Rolling on a new coat of paint can make you feel healthy and happy, but you should know that household paints can contain up to 10,000 chemicals, that's a lot of zeros. So safety has to be a priority.
That new paint smell mainly comes from Volatile Organic Compound, the VOC. In some people, they cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness or eye irritation. Oil or alkyd paints emit higher levels of these chemicals than latex or water-based paints. To reduce your exposure, look for low or no VOC and low-odor paints. But read labels carefully and compare brands, as products differ in how they define low VOC.
Before you sand and scrape old paint, check for lead. The dust can be harmful, especially to children. In houses built before 1980, the paint should always be tested and your local health department can help you find a lab or use a home test kit like this one. These things cost under $10 and they well worth it.
Chemical splash goggles are a must if you are spray painting or overhead painting. Regular safety glasses, just aren't good enough. Butyl rubber gloves will also protect your skin and make cleanup a snap, Once you are finished, latex paint cleans up with just soap and water.
But if you are using oil-based paint, then you are going to need to use minerals spirits like I have here, but open a window; you need plenty of ventilation. The fumes can get really strong. Any rags used to clean oil paint or thinner should be dried completely outdoors before you disposed off them or you run the risk of spontaneous combustion. And never use gasoline for cleanup, it's flammable, but try to confine all of your cleanup to a sink That way all of those chemicals, go to the water treatment plant and not into the ground water.
And that lingering new paint smell, well that actually comes from off-gassing, which is a release of chemicals into your home's fresh air supply. It's best to avoid it. Try to keep your windows open and try to stay out of the freshly painted room for two or three days. With tips for a healthy home, I am Jay Baker.