How can I remove nicotine stains from the walls?

Question

I live with my dad and the walls are horribly stained from his smoking. I notice it's like a dark orange especially around the vent-less heaters. We never had this problem in our previous home but this house it seems the staining is so severe.
Is there another option other than scrubbing the walls & ceilings multiple times a year???

Is there another option other than scrubbing the walls & ceilings multiple times a year???

William · Answer

Half vinegar half water will not only cut the nicotine from the walls while leaving the paint on, it will also remove the odor of the nicotine. Yes, the vinegar smell will dissipate overnight.

You can also use Clorox Clean-Up, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Simple Green and dry-cleaning chemical sponges.

If the staining is really bad, you may have to repaint. Makes sure you prime with KILZ primer then paint.

Finally, tell your father to quit smoking! HA HA!

Rachel Z · Answer

lol...good luck on the smoking bit. Yeah, I was gonna paint with kilz first....I have to repaint for sure. I'm also looking at replacing the ceilings and doing some other big projects on the house. I use a lot of vinegar when I clean so the smell is no big deal.

Con2279456 · Answer

Use TSP cleaner.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Please do not use TSP it is highly toxic.

Roxy Hirsche · Answer

I had the same problem, brown walls from cigarettes. I used a half and half mix of vinegar and ammonia mixed in about 1/2 gal. of warm water. It was amazing and no painting, or rinsing. I also used rough sided scrubbies from the dollar store. The vinegar cuts the ammonia smell. I was shocked at how good the walls looked after.

SBlizzard · Answer

Kilz and then repaint. You will be cleaning forever to get the layers of smoke off and then will still have to repaint because of the blotchiness. Kilz worked at my mom's but still took 2-3 coats of paint. If I were to do it over, I would Kilz twice. 
Also, have your Kilz tinted to match your paint. Makes everything much easier. Can you talk him into smoking outside? Or buy a air purifier $200-$300 range to filter some of the smoke. 
Just a thought, could you put wood trim around the vent less heaters? Either stained wood with a heavy coat of polyurethane or painted with a gloss paint that would wipe off easily.

Llk3031894 · Answer

We used bleach and a sponge mop. It worked  like magic!  Just don't breathe it in!

Daw3000588 · Answer

Had the same problem. Tried everything. Finally used scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner, it worked like like a charm. Haven't tried kitchen scrubbing bubbles.

Cherie Henry · Answer

Grease lightening in spray bottle and gallon refills...spray and then wipe with damp sponge.  Wear gloves, as I did not and hands peeled a bit. Both my parents smoked and I scrubbed their mobile home from top to bottom for a week, one wall etc. at a time. When done the home looked like a new home!

Rachel Z · Answer

I tried the vinegar....hahaha! That was a joke. I used a homemade cleaner (similar to soft scrub) and it didn't get it all off. Was hoping the vinegar was stronger. Nope...got a lot less off the walls. The walls are like really really really yellow lol. Even after scrubbing with my homemade cleanser in the dining room there's still a pretty big difference. Since the vinegar is even less effective, I won't try that anywhere else. Bummer too. I do plan on painting and using kilz first but really want the walls clean before I paint lol.

Rachel Z · Answer

Homemade cleanser of baking soda, vinegar, liquid castile soap was the most effective.

Mary · Answer

Try (Mean Green) works good used a sponge mop. You can get MG at most dollar stores.

Cathi · Answer

Scrubbing bubbles works! From the ceiling on down! I cleaned a trailer that had been smoked in over 20 years! Just protect eyes and skin! I used goggles and a rain poncho!

Tina · Answer

I found a product at our dollar store called Awesome. It is very strong and and doesn't smell good so I use this full strength to remove nicotine first. Then I go back and scrub with a pine sol and water dilution. Magic erasers do a good job of removing nicotine from plastic light switch plates and covers. Don't spray cleanser in any light sockets or on light fixtures unless you cut power! This is what I use when I clean my customers homes. Hope this helps!

Dolores Hugues · Answer

Believe it or not Pledge multi surface took off all of the smoke stains and left the walls with a semi-shine.

JulieHix · Answer

I tried many of these methods with some success and a LOT of elbow grease. However, the most effective for me and least amount of effort was OdoBan (Not diluted) on a Mr. Clean. OdoBan I had on hand because I do have pets in the house. This was a zip in comparison to the other methods.

Donna · Answer

I found that just regular dish soap and a scrub pad will clean nicotine off of anything.

Deb K · Answer

Hi Rachel, I use a diluted mixture of Spray Nine cleaner and water with a microfiber cloth, mix about 1/2 cup spray nine into a pail with 1/2 gallon of water, change the water when it gets too dirty to clean with, your walls will look almost new again! Hope this helps you out, you can also use simple green in the same directions

How can I remove nicotine stains from the walls?

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