How to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell and Color From Walls

The nasty and stale stink of cigarette smoking lingers inside a house or room long after the cigarette is out and the smoker is gone. It also causes a yellowish tar and nicotine discoloration on the walls that hardens with time. Whether you just quit smoking, moved into an apartment that had been smoked in or bought a house from a previous smoker, don't get discouraged: You can remove the stink and the smoke stains from the walls.

The White Vinegar Solution

More than one method removes tar and nicotine cigarette stains from walls. Start by adding warmed vinegar to a spray bottle for tough stains. Dilute using a one-to-one ratio with warm water for less noticeable stains. Apply the warmed vinegar or mixture directly to the walls. Because tar and nicotine develop a sticky and hardened surface, the warmth of the vinegar helps to soften these substances. Vinegar removes both smells and stains.

The Ammonia Method

Ammonia can also remove cigarette tar and nicotine from walls when mixed with water. Combine a tablespoon of ammonia for every cup of water, or roughly 1/2 cup of ammonia to a gallon of warm water. For painted walls, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. For a stronger solution, increase the ammonia to a full cup. Apply the cleaning agent directly to the wall and let it sit for about five minutes before wiping it off. Follow with a clean rinse of warm water.

For Tough Cigarette Stains

Trisodium phosphate works best to get rid of tough stains because it also degreases the tars from cigarette smoke. You can find trisodium phosphate where you normally purchase household cleaning agents or at your local home improvement or hardware store. Wear gloves when you apply it to the walls after mixing 1 tablespoon in a gallon of warm water. To avoid streaks, start at the bottom of the wall and work your way up. Let the mixture sit on the walls before wiping it off. Rinse with a sponge dipped in clean water, changing the rinse water often as you work. Once walls are clean, they might require a primer and paint coat to freshen them up. Choose a primer product that can cover tough stains.

The Smoky Smell

All of these solutions can remove the cigarette stink from the walls, but the smell may linger inside the home and recontaminate the walls if you forget to clean the filters for the home's HVAC system. As you clean the walls, ventilate the house thoroughly. If the house has a whole house fan, turn it on or temporarily set a large reversible square fan inside a window to vent the household air outside. Remove and clean washable cold-air return filters or replace them completely. Clean the grates around the cold-air return to remove tar and nicotine stains. Clean the carpet and drapes thoroughly to get all the offensive odors out of the home.



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