Why New Artificial Plants Smell and When It Fades

You unbox a new faux fiddle leaf fig, set it by the sofa, and within an hour the room smells like a tyre shop. It is one of the most common complaints we hear, and the question behind it is reasonable: why do artificial plants smell, is it harmful, and will it ever go away?

The short answer is that most of the smell comes from the materials and the finishing process, it usually fades within one to three weeks, and a strong smell that lasts longer tells you something useful about what you bought. I test materials for a living, so here is what is going on and what to do about it.

Why artificial plants smell in the first place

Three sources account for nearly every case.

• Plasticisers in PVC. Soft PVC leaves and stems contain plasticisers that keep them flexible. Some of these evaporate slowly at room temperature, and that is the sharp, sweet plastic smell people notice first.
• Adhesives and paints. Leaves are glued to stems, and colour is often sprayed or printed on. Solvent-based glues and paints release volatile compounds for days or weeks after manufacture.
• Packaging and shipping. A plant sealed in a plastic bag inside a carton for six weeks in a hot container traps those compounds. When you open the box, you get the whole build-up at once.

Polyester fabric leaves on their own are usually low-odour. Latex and real-touch coatings can carry a faint rubbery smell. Polyethylene (PE) parts, common in better outdoor and real-touch plants, tend to smell much less than PVC. If you want the full comparison, our guide to PE versus PVC artificial plants covers how each plastic behaves.

How long the smell usually lasts

From the plants we have aired out and logged, this is a fair rule of thumb for a plant kept at around 20 degrees Celsius in a ventilated room:

Heat speeds the process up, which is both good and bad. A plant in a warm room off-gasses faster and finishes sooner, but the smell is stronger while it lasts. A plant left in a cold garage can still smell months later because the compounds barely move.

Size matters as well. A 180 cm faux tree has many times the surface area of a small tabletop plant, plus a foam or plastic trunk, so it carries more odour and takes longer to clear. If you are buying several plants for one room, unbox them a few days apart, or air them all in a spare room first, so the living space never gets the full combined dose. Rooms with low ceilings and few windows, such as small bathrooms or box rooms, hold the smell noticeably longer than an open living area.

How to get rid of the smell faster

1. Unbox outside or in a spare room. Remove all plastic wrap and tissue. Leave the box behind, since cardboard soaks up odour and keeps releasing it.
2. Air it with moving air. Place the plant near an open window with a fan on low for two or three days. Moving air does far more than simply leaving it in a still room.
3. Wipe the leaves. A soft cloth dampened with lukewarm water and a drop of mild washing-up liquid removes surface residue from the factory. Rinse with a clean damp cloth. Test a hidden leaf first, since paper-backed fabric leaves do not like water.
4. Use baking soda for stubborn cases. Put the plant in a large bag or closed cupboard with an open tray of baking soda for 48 hours. It absorbs some of the odour without touching the leaves.
5. Keep it out of direct sun while it airs. Strong sunlight warms the plastic quickly, which can make the smell worse in the short term and starts fading the colour.

Covering the smell is the advice to ignore

A lot of online tips suggest spraying fabric freshener, essential oils or perfume on the leaves. I would not. Sprayed oils sit on the surface, attract dust, and can leave a sticky film that turns grey over time. On printed leaves they can soften the ink and cause blotches. You also end up with two smells instead of one.

Coffee grounds and charcoal bags get recommended too. They do absorb some odour, but slower than airflow does. Open windows and a fan solve most cases at no cost and with no risk to the material.

The bigger mistake is assuming a strong smell is normal and simply waiting. If a plant still smells strongly after four weeks of good ventilation, that is a sign of cheap soft PVC or solvent-heavy paint. I would return it if you still can, especially if it is going into a bedroom or a child's room.

Is the smell from artificial plants harmful?

For most people, a mild smell that fades within a few weeks is a nuisance rather than a health concern, much like a new sofa or a freshly painted wall. That said, people with asthma, chemical sensitivity or headaches triggered by strong odours should take it seriously and air the plant fully before bringing it into living space.

When buying, look for sellers who state that products meet European REACH restrictions on certain plasticisers, or who say their PVC is phthalate-free. These labels are not perfect guarantees, but a seller who can name the standard is usually more careful than one who says nothing. Be sceptical of vague words like "eco" or "non-toxic" with no standard behind them.

The same habits that limit smell also help a plant last. Materials that off-gas heavily are often the ones that stiffen and fade early, as we explain in why some faux leaves turn grey.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my artificial plant smell like plastic?

Most often it is plasticisers evaporating from soft PVC leaves or trunks, plus glue and paint used in assembly. The smell is strongest right after unboxing because it builds up inside the packaging. Airing the plant usually fades it within a few weeks.

Do artificial plants release chemicals?

New ones release small amounts of volatile compounds from plastics, adhesives and paints, similar to other new furniture. The release drops sharply over the first few weeks. Good ventilation during that period keeps indoor levels low.

Can I wash an artificial plant to remove the smell?

You can wipe most leaves with lukewarm water and a little mild soap, which removes surface residue. Avoid soaking foam trunks or fabric leaves with paper backing. Washing helps, but airflow over several days does most of the work.