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Why Does My House Smell Like Nail Polish Remover? (Answered)

Whenever it comes to experiencing an unusual smell in your house, you might get worried. Generally, the nail polish remover’s smell is pretty unusual and difficult to identify. But whoever is familiar with nail polish remover, can identify the odor. 

Releasing the smell of nail polish remover is pretty strange.

So, you might be confused about why your house smells like nail polish remover. Well, you have to search for the reason immediately because this type of smell might not be safe for your house. So, finding the source of this smell and taking action is essential.

Why does my house smell like nail polish remover?

If your house smells like nail polish remover, the reason might be gas leakage. The gas is from the refrigerant used in the refrigerator. This gas has a smell like acetone that is the main ingredient of nail polish remover. Air condition, a heat pump can also leak this gas and cause a smell.

Whenever we identify the smell of nail polish remover, we can be pretty sure that the smell is from acetone. Generally, Acetone is a chemical that is used in many places for different purposes. 

Even sometimes, many things other than acetone might resemble the same smell. That’s why your house might smell like nail polish remover. Let’s see what the main reasons behind it are.

Refrigerator gas leakage:

One of the main reasons for smelling your house like nail polish remover is the gas leakage from your refrigerator. Every refrigerator contains a refrigerant that is a liquid form of gas. This gas contains acetone. You might know that nail polish remover is made of acetone. 

That’s why when the refrigerant is leaked from the fridge, your house might smell like acetone.

Refrigerant leakage from other devices:

Like the refrigerator, other devices also carry refrigerant gas containing acetone. For example, the leakage from air condition, heat pump, ductless mini-split system, etc. can also leak refrigerant. Then your house might smell like nail polish remover.

Caulk:

Sometimes, caulk and silicon-based sealants can spread an acetone-like smell. If you have recently caulked an area of your house that doesn’t have proper ventilation, the smell of acetone might last a long time. That’s why your house might smell like nail polish remover.

Sewer gas:

Sewer gas can also cause a nail polish remover-like smell. Sometimes, the sewer gas pipe becomes cracked or leaked. So, the gas comes out from the pipe and spreads through your house. That’s why your house can cause odor.

Mold:

If your kitchen or room has a wall that is getting continuous moisture, it can build up mold and mildew. These walls from the kitchen and room can spread gas. This type of gas leakage can also smell like nail polish remover.

Electric wire problems:

Electric wire problems causing smells like nail polish remover are pretty rare. But still, if the wall of your house has an electric connection, the wire can be short-circuited.

Besides, the short-circuited wire can burn plastic in junction boxes and rubber coatings on themselves. This burning can release chemicals that resemble the smell of acetone. So, your house might smell like nail polish remover.

Paint:

Paint can also cause your house to smell like nail polish remover. Generally, paints have a distinct smell. When you paint your house newly, the smell might last some days. This odor can sometimes smell like nail polish remover.

Does carbon monoxide smell like nail polish?

No, generally, carbon monoxide doesn’t smell like nail polish. Carbon monoxide is an odorless element. So, if you think that carbon monoxide smells like nail polish, you might be wrong. The smell of nail polish might come from a different source.

Generally, nail polish is made of different types of chemicals including acetone. So, whenever there is a gas leak, you might smell like nail polish. That’s why you might think carbon monoxide leakage is causing the nail polish smell.

Many people might get confused to smell nail polish odor and think that the smell is from carbon monoxide. But generally, the smell is not from this gas. If you ever smell something like nail polish or nail polish remover, you have to find the source and resolve it.

What could smell like nail polish in a house?

The nail polish smell is pretty catchy. So, whenever you experience nail polish in your house, it might be coming from a specific source. So, let’s see what smells like nail polish in a house.

Paint:

After painting your house, the new walls might smell like nail polish. Sometimes, the smell of chemicals in nail polish and paint resembles. Moreover, if you don’t let the paint dry completely and don’t provide enough ventilation, the paint might cause smell like nail polish.

Gas leakage:

Acetone is one of the ingredients of nail polish. Besides, gas leakage from the refrigerator, air conditioner, heat pump, etc., causes a smell like acetone. So, if your house has a gas leakage from these sources, it might smell like acetone as well as nail polish.

Medical condition:

Sometimes, people go through smelling disorders. So, if you can’t find any source of nail polish smell in your house, you have to ensure whether other people are experiencing the same smell or not. If only you can smell nail polish, you might have a problem with breath or smelling disorder.

How do you get rid of the smell of nail polish remover in your house?

Getting an unusual smell like nail polish remover in your house is pretty dangerous. Especially, if the smell is from gas leakage. So, you have to remove or solve the problem of odor like nail polish remover. Let’s see how you can get rid of the smell of nail polish remover in your house.

Finding the source:

Whenever you smell nail polish remover in your house, the reason might be pretty simple. But sometimes the reasons might be dangerous. So, you have to find the source of the smell first to get rid of it.

Solving leakage of refrigerant:

If you find that the nail polish remover is coming from the leakage of refrigerant, you have to seek professional help immediately. Because the refrigerant contains toxic gases that can be highly dangerous for your health. So, sealing the refrigerant pipe will solve the smell problem.

Removing acetone:

Sometimes, we use acetone in different places for cleaning purposes. So, if the nail polish remover smell is coming from the use of acetone, you have to remove the acetone.

Moreover, to get rid of the smell, you can grind the coffee, put the ground coffee in a glass, and stir. This will remove the smell. Besides, you can use essential oils to dismiss the acetone smell.

Cleaning mold and mildew:

If the smell is from the mold and mildew from the moisture-containing area, you have to clean the place thoroughly to get rid of the smell of nail polish remover.

Repairing sewer pipe:

If the nail polish remover smell comes from the leakage of the sewer pipe, you have to seek professional help to repair or change the sewer pipe.

Drying wall paint properly:

If the nail polish remover smell is from the wall you have newly painted, you have to allow the wall to dry completely. Keep enough ventilation in the room. This will remove the acetone-like smell from the paint.

Is nail polish remover smell in your house harmful?

Yes, the nail polish remover smell in your house can be harmful. Nail polish remover contains some chemicals that are highly flammable. So, you have to be very careful about any gas leakage in your house.

Besides, the nail polish remover smell can indicate acetone in your house. Generally, acetone is a chemical element that is not breathable. You can face different medical issues if you breathe acetone. 

For example, you can face nose, throat, eye, lung irritation, and sore throat if you smell acetone in a large amount.

Besides, if the actual nail polish remover is released in your house, breathing the fume of the remover can lead to dangerous medical problems. 

For example, headaches, confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, effects on the blood, passing out, etc., can happen if you smell the fume of nail polish remover. So, the smell of nail polish remover in your house is not safe.

Final Thoughts

If your house smell like nail polish remover, the reason might be related to the leakage of refrigerant. Refrigerant can leak from the refrigerator, air conditioner, heat pump, etc. But some other reasons like paint, sewer pipe leakage, electric wire problem, caulk, mold, etc., can also be responsible.