General Chat

I what I found helped was to put the wallpaper steamer on the ceiling and work across it wiping the nicotine off as you went, it sometimes took a couple of attemps to clear the ceiling. James Green

Thanks, I'll update you with what works once we know! They're taking the carpets out and putting wooden floor in so that should help a lot then. I really had no idea it could seep into the window frames, that was new to me. Thanks everyone! Claire

From past experience, I have found that most smells are retained by the carpet. A product such as 'Shake and Vac' applied liberally and left on the carpet overnight (or longer if possible) is very effective. Derek.

Let us know how they get on and if they manage to remove the smell. Liz

If the house is empty till the weekend, and there are carpets in most rooms, maybe getting a company in to shampoo them thoroughly will make a difference. If you can find someone to do it while the house is empty of furniture and the windows can be left open aferwards for a while, it should smell a whole lot fresher. I am sure your friend could negotiate a price for a whole empty house, wouldn't take long with no furniture to shift around. Wish your friend well in her new home. Liz

hi as a smoker myself and one who is forever moving i suggest they definately strip all the walls even if they just cheap magnolia the whole house for a while as wall paper will hold the smoke forever, sugar soap will clean it but never fully take the odour away, as they have nice friends like you to help them one decorating party and a few tins of cheap paint will do the trick and at the same time make you all feel welcome ...i did this with my first home and it was a fantastic evening so good luck

Make the room steamy, so condensation builds up on the window! You'll notice the water going a bit yellow. Mop it up, and it should get rid of some of the smell!

kick all smokers out into garden!

Can't remember the bread Maisie! That's a nice interpretation of it! MIL grew up in Aberfan (not sure how you spell it), I've not worked on her line of the family yet. Claire

Claire. Lump of coal to keep you warm. Salt to give you wealth. and Some bread so that you never go hungry... That is the very old Welsh traditional when people moved in to their new homes and also at New Year. Love Maisie

I have white plastic window frames and the Company told me to wash them down with mild bleach to get the nicotine out of the joins. It works - but do a whole window at a time, othewise you get a sort of patchy effect, which future bleaching doesnt shift. OC

A tip for nicotine covered ceilings, which are particularly difficult to get white ............. wash with sugar soap solution ........... then paint with the special blocking paint that you can buy than even covers crayon marks etc. It is worth it in the end as it takes a heck of a lot of coats of emulsion to stop it yellowing........... :-)))))))))))))))))))))

Did not know my mother-in-law knew Greek myths! Did the coal signify warmth or love?! Thanks for the bleach tip and the ceilings, a couple more things for the welcome basket then! Really had no idea that it could get into window joints like that, makes you not want to think about lungs then if it can do that to plastic. Thanks Claire

At least I can think of some extra things now for a moving in present for them! A few onions Couple of bottles of vinegar Some lemons and oranges Some neutradol Perhaps a nice set of bowls to pour it all in, not all at once! A scrubbing brush Some sugar soap My mother-in-law gave me a Welsh welcome to my first flat once, with a lump of coal and some salt. Not sure what it meant though! Claire

Claire it wasn't wooden windows they are plastic windows. they sort of have joints in the corners (mitre corners?) and the brown nicotine seeps out of there still!!!! looks ok until i squirt cleaning stuff on it and out it seeps yuck!!!

Leigh, Its the old house owners that smoked, not my friends, who themselves would never smoke! As a non-smoker, who has never smoked I know its easy to say give up, but from what I hear its so incredibly hard to do and keep it up, so well done for managing it. Thanks Claire

What it comes down to I think is that the more time and effort put into scrubbing the nicotine off in the first place, the easier it will be over time. If you cut corners and slap new paint on quickly, the stains will come through equally quickly. Its a new home so they will no doubt have the energy and enthusiasm to sort it out properly. A big decorating shop would be able to advise on the best products to use. If it had been me I think I would probably have been cheeky and asked for a bit exra knocked off the price on account of the extra costs of putting right the nicotine stains! Angela

found this.. Few odors are more odious, especially to non- and reformed smokers, than lingering cigarette smoke. Whether your goal is to get healthy or to get a loved one off your back, it's easy to keep your home from smelling like the local roadhouse. Just throw open your windows and try out one or more of these easy tricks. Steps: 1. Set small bowls of vinegar, pine-scented cleaner or activated charcoal around the room. If your home has young children or pets, place the bowls well out of reach. Close off the room overnight. 2. Spritz your favorite perfume or cologne on a cold light bulb. When the light is turned on, the warmed scent will fill the room. 3. Place small items (such as gloves, a wool hat or a small pillow) in a zippered plastic bag with a couple of fabric-softener sheets. Leave overnight. 4. Fill ashtrays with cat litter to extinguish cigarettes and capture the odor. 5. Sprinkle baking soda liberally on carpets, rugs and upholstery around the room. Let it sit overnight. Vacuum. 6. Soak a rag or a dish towel in vinegar, wring out the excess and wave it around the room for a minute or two. Overall Tips: Launder washable items, including curtains, pillows and slipcovers, for best odor removal. Marion

Sheila, That's amazing 9 years later. Had no idea it could hang around for so long or in the woodwork. Sounds like it is going to be hard work for my friend to clear it all. Well done Marion, thanks for looking that up. Vinegar seems to be a popular choice. Thanks everyone!

I had the nicotine seeping through new paint problem on my first house too even though I scrubbed everywhere thoroughly with sugar soap. Put me off buying anywhere where a heavy smoker had lived - it was on the walls, the ceiling, the electrical fittings. And all the lampshades, blinds, carpets and curtains they'd left behind were stained brownish which was specially noticeable on 'white' fabric backgrounds. I could not get it out and had to replace the lot. Angela (a never-smoker, first generation non smoking from a family of heavy smokers and happy to have broken free)