I recently quit smoking and I feel amazing! But, this bad habit is still present all over my kitchen walls and I want to rid my house off the awful odor and stains.

It’s been 3 years since I repainted the walls and they already got that yellowish tint because of tar and nicotine, especially on the ceiling. But, not only that the smoke residues is unsightly, is also dangerous for the health, causing real respiratory and lung problems. Yes, who am I to talk after years of smoking! Anyhow, I wanted to get rid of that creepy yellowish tint from my kitchen walls.

Just so you know, in case your walls have heavy nicotine stains it may require priming and repainting the walls or applying new wallpaper, but if the stains aren’t so visible, you can easily try the following cleaning steps:

Needed Supplies

  • 2 microfiber cloths
  • 1-gallon bucket
  • sponge
  • dish soap
  • baking soda
  • white vinegar or ammonia or lemon juice

Step 1

Dust the walls by wiping them with a microfiber cloth or damp chamois cloth. Alternatively you can vacuum them with a hose and upholstery brush attachment to get into corners and crevices.

Step 2

Fill a 1-gallon bucket with hot tap water. Add 3 tablespoons of dish soap and 1/2 cup baking soda. Stir to mix.

Step 3

Dip a sponge into the homemade cleaning solution, wring it out and then wash the walls from the bottom up. Dry each section with a microfiber or chamois cloth immediately after washing to prevent the wall from absorbing too much water.

Step 4

Pour 1 cup of undiluted white vinegar, ammonia or lemon juice into a bowl. If using vinegar or ammonia, open the windows or turn on a fan.

Step 5

Dip a sponge into the vinegar or ammonia. Wash the walls, starting from the bottom up and scrubbing gently in a circular motion.

Step 6

Rinse the sponge in clean water, wring it out and wipe the walls down. Dry them with a microfiber or chamois cloth.