Top 6 Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls

What are the best cleaners to remove nicotine from walls before painting?

Check out the many ways to properly remove nicotine from walls so your paint job is perfect the first time.

best cleaner to remove nicotine from walls before painting — I get commissions from links in this post

What is the Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls

There are many cleaners to remove nicotine stains from walls before you paint and we will go over them below.

TSP (Trisodium Phosphate Cleaner)
White Vinegar
Magic Eraser
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Ammonia
Coffee to absorb odor
Cat litter to absorb odor
Homemade garlic and vinegar spray to absorb odor
Steam Cleaner
Professional Cleaning

Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls

Wondering how to remove cigarette tar and nicotine from your walls? You’re not alone. Nicotine can leave behind stubborn yellow and brown stains that cling to walls and ceilings; especially in areas exposed to long-term smoking. To prep your space for painting, or just get it looking fresh again, you’ll want to use the right tools and techniques.

If the stains are old or deeply embedded, don’t be surprised if you need to try more than one cleaner to fully lift the discoloration. Patience and persistence really pay off here.

Pro Tip: Use the hottest water your hands (or gloves) can handle. Heat makes a huge difference in cutting through greasy, tar-like residue.

Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls: Cleaning Nicotine off Walls Before Painting

Here are some of the most effective options for cleaning nicotine off walls and ceilings before painting:

TSP (Trisodium Phosphate):
A go-to for pros, TSP is powerful and fast-acting. Mix it with hot water according to the label instructions. Wear gloves and ventilate the space well. It cuts through grime like a champ.
Vinegar and Water:
A natural and affordable option. Mix one part white vinegar with one part hot water. Spray or sponge onto the stained area, let sit for a few minutes, then scrub with a sponge or soft brush.
Baking Soda Paste:
Mix baking soda with water to form a paste, then apply to the stain. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes before scrubbing. Great for small patches or sensitive areas.
Ammonia-Based Cleaners:
These work well on nicotine stains but come with a strong smell. Use in well-ventilated areas and avoid mixing with bleach (ever).
Commercial Degreasers (like Krud Kutter or Zep):
Formulated for heavy-duty cleaning, these are designed to break down sticky and greasy residues, making them perfect for smoke buildup.

Cleaning Tips:

Always start with a test spot to ensure the cleaner doesn’t damage your wall surface.
Use microfiber cloths or soft sponges for scrubbing to avoid damaging drywall or textured finishes.
Rinse thoroughly after cleaning, especially if you plan to paint afterward. Any leftover cleaner residue can affect paint adhesion.

TSP (Trisodium Phosphate Cleaner)

TSP is the well known chemical cleaner that works super good at removing nicotine stains from walls.

Because its a strong chemical, you will need to use gloves and make sure you don’t get any on your skin. For very old or very thick nicotine stains, you may need to clean your walls twice.

White Vinegar

Does vinegar clean nicotine off walls? It’s a great way to not use chemicals. By itself, vinegar is a good cleaner and deodorizer. You can expect to wash and scrub your walls several times to remove the stains if you are just using vinegar.

If I was cleaning stains off walls, I would use a different product to strip the walls, and then deodorize/remove the odor at the end with a quick vinegar clean. Leaving a heater in the room after cleaning with vinegar will really bake the smoke smell right out of the room.

Magic Eraser

Magic eraser is made of melamine and is great for removing nicotine stains. Magic erasers strip the layer of nicotine right off the walls. You will need to use several boxes of magic erasers to get an entire room cleaned which can be more costly than the other methods we’ve listed.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

As you know, adding baking soda to vinegar creates a reaction. That reaction can be used to our advantage. Combining the 2 into a cleaning solution with some elbow grease can remove light nicotine stains off walls. Frankly, we recommend vinegar and baking soda combo be used more for removing smoke odors than nicotine stains. It’s not powerful enough to tackle medium to hard or long term nicotine stains on walls, vents and windows.

Ammonia

Ammonia is another chemical cleaner that can strip nicotine stains off walls. Don’t mix ammonia with other cleaners like bleach because you will create a bad chemical reaction that makes toxic gas. I feel that there are so many other choices for cleaners that I wouldn’t pick this one, but it’s up to you.

Coffee to Absorb Odor

Dry coffee grounds work great at absorbing odors and leaves the room smelling a bit like your favorite grounds. Buy the cheapest ground coffee you can find and place them in a bowl with a flattish bottom so that more of the grounds are exposed to the air.

Leave the bowl in the room or area you wish to remove odor for around a week and you will see a difference. Shake the bowl up once and awhile to expose more of the grounds to the smoke odor. You can even place smaller bowls or containers inside AC and furnace vents to suck up odor in those places.

Just remember to not turn on your air systems during this time or you will have coffee grounds blown all over the place.

Cat Litter to Absorb Odor

Cat litter usually has built in odor absorbers in the litter, like baking soda.

Place the litter in a container in the area that smells like cigarette smoke. Just like coffee grounds, you can place small bowls in vents, corners, or any area that may have absorbed smoke odor.

Homemade Vinegar and Garlic Spray for Odor Fighting

This is a formula I made when trying to remove smoke smell from a vehicle I purchased.

You mix the hottest water you can get from the tap in a spray bottle with 50% vinegar and about 2-3 tablespoons of very fine garlic powder (not salt, its too thick and will clog the nozzles on the spray bottle). Shake it until most of the garlic is dissolved.

I’ll be honest with you; this formula really stinks. Like, garlic-bomb levels of stink. But don’t worry; it’s made from natural ingredients, and the smell will fade after about a week. If the odor is too much, you can add a few drops of essential oils like lavender to help mask it. It’ll still smell strong, but trust me this stuff works.

Once you’re ready, spray the garlic mixture into all your vents and let it sit for a few minutes. You want the surfaces to look visibly damp. Then, spray your walls, windows, and ceilings with it; especially after you’ve cleaned those areas using the other cleaners mentioned earlier. Let the spray soak in for several minutes [or longer if you’re dealing with old, set-in smoke smells or stains]. And don’t forget your floors; they trap a ton of odor too.

What worked best for me was turning the heat on in the sprayed area. It basically “cooks” the formula into the space, helping it neutralize the odor faster.

Yeah, it’s going to stink like garlic and vinegar for a while, no sugarcoating that. But once it airs out, the smoke smell will be gone. Just open up your windows, turn on some fans, and give it a few days. The garlic funk fades, and the results are seriously worth it.

Steam Clean Walls Removing Cigarette Smoke

A steam cleaner is not talked about as being one of the best cleaners to remove nicotine from walls before painting.

Check out this YouTube Video LINK on how to use a steam cleaner to clean walls, it works very well.

Professional Cleaning : Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls

If scrubbing it all down yourself isn’t on your to-do list, you can absolutely call in the pros. There are professional cleaning companies that specialize in nicotine removal.

And yes, that includes things like curtains, drapes, and blinds. If it’s fabric and it’s been in a smoke-filled room, it’s soaked up those odors. Even the curtain rods need a good scrub.

You can also hire a company just to clean out your AC and furnace vents or do a deep carpet cleaning. Honestly, if you’ve got the budget, replacing carpet altogether might be the best move. Carpets hold onto nicotine, dirt, dust, and allergens like crazy, even with repeated cleanings.

Removing Nicotine Stains from Ceilings

The process is basically the same as cleaning your walls. Everything you do for your walls applies here too. Just be careful with your arms and neck; ceilings can be brutal.

This also goes for painted doors, windows, and any other surface in the space. If it’s been exposed to smoke, it needs attention.

Clean Nicotine Off Walls Before Painting: Is it Necessary?

Short answer? Yes. Absolutely. 100%.

If you’re planning to paint, you must clean off the smoke stains and smells first. That includes everything: walls, ceilings, vents, floors, and windows.

Just painting over old nicotine damage doesn’t work. It might look okay for a few weeks but give it time and you’ll see the yellow stains bleeding right through. Worse yet, the smoky smell will linger and keep seeping through the fresh coat.

It doesn’t matter how high-end your primer or paint is. If the tar isn’t removed, you’ll just waste your time and money. You’ll be stuck stripping it all back down and starting over from scratch. Take the extra time to clean the right way first. You’ll thank yourself later.

What is Nicotine

Nicotine is the addictive stimulant found in tobacco. That means cigarettes, cigars, and even some vapes contain it. But here’s the thing — it’s not technically the nicotine that’s staining your walls. What’s actually leaving behind all that yellow gunk is tar, which gets released when tobacco is burned. That’s the real culprit when it comes to those sticky, stinky stains.

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Why Smoke Residue Hangs Around

Nicotine, tar, and smoke stains seem impossible to remove. So why does smoke residue cling to walls and anything else in the room/house?

The chemical compounds stick to everything, including curtains, curtain rods, furniture, flooring etc. There doesn’t seem to be a tried and true explanation other than, nicotine and all the other chemicals are dangerous. Without proper airflow inside a home, the chemicals deposit on everything.

Please note that vaping will also eventually stain walls and they will require the same cleaning process that we talked about above.

Painting over Walls with Nicotine Stains

Can you paint over nicotine stained walls?

We recommend you don’t do this. You must clean as well as you can and remove odors. After you’ve thoroughly cleaned (and it may take a few cleanings with diff products) you should paint over the walls with a stain and odor blocking primer first.

Spend the money on a high end primer. It basically acts like a nicotine paint blocker. This is the best paint to cover cigarette smoke stains on walls AFTER you’ve cleaned them. This will ensure that the stains and odors are fully blocked for years to come.

Equipment Needed to Remove Nicotine Stains from Walls and Ceilings

Here is a quick list of the equipment you’ll need to clean nicotine and tar from your walls before painting.

Will Bleach Remove Nicotine Stains?

Bleach will help to remove the cigarette odor, but it isn’t great at removing the stains. I recommend using one of the tried and true ways talked about earlier in this post.

Will Sugar Soap Remove Nicotine Stains?

Sugar soap has been proven to work against light nicotine stains, but I’ve never personally tried it.

Best Cleaners to Remove Nicotine From Walls Conclusion

What is the best cleaner to remove nicotine from walls is whichever cleaner or even a combination of cleaners works. We know our advice above will help you to get a beautiful result from your paint job.