Getting rid of cigarette smoke smell - is it possible?!

[Magstermay]

We are thinking of buying a house that stinks of cigarette smoke (and also expecting our first baby). We would replace carpets and redecorate straight away, but I would love to know if anyone has been in the same situation and whether it is that simple to get rid of the smell! I really don't want to be still smelling cigarette smoke after several weeks!

[FannyFifer]

Yup, we bought a house where some rooms were stained yellow, boak.
Wallpaper and carpets all got stripped, everything washed down with sugar soap then repainted, new carpets etc.

Only bit we had probs with was a ceiling which had artex on it where there are still yellow patches.
That is next on the list though.

No smell of smoke at all.

[gamerchick]

Watch, artex contains asbestos.. Very low grade but its still there. Redecorating and cleaning will do. Sugar soap is mega awesome stuff I agree.

[Lioninthesun]

Sugar soap and take out all fabrics :) Coating on ceiling may be pretty grim, so placcy gloves and a never ending supply of buckets of water and sponges are advised!

[Magstermay]

Thanks guys, that makes me feel better! Most of the walls and ceilings are very yellow which is vile, but I don't think there's any artex thank goodness.
I'm hoping if we do make a move we can do it before DS arrives so I can make DH do all the cleaning .

[FannyFifer]

Using one of the steam wallpaper strippers on paintwork and ceilings which are nicotine stained is also useful although messy as hell.

We wore those white painters suits with hoods and rubber gloves and face masks.

[SuperiorCat]

Like Fanny we managed to clear it with hard work

[aboutagirl]

If you go to independent trade paint place Johnston do a fab alkali resisting primer - very smelly you couldn't stay in the house for a few days but it works! Painter recommend it.

We stripped walls, painted plaster with primer and the lining papered. Sorted it out.

[aboutagirl]

I had to strip the walls with wellies and a plastic hairnet on - yellow drips - yuck!

[WhoNickedMyName]

Sugar soap. We hired 2 cleaners for the day to scrub the house from top to bottom. Best money ever spent.

[AppleYumYum]

Exactly the same scenario here too, pregnant and we bought first house that a very heavy smoker had lived in since the 70s! Oh my gosh the smell, I thought it would never ever go. Yellow walls and ceilings, if you had a shower yellow water dripped down, it was gross! We took out all the carpets but still stank. Had to do some re-plastering which helped, everywhere else sugar soap, lined and re-painted. Totally gone. Got h dodd whiff from

[AppleYumYum]

Sorry my toddler got his chubby hands on my phone! Got a whiff recently every time I opened the cupboards under the bathroom sink that we kept. Had to scrub with cif several times and spray with some perfume, ok now!

Other thing was the PVC kitchen backdoor, it stunk and was stained totally yellow, it was awful! I tried everything, scrubbed, bleached, then bought some paint that was supposed to stay on PVC but it was easily scratched off with your finger nail. So I was scratching it off with a scraper when the edge caught the door surface and ripped some yellow off, then we realised the lady had never removed the plastic protective layer that it must come with! The smelly yellow plastic just peeled away leaving it perfectly white! Never been so excited, even though I hate PVC doors!