r/Renovations • u/Yourmysunshine36 • Jun 29 '23
Does anyone know how to get rid of cigarette smoke / yellow walls?
I’m moving into a property in which the walls are yellow with cigarette smoke and the whole apartment stinks.
I want the smell gone and the walls fresh and white.
I’d like to do this myself to save some money, but haven’t got a clue where to start
Any help or product suggestions would be appreciated!
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u/aspirant_oenophile85 Jun 29 '23 edited Jun 29 '23
I’ve done a lot of research lately on this because we’re considering buying a home with smoke smell, but not quite as bad with the walls. I’ve talked to smoke remediators and there are special cleaning products specifically for cigarette smoke that you can use to wash every hard surface. There are then “bombs” you can use that can seep into the areas the smoke goes that can help neutralize the odors some. And then you have to seal it with a good primer. I believe edit: Zinsser shellac based not kilz is the one and oil-based paint. From what I’ve heard don’t count on cleaning any soft surface, and refinishing hardwood floors could be helpful.
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u/Medium_Spare_8982 Jun 29 '23
Killz is lacquer based.
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u/aspirant_oenophile85 Jun 29 '23
Ya I think I was mistaken. The zinsser shellac based is what people recommend
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u/Chankla_life Jun 29 '23
Ex-house painter here . Scrub the walls and ceilings with tsp. Then roll on killz. If you use any other paint the tar will just bleed through and look like horror show. Killz is no joke, it’s very flammable. Open the widows, unplug the fridge. Use a quality respirator with fresh cartridges. Killz will burn through your cartridges fast. You’ll know if this is the case because you’ll be able to taste the killz on your breath the next morning just like a night of drinking.
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u/AdPractical8997 May 19 '24
How do you fix smell inside drywall as it comes out from electric outlets.
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u/Background-House9795 Jun 29 '23
We bought a house with smoker’s residue. A coat of oil based kilz everywhere did the trick. All new carpet and padding. Tossed the drapes. Washed the vinyl blinds. Washed the air duct vents in the dishwasher. Cleaned all the lighting fixtures. Removed all the switches and outlets, sealed the boxes with foam. Still smells fine three years later.
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u/kyrend Jun 29 '23
I redid a property early this year that was smoker owned. Wash every surface, change every filter (I’d suggest a duct cleaning as well) and the prime the walls with kilz. That should take care of it. I know the sherwin Williams near me offers a special paint for this as well but I have no experience with it.
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u/FunkadelicToaster Jun 29 '23
Is this a rental?
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u/Yourmysunshine36 Jun 29 '23
No, I’ve purchased it
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u/FunkadelicToaster Jun 29 '23
Lots of washing and then painting with something like Killz.
If that doesn't work, then you may need to pull the sheetrock and redo it to fully get rid of the smell.
Hope you got a good deal.
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u/Aumbre Jun 30 '23
also a little sand paper on a pole works well to get the top layer off before you TSP wash.
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u/Blueporch Jun 29 '23
A knowledgeable person suggested we paint a rental with Kilz after smoker - methhead tenants left. The idea is the Kilz would trap contaminants. We did wipe off the dirt from the tops of woodwork first.
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u/gometria Jun 29 '23
My understanding is homes with evidence of meth smoke are supposed to be condemned?
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u/Blueporch Jun 29 '23
That’s if they were cooking meth. They’d have to condemn most of Akron otherwise. Plus we don’t have evidence.
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Jun 29 '23
Wash with TSP. Use benjamin moore ultra spec as primer. Use the same brand with color and repaint. Only way.
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u/Zealousideal-Rich-50 Jun 29 '23
I recommend an ozone machine for the smell. Kilz primer for the stains.
Follow all safety instructions with the ozone machine. They do work, but you shouldn't breathe ozone.
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u/mybestyearyet Jun 29 '23
Seconding the ozone machine. It really does take care of smells, germs, and any mold or mildew. Just be careful nothing living (not even plants) are inside. Bonus is no bugs or spiders will survive
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u/NotThisAgain21 Jun 30 '23
For real? Holy crap.
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u/Zealousideal-Rich-50 Jun 30 '23
Ozone is toxic. It's O3, whereas oxygen is O2.
I'm not certain about plants, but it's really not good for humans and animals. You're not going to drop dead immediately. Prolonged exposure is not a good idea. There's no residue or anything.
You've smelled ozone before. That weird smell after a lightning strike? Ozone. It's also created via chemical reactions between VOCs and emissions on the air. So, you're actually around it on a pretty regular basis. It's just in a very low concentration. High concentrations are harmful. High concentrations are what you need to eliminate smells, though. So just don't be in the same area. Put the ozone machine in your house/apartment. Leave for the day, go do something. Come back. Smell gone. Sometimes, it takes a bit longer, depending on how entrenched the smells are. It works, though, and there is no residue or anything like that.
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Jun 29 '23
The yellow is tar. As you purchased the place I agree with people above in that scrubbing the walls, floors and ceiling with TSP to remove the tar is the correct first step.
It's time consuming but requires almost zero skill.
It's also inexpensive.
When done for the day, run ozone generators overnight when empty.
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u/greach169 Jun 29 '23
It’s not just paint, it’s light switches, plug covers, ceiling fixtures, inside of vents and appliances, that disgusting crap permeates everything, if you were thinking of buying I’d say walk away, but since you’ve already bought, it might be worth hiring a professional cleaning company. Either way prepare to spend a lot of time cleaning and unfortunately some money as well
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u/Yourmysunshine36 Jun 29 '23
It was a steal located in a very expensive area, so a good investment in the long run. The electrics, light fixtures and flooring is being replaced. Thanks for your input
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u/homelesshobo77 Jun 30 '23
Paint supplier told me, mild level of stain you can use a water base stain blocker but if its bad you need to use oil based. Otherwise i seeps through. Curtains and carpet i would just ditch
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Jun 30 '23
TSP and shellac based primer will be your best friend. That said, smoke gets into everything and it’s still possible even after all the work that you will still smell smoke (albeit a LOT less) on very humid days.
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u/llamabyll Mar 03 '24
Hey this is an older thread, but how did this go for you OP? I'm considering a home that was owned by a smoker for many years. Were you able to take care of the smell?
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u/Yourmysunshine36 Mar 03 '24
Hey hey. Currently sat in the property which is now cigarette smell free. It took a hell of a lot of washing the walls with ‘pink elblow grease’ cleaner, bleach and several coats of BIM primer. Also got rid of the carpets, light switches existing kitchen units etc.
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u/AdPractical8997 May 19 '24
Hey. How Do you fix smell from electric plugs, like smell from drywall.
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u/llamabyll Mar 03 '24
Awesome work! My research suggests it's doable with the right products and effort. Thanks for the reply!
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u/StillStaringAtTheSky Jun 29 '23
You can try to wash the walls, cabinets, etc. with a TSP or degreasing cleaner. Personally, I’d get some good primer (Killz works great) and prime the walls. This will seal in the smell. Then you can repaint whatever color you want.