# Painting a child's room: which paint to choose and how long to wait > What to read on the tin for a baby's or child's room (VOC, Ecolabel, EN 71-3, washable), how long to ventilate before the child sleeps there and what to avoid with old paint. - Page: https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/painting-a-childs-room-safe-paints - Language: English - Updated: 2026-11-05 ## Summary - We found no official Portuguese waiting time before a child sleeps in a freshly painted room. The US EPA advises ventilating for about 2 to 3 days and keeping young children out. - On the label, compare VOC in g/L with the legal limit; the EU Ecolabel asks for less (10 g/L for a matt interior wall paint). - EN 71-3 is a toy standard. Some brands, such as CIN, apply it to wall paints, but that is the brand's choice. - Washable only means something with the EN 13300 wet-scrub class. In an old house, do not sand old paint: it may contain lead. You are about to paint a baby's or child's room and want to choose the paint well. The questions are simple: what to read on the tin, how long to wait before the child sleeps there, and what to avoid. This guide separates what the sources say from what is marketing. *Updated 4 November 2026. General information; it does not replace a technician's assessment or your doctor's advice.* ## The essentials - **There is no official Portuguese waiting time** before a child sleeps in a freshly painted room. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises keeping windows wide open for about 2 to 3 days and avoiding the room in that time, above all with young children. - On the tin, first look for the **VOC content in g/L** and compare it with the legal limit for the subcategory. The EU Ecolabel asks for less. - **EN 71-3 is a toy standard.** Some makers apply it to wall paints; that is the brand's choice, not a legal requirement for paint. - "Washable" only means something with the **wet-scrub class** of EN 13300. - In an old house, **do not sand old paint**. It may contain lead. ## What matters most: the air in the room A painted wall releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as it dries. What they are and what the law caps are in [VOCs and air quality: reading the label](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/paint-voc-indoor-air-quality-label), which we do not repeat. The EPA leaflet "Healthy Indoor Painting Practices" (May 2000) says sensitive people, such as young children and people with breathing problems, should avoid paint vapours. It also says water-based paints give off fewer chemicals than oil-based ones, and that some solvents take several days to clear. Hence the rule of thumb: ventilate during painting and for about 2 to 3 days after. It is a US document from 2000, so treat it as an order of magnitude. ## What to read on the tin and the data sheet | What to look for | How to read it | |---|---| | **VOC in g/L** | Compare with the legal limit for the category. For a water-based matt interior wall paint it is 30 g/L. Barbot 1943 states a maximum of 4 g/L in its November 2024 data sheet. | | **EU Ecolabel** | The criteria of Decision 2014/312/EU are tighter than the law: 10 g/L for a matt interior wall paint, plus limits on hazardous substances. Check the licence number, not just the logo. | | **EN 71-3, category III** | CIN "Child Safe" range: CIN says its paints meet EN 71-3 category III, which sets migration limits for certain chemical elements. See the note below. | | **EN 13300 class (wet scrub)** | Class 1 or 2 withstands repeated cleaning. See [washable paint](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/washable-paint-en-13300-scrub-classes). | ### A note on EN 71-3 EN 71-3 covers the migration of certain elements (such as lead and antimony) from **toy** materials. We did not open the standard, which is paywalled. We saw its scope in standards-catalogue summaries, and CIN's page says its "Child Safe" paints meet category III. A cautious reading: it is an extra test the maker chose to run, useful if a child may lick or chew a painted surface such as a cot or chest of drawers. It does not replace checking the VOC figure, and it does not prove a paint is "odourless". A bare "non-toxic" with no standard or data sheet is advertising. ## A real data-sheet example CIN's page for VinylClean (10245), read on 4 November 2026, lists a "super washable" matt finish, coverage of 10 to 15 m² per litre, 2 to 3 coats and drying time of 3 to 4 hours. It says the paint meets EN 71-3 category III and shows an A+ indoor air quality class (French scheme). The page **does not give** the wet-scrub class, the VOC in g/L or the sheet date. Ask for the full technical data sheet before buying. ## Step-by-step plan 1. **Pick the paint** using the table and check the data sheet. For choice by room see [which paint for each room](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/which-paint-for-each-room). 2. **Work out the quantity** with the [calculator](https://paredecerta.pt/en#calc) and [how many litres of paint](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/how-much-paint-do-i-need). Leftovers mean open tins at home. The EPA says buy only what you will use and close the rest tightly. Disposal: [paint waste](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/paint-waste-leftover-tins-disposal). 3. **Prepare the wall without dust.** In an old house read [old paint and lead](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/old-paint-lead-sanding-safety) first. Do not dry-sand paint of unknown age. General steps: [how to paint a wall](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/how-to-paint-a-wall-step-by-step). 4. **Keep the child away** during the work, with the room door closed. 5. **Ventilate properly.** Open opposite windows during painting and in the days after. The EPA advises about 2 to 3 days and warns that bathroom or kitchen fans do not always vent outdoors. 6. **Use your nose.** If there is still a strong paint smell, the room is not ready. Smell does not measure everything, but it is a warning. 7. **Only then** put the cot back and bring in toys and textiles, which absorb odours. 8. **If the child has a cough or sore eyes** after sleeping there, ventilate again and call SNS 24 (the national health line). ## How long to wait We found no waiting time from DGS (the health directorate), SNS 24 or INSA. The figures that circulate, such as "24 hours" or "48 to 72 hours", come mostly from shops and painting firms, not health authorities. The only official guidance we read is the EPA's: 2 to 3 days with windows open, for paints in general. A prudent rule: wait the time the maker states **and** until the smell has gone. ## Washable finishes and furniture A child's room gets finger marks and pen. A matt finish with wet-scrub class 1 or 2 stands up to more cleaning; see [washable paint](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/washable-paint-en-13300-scrub-classes). For cots and furniture, CIN names its AC-Thane enamel as the "Child Safe" product for wood and metal. For wood in general see [painting wood](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/painting-wood-doors-and-windows). ## Pregnancy The EPA advises pregnant women to avoid painting and to limit time in freshly painted rooms, especially with oil-based paints. The MotherToBaby fact sheet (1 February 2023) says home painting with precautions probably means low exposure, and that ideally someone else does the work. We found no DGS guidance. Ask your doctor or call SNS 24. ## When the problem is something else If the room smells musty, the cause may be damp or mould. Do not paint over it. See [musty smell in the home](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/musty-smell-in-the-home-how-to-fix) and [bedroom condensation](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/bedroom-condensation-ventilation). ## What we could not confirm - **An official Portuguese waiting time** for a child to sleep in a painted room. - **The text of EN 71-3**: paywalled, we read only the scope in summaries. We do not know whether any law requires wall paints to be tested to it. - **Whether the 2020 Ecolabel criteria are still in force** (read through the VOC guide). - **CIN's full technical data sheet**: the page showed no VOC figure, scrub class or date. - **Painting in pregnancy** according to DGS. - **Whether low-VOC paint is better for health**: we found no official study. ## Sources (read on 4 November 2026) - U.S. EPA, [Healthy Indoor Painting Practices (EPA 744-F-00-011)](https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/sites/static/files/2015-09/documents/inpaint5.pdf), May 2000 (ventilation, children, pregnancy, water- and oil-based paints, buying the right quantity). - U.S. EPA, [Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality) (ventilation, keeping products from children). - CIN, [Child Safe](https://cin.com/deco/pt/en/child-safe) and [VinylClean 10245](https://cin.com/deco/pt/en/10245-vinylclean) (EN 71-3 category III, coverage, coats, drying). - Barbot, [Data sheet 1943](https://barbot.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1943-FT-T.-Plastica-Mate-Interior-Branca.pdf), 18/11/2024: cited through the VOC guide, not re-read. - Decision 2014/312/EU (Ecolabel), consolidated version of 7 April 2020: cited through the VOC guide, not re-read. - EN 71-3: scope cited through standards-catalogue summaries (GlobalSpec, DIN); standard text not read. - MotherToBaby, [La pintura](https://mothertobaby.org/es/hojas-informativas/la-pintura/), 1 February 2023: cited through the VOC guide. - Site guides: VOC and label, washable paint, old paint and lead. ## FAQ ### How long after painting can the baby sleep in the room? There is no official Portuguese time. The EPA advises windows open for about 2 to 3 days and avoiding the room, above all with young children. Follow the maker's sheet too and wait until the smell has gone. ### Does EN 71-3 prove a paint is safe for a bedroom? It is a standard for the migration of elements from toys. CIN uses category III on its Child Safe paints, but it does not replace the VOC figure or ventilation. ### Can a pregnant woman paint the baby's room? The EPA advises pregnant women to avoid painting. MotherToBaby says that with precautions exposure is probably low and ideally someone else paints. We found no DGS guidance: ask your doctor. --- Source: https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/painting-a-childs-room-safe-paints. Independent information, not legal or tax advice.