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sgheine · May 20, 2007, 08:40 PM

When I came home tonight, there was a strange odor in our house. It smelled like nail polish remover. Nobody in our house had nail polish or remover out, or anything that smells like it. It seems to be the strongest by our washer and dryer. The living room and kitchen also smell. It does not smell in the basement, bedrooms, bathroom, or upstairs. Does anyone have any idea of what it could be? I have googled it and can't find any information about what it could be. Could gas smell like that at all? Please help. Thanks.

hvacservicetech_07 · May 20, 2007, 08:46 PM

Natural gas and propane both have more of a rotten egg smell. Are you sure there hasn't been any type of chemical dumped over that you are not aware of? I'd double check, try and pin point where the smell is coming from and get back to me, I'll try and help.

sgheine · May 21, 2007, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by sgheine

When I came home tonight, there was a strange odor in our house. It smelled like nail polish remover. Nobody in our house had nail polish or remover out, or anything that smells like it. It seems to be the strongest by our washer and dryer. The living room and kitchen also smell. It does not smell in the basement, bedrooms, bathroom, or upstairs. Does anyone have any idea of what it could be? I have googled it and can't find any information about what it could be. Could gas smell like that at all? Please help. Thanks.

I know for sure that it is coming from the laundry area. We don't have any chemicals in that area. All of our chemicals are double locked under the sink in the kitchen. I am the only one who uses them and haven't had any thing out this past weekend. I moved the washer and dryer and there wasn't anything spilled under or behind them. My daughter didn't have any of her nail polish out, or anything like that. And all of that stuff is put out of reach anyway. The only way she could get it is if I gave it to her, which I didn't. The only things that are in our cupboards above the washer and dryer is the laundry detergent, which doesn't smell like that, and just a bunch of junk. No chemicals at all. This is very strange.

arpheztwig · Jul 19, 2010, 07:16 PM

Very old post, but I just experienced the same thing and found the source to be an old lime. I know it's odd, but I read others finding molding oranges to be the cause, so I checked my limes. Aparently rotting citrus can produce acetone or a chemical similar to it.

arpheztwig · Jul 19, 2010, 07:16 PM

Very old post, but I just experienced the same thing and found the source to be an old lime. I know it's odd, but I read others finding molding oranges to be the cause, so I checked my limes. Aparently rotting citrus can produce acetone or a chemical similar to it.

Jaxxy · Sep 27, 2010, 06:38 AM

I have the same problem just now but can't seem to find the source!

jjkj565 · Nov 29, 2011, 02:27 PM

We've just had exactly the same thing - smelt of pear drops - and, after much digging around, found it was an old aerosol can under the sink which had corroded and finally ruptured. The smell was so overpowering you could barely stay in the room for five minutes!

babykaiah7 · Dec 11, 2011, 05:45 PM

I just had the same smell my husband and I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment over a tattoo shop(in the back) and a craft shop(in the front). We live mostly over the craft shop and thought she was painting or using a paint thinner today and it started to seap in finally. We checked our apartment heater, that wasn't it; the space heater which it smelled like that was where it was coming from. After hours of having that in the hall way it just seemed to get stronger. I looked online here and read someone had an old aerosol room feshner that constantly sprays to keep the room fresh. I removed that and it still smells but it is decreasing.

TamborayYGuira · May 7, 2012, 08:54 AM

I have a similar problem. The gas company came today and *no* gas leaks thank God. The smell is akin to paint-thinner/nail polish remover/spray paint. It is strongest as soon as you're halfway down the basement stairs. And it is definitely not heavy because when I open the basement door, the smell slowly reaches to the top level of the house. To be on safe side I ventilated the basement by opening two basement windows. Smell has subsided but as soon as I shut basement windows again, it comes back. This morning I removed from basement all paint cans and aerosol spray paint cans as well, opened windows again. Not sure if that's the source but will find out later today. I will keep you posted.

Peabody23 · May 26, 2012, 01:19 PM

Hello,

If you ever find out what the smell is, I'd really like to know. I live on the 3rd floor in a condo building and every time the people below me run their dryer, this horrible smell wafts into my unit from the dryer venting. It smells like nail polisher remover with a hint of wet dirt or mold. If I turn my dryer on, the smell gets sucked up & the odor goes away until the next time the neighbors run their dryer.

Anything you can share would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

TamborayYGuira · May 30, 2012, 02:02 PM

The smell was due to 3 or 4 gallons of old gasoline I had dumped in my driveway upstream from my basement (stupid I know). The smell went away after a few days of rain. It makes sense because the other day I dumped large amounts of water draining an inflatable pool in a spot near where I dumped the gasoline, and lo and behold in a few hours the floor in my basement was moist.

vanishee · Aug 7, 2012, 05:55 PM

Did you ever find out what the smell was? I am currently having a similar problem in my kitchen. I called the gas company and there is no gas leak. It smells like paint thinner in my kitchen - underneath the sink. I have all the windows open.

Peabody23 · Aug 7, 2012, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by vanishee

Did you ever find out what the smell was? I am currently having a similar problem in my kitchen. I called the gas company and there is no gas leak. It smells like paint thinner in my kitchen - underneath the sink. I have all the windows open.

I didn't find out what it was, but is was only in my dryer venting (I am on the 3rd floor of a condo). One of this site's readers suggested that I have a damper installed (I call it a flapper) & it worked. It lets the hot air out of my vent without letting the exhaust from other people's dryers in. So I don't think that this is your problem.
However, have you checked the vent hose from where it attaches to your dryer all the way to the end/outside? Do you use Downey fabric softener? That stuff really smells bad when it accumulates & gets heated up.

Peabody23 · Aug 7, 2012, 08:02 PM

Xx

alwo12 · Aug 18, 2012, 07:42 AM

If you have any plug in air freshners it might be them those things are oil base ans some times they go stale no telling how long there in the store before you buy them. . Work for me I unplug those things the nail polish smell went away... hope this helps

Peabody23 · Aug 18, 2012, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by alwo12

if you have any plug in air freshners it might be them those things are oil base ans some times they go stale no telling how long there in the store before you buy them. . work for me i unplug those things the nail polish smell went away....hope this helps

The odor went away when I had a damper installed. The smell was coming from below my unit (I'm on the 3rd floor & we all share the same dryer venting). The damper prevents the odor from coming into my unit.
You're idea about the air freshener is a good one. I think it might be the people below me using scented fabric softener. I'm thinking that the residue gets heated up & starts smelling bad.
Thanks for your reply.
:)

hannaere2k13 · Jan 23, 2013, 04:04 PM

I've had the same thing I think today not a citrus smell it smelt like paint smell or nail polish smell but very strong I was just sat there and all of a sudden I smelt a faint nail varnish smell near radiator went straight in the bathroom to tell my partner.. and it absolutely reekd of that smell in the bathroom.. it eve3tualli spredid everywere I was advised to ring the fire department.. and they came out chekd the house for 2hours while we were outside.. they said they've never smelt anything like it.. smell has gone kind of but still smell it abit in the bathroom.. worst next to the sink.. I don't have any nail polish or paint.. or nail polish remover.. or anything as such that would smell of this I don't haavee any aerosols sprays or paint spray nothing or mouldy fruit nothhing.. checkd everything.. can't find a solution of what corsed it I went next door.both sides.. they hadn't done any decoratin and none of them had the smell in there house. Nothing at all very very strange! And worrying as I have two kids sleeping ni this house I hope its not flammable!

cass000la · May 14, 2013, 10:16 PM

We had the stink of nail polish in the house, it was a rotten lemon in the basket!

Tararuns · Nov 18, 2013, 08:34 AM

I had this problem a few months ago, and it has just come back, and seems to be spreading to other parts of the house. Strangest thing ever...

Tararuns · Nov 18, 2013, 08:36 AM

Definatley smells like nail varnish! I had a handyman come by, he can smell it too, cannot find it.