
### Author:  [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/8 "2024-01-18T18:25:52Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#):
>
> I just returned from five days away
I once worked in an office where there was a pronounced chemical, almost formaldehyde like, odor. People were panicking, fearing they were being poisoned. A thorough search of a desk that had sat unused for a while uncovered a paper bag. In the bag was a _very_ rotten, moldy orange. Once it was removed the odor dissipated. Suggest you check the trash or anything organic you might have left out while you were gone.
---
### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/9 "2024-01-18T19:26:37Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#):
>
> I once worked in an office where there was a pronounced chemical, almost formaldehyde like, odor. People were panicking, fearing they were being poisoned. A thorough search of a desk that had sat unused for a while uncovered a paper bag. In the bag was a _very_ rotten, moldy orange. Once it was removed the odor dissipated. Suggest you check the trash or anything organic you might have left out while you were gone.
This _seems_ to actually be the culprit. A rotten orange had broken through out composting bag in the kitchen. I don’t smell it now that the bag has been taken out and the bin cleaned.
---
### Author:  [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wet-paint-smell-in-the-home-when-no-one-has-been-painting/996244/10 "2024-01-18T20:11:10Z")
👏 Yay! Glad you found it!