The One Tool You’re Probably Not Bringing to a Paint Job—But Should

Nothing refreshes a room and improves its ambience quite like a new coat of paint. If you’re like most DIYers, you have an ample collection of rollers, brushes, edging tools, and drop cloths at the ready for a quick paint job on anything from walls and floors to cabinets and furniture. You probably also have painter’s tape and tarps to protect floors, adjacent trim, and built-in cabinetry from unwanted splatters and errant brushstrokes. What all these tools can’t protect you from, though, are the fumes that come with paint jobs.

While interior paint has become less smelly and less toxic over the years, the fumes it gives off can still be bothersome. Whether you’re repainting every room in the house before you move in or just changing the color in the kids’ room, there’s no good reason to expose yourself and your family to the health hazards associated with paint fumes. Keep reading to learn why the EnviroKlenz Air Purifier, a high-quality air-filtration system equipped to handle volatile organic compounds (VOCs), should earn a spot on your list of must-have painting tools.

1. Tackle oil paint’s toxic potential…

A few decades ago, oil-based paint was the number one choice for walls, doors, and trim, and it’s still often used where a durable, scrubbable surface is required, such as on cabinet doors. Unfortunately, that hard-wearing surface comes with strong fumes that can quickly lead to headaches, sniffles, or sore throats. This unpleasantness is caused by chemical solvents, VOCs, that are released into the air as soon as the paint can is opened.

Today’s oil paint manufacturers advise users to apply their paints only in well-ventilated areas, but while this advice is helpful, it’s not always practical. If the outside temperatures are frigid or a dust storm is brewing, for example, it’s difficult to properly ventilate a room. Even if you can open a window, it won’t remove all the fumes, which is why additional air purification is vital for reducing toxic fumes. EnviroKlenz’s Mobile Air System is designed specifically to trap and neutralize VOCs (as well as dust, mold, pollen, and other airborne allergens) in spaces of up to 1,000 square feet, thanks to the product’s patented Earth Mineral Technology.

To minimize health risks, it’s a good idea to turn on the EnviroKlenz before you start painting and then let it run during the entire painting process. Best of all, because the EnviroKlenz is portable, you can roll it into any room while you paint.

2. …as well as those toxins still in low-VOC paint.

Latex paints, which emit fewer VOCs than oil paints, are an attractive, safer option for home interiors. (A number of states have even banned the sale of oil-based paints because of the toxicity of their fumes.) Making latex paint even more appealing, manufacturers have developed newer varieties that boast low VOCs, or no VOCs at all. Still, even these varieties are not perfect. When you mix in paint thinners or colorants, for example, the compounds or pigments almost certainly contain VOCs. As a result, you’ll still inhale some airborne VOCs as you paint and throughout the time it takes for the paint to dry completely. If you roll an EnviroKlenz Mobile Air System into the room and run it while you’re applying the paint and as the job is curing, you’ll be able to limit your exposure to these toxins and give yourself some peace of mind.

3. Nix the lingering smell.

Unlike the smell of a new car, that of a new coat of paint is rarely appreciated. So, how long do these paint fumes last? This lingering smell goes hand in hand with VOC content, so its intensity and duration depend on the type of paint you use. A well-ventilated room coated with a low-VOC paint will lose its smell in three to four days but is safe to stay in as soon as the paint has dried. Meanwhile, in a room painted with high-VOC paint, it can take two to three weeks for the fumes to completely dissipate.

If you don’t have weeks to air out—and keep your family out of—freshly painted sections of your house, the EnviroKlenz Mobile Air System can make an immediate and noticeable improvement. The EnviroKlenz not only removes the VOCs that produce the irritating odors that can keep you up at night, but it also filters out other undesirable smells—a bonus for use beyond your painting projects.

4. Enjoy a greater variety of paint options.

By using a high-quality air purifier to remove dangerous VOCs while you work, you are free to explore paint options other than low- or zero-VOC varieties. Confident that the EnviroKlenz will intercept the harmful VOCs, you can choose from a full spectrum of paint products without worrying about the fumes. That also means you’ll be able to browse a larger selection of colors, as some brands don’t offer your favorite swatches in low-VOC form. Likewise, you won’t need to shy away from choosing the best finish for the job, such as a water-resistant oil-based paint for your kitchen or bathroom cupboards. Whatever paint you’re working with, simply run the EnviroKlenz to reduce the fumes to a tolerable level and to alleviate the discomfort associated with using high-VOC paints.

5. Remove sanding dust produced during painting prep.

Chemicals aren’t the only things that lead to respiratory and sinus distress during a paint project. Prepping a room by sanding walls and trim before painting can fill the space with airborne particulates. While inhaling these particulates isn’t good for anyone, it’s especially bothersome for those with asthma or allergies. The EnviroKlenz can help here too. In addition to a natural earth filter that removes VOCs, the purifier features a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that will trap and remove 99.99 percent of all airborne particulates over 0.3 microns in size. To understand how small that is, consider that the human eye cannot see anything smaller than 40 microns! The EnviroKlenz can’t (and shouldn’t) substitute for wearing a face mask while you work, but it will help collect the particulates that continue to float around after you break from sanding.

The EnviroKlenz offers an effective way of keeping the air in your home fresh, clean, and clear, before, during, and after every paint job. What are you waiting for? Get out the brushes and rollers, and roll in that air purifier! For purchasing information, visit enviroklenz.com.

This content is paid advertising created in partnership with EnviroKlenz. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.