Nicotine absorbs into walls and trim and can penetrate through latex paints.
Nicotine causes lasting damage to ceilings and walls over time including stains and lingering smells. Some of these may be removed depending on the length of exposure, but if it has been exposed for a very long period of time the stains and smells may not come out entirely. In this case, it may be necessary to seal them in, or resort to replacing the drywall.
Instructions
Attempt Cleanup in a Small Area
1. Pick a small area of the home in which to start. Take everything off the walls, and move furniture out or to the center of the room and cover it.
2. Mix 1/2 cup of ammonia with 1 gallon of water in a bucket. Wearing gloves, use a gentle scrub brush to work this solution onto the walls and ceiling of the room. Vinegar can be used as an alternative to ammonia, but it may not have the same cleaning power.
3. Allow the ceiling and walls to dry, and open a window in the room if possible to let the ammonia or vinegar scent dissipate.
4. Check the room for a nicotine smell. If the nicotine exposure was recent and not present for an extended length of time, the ammonia or vinegar should remove it. If vinegar did not work, try the same process with ammonia. Years of exposure will likely not clean off. In this case, the walls and ceilings must be sealed.
Seal the Surfaces
5. Purchase a sealing, oil-based primer at a home improvement or paint store.
6. Apply the primer using a brush and roller, just like paint, to the ceiling, followed by the walls. Allow plenty of ventilation in the room as these primers have very strong smells.
7. Air the room out well and allow the primer to dry. The smell should no longer be detectable. Oil-based primers will also prevent any stains from working up through the paint later on.
8. Apply a second coat of primer if necessary for smooth and complete coverage, then paint over the primed surface using a latex-based paint.
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