How To Clean Cigarette Smoke Off Walls

How To Clean Cigarette Smoke Off Walls

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Whether you’ve just bought a home from indoor smokers or have finally kicked the habit yourself, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to learn how to clean cigarette smoke off of walls at some point or another. In this guide, we’re explaining how to get these troublesome, unpleasant stains off of walls and other indoor surfaces, ensuring your home is clean, fresh-smelling, and smoke-free.

Why Cigarette Smoke Stains Walls and Ceilings

Before we can get into how to clean smoke off walls, what causes these smoke stains in the first place? Cigarette smoke contains two main ingredients, which stain surfaces over time: Nicotine and tar. 

Nicotine, which is the active ingredient and addictive substance found in tobacco, is where most of the yellow, brownish color of smoke stains comes from. Tar, on the other hand, is a byproduct of burning tobacco, producing a thick, sticky substance that settles on your walls and allows the nicotine to stick. 

While the stains are mostly caused by nicotine and tar, cigarette smoke and the residue it creates also carry many other harmful substances, such as volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and more. Smoking indoors is extremely damaging to indoor air quality over time (not to mention causing an elevated fire risk if you don’t keep up with regular smoke detector replacement), which means removal is essential for your health.

Supplies You’ll Need to Clean Smoke Off Walls

Removing nicotine stains from walls and ceilings is a tedious, time-consuming task, but it will leave your home looking and feeling better, all while finally getting rid of the smoke smell and improving your health. Here are the supplies you may need to do this task yourself:

  • A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment
  • Protective gloves and eyewear
  • A ladder
  • A fan
  • Wet and dry rags
  • Soot sponge
  • Dishsoap
  • Baking soda
  • Hot water
  • A bucket
  • A spray bottle
  • White or apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or ammonia
  • Alcohol
  • Salt
  • Fine-grit sandpaper

Step-By-Step Guide: How To Clean Nicotine Off Walls

With your supplies assembled, let’s break down the steps on how to clean nicotine off your walls:

  • Step one: Open as many windows as possible and get a fan running to improve ventilation.
  • Step two: Remove as many fixtures as possible in the cleaning area, such as light switches and outlet covers, light fixtures, vent screens, and so on.
  • Step three: Put on your gloves and protective eyewear to prevent tar, nicotine, or cleaning chemicals from getting on your skin or in your eyes.
  • Step four: Lightly vacuum the walls and ceiling with your brush attachment to remove any loose debris stuck to the sticky smoke stains.
  • Step five: Make your first cleaning solution with about a gallon of hot water, around three tablespoons of dish soap, and a half cup of baking soda in a bucket.
  • Step six: Use a rag to scrub the walls with this soapy solution. Work in small areas, drying with a cloth as you go to prevent water damage and paint discoloration.
  • Step seven: If the soap solution doesn’t remove the stains, put about a cup of undiluted vinegar, lemon juice, or ammonia in a spray bottle. (Important safety note: Always use eye and hand protection when working with ammonia, and never mix ammonia with vinegar, bleach, or any other cleaning chemical. Also, ensure good ventilation when using ammonia, as the fumes are hazardous to inhale.)
  • Step eight: Spray your cleaning solution on the walls and ceiling in small patches, scrubbing with your cloth or soot sponge and drying each patch as you go.
  • Step nine: Repeat the cleaning process with your soap or spray bottle solution as needed.
  • Step ten: If the stains are still present after several rounds of scrubbing, you can try mixing ¼ of a cup of salt with about a quart of warm water for a more abrasive solution. Note that this will likely damage the surface of walls and ceilings — you will probably need to repaint after you’re done.
  • Step eleven: If the stains are mostly gone, but the smell remains, mix about ¼ cup of alcohol with two cups of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray this on your walls and allow it to dry completely.
  • Step twelve: If you have textured walls or popcorn ceilings, you may not be able to get stains out just by scrubbing. Use a fine-grit drywall sandpaper to gently remove stained areas. Note that this will likely discolor or damage the surface, so do this as a last resort.

How to Clean Smoke Off Walls Without Damaging Paint

While the above steps should help you get smoke stains off your home’s walls and ceilings, certain methods can discolor and damage the paint. To get stains off without affecting the paint coat underneath, we recommend sticking with soap solutions or vinegar and a soft sponge or rag. If this doesn’t work, you can try using a trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution or experiment with a commercial smoke cleaner. Always test these solutions on a small, inconspicuous area first to check how your paint reacts.

When DIY Isn’t Enough

If your home has been smoked in for many years, DIY methods may not be enough to completely remove nicotine stains and the accompanying odor. While you can simply paint over the stains, this doesn’t address the smell, and if there are high levels of tar and nicotine on the surfaces, it will eventually leach through the new layer of paint, bringing you right back where you started.

If your home’s walls and ceilings are still stained after the above methods, it’s time to contact a home restoration professional for help.

How Restorerz Removes Smoke Stains for Good

Tired of that yellow, brown tint and that stale cigarette stench? Restorerz is here to help! Using proprietary methods, techniques, and tools like high-strength degreasers, TSP cleaners, and other chemicals, we can lift stubborn stains and get your home looking new again. Contact us for help today!