Some suggestions please

[desperate1]

I was one of those dummies who smoked in my house. Now with all this anxiety I am feeling I decided to get up tomorrow and start scrubbing some walls to keep me busy. Can anyone tell me how to get nicotine off walls and what to use to get some of the smell out of my house?  At almost 16 hours in am really anxious but hanging in there. Drinking lots of water and by going through posts and watching videos at why quit has helped immensely. So glad I found this train. Just having so much of this antsy feeling. As if I need to get up and move. Sorry if I seem to be rambling on. Just need to keep busy. 

[jillar]

When I became I homeowner I quit smoking in my house but in the rental houses before that I used TSP to scrub the walls. It's a powder that you mix with water and it did a good job at getting rid of the nicotine. You could probably even use Simple Green mixed with water and it's got a nice smell too  

The antsy feeling is totally normal. I wish I had of got that instead of the tired feeling. I was too exhausted to even think about doing anything. So when you're done doing your stuff and are feeling antsy still, come on over and clean my house 

[MLMR]

No need to say sorry, good for you  to reach out.

 

Its been a long time since i smoked in the house, but I remember I put cups of water with vinegar in the house, vinegar attracts odours (and flies!). I even sprayed it on the couch. The smell of the vinegar itself diasappears after a while. 

 

Windows open, curtains in the washing machine... enjoy!

[desperate1]

Ty Jillar. Will look into getting some. I know that my attempted quits(lasting not even a day) I would be extra tired. Now this one is different. I think its way too much coffee. So cut that out for today. Will gladly do yours next if it helps keep the quit. 

Thanks MLMR vinegar it is. 

[MLMR]

Be careful with coffee. 

 

"Anyone who feels jittery after a few days of quitting should examine his or her caffeine consumption levels. Many find that they cannot tolerate caffeine consumption at prequit levels," says Spitzer. "If you are experiencing a jittery feeling you may want to experiment with reducing quantity or strength of caffeinated drinks or products."

 

https://whyquit.com/pr/041407.html 

 

[Whispers]

It gets all over everything, i just re painted the walls.

 

 

The White Vinegar Solution

More than one method removes tar and nicotine cigarette stains from walls. Start by adding warmed vinegar to a spray bottle for tough stains. Dilute using a one-to-one ratio with warm water for less noticeable stains. Apply the warmed vinegar or mixture directly to the walls. Because tar and nicotine develop a sticky and hardened surface, the warmth of the vinegar helps to soften these substances. Vinegar removes both smells and stains.

The Ammonia Method

Ammonia can also remove cigarette tar and nicotine from walls when mixed with water. Combine a tablespoon of ammonia for every cup of water, or roughly 1/2 cup of ammonia to a gallon of warm water. For painted walls, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. For a stronger solution, increase the ammonia to a full cup. Apply the cleaning agent directly to the wall and let it sit for about five minutes before wiping it off. Follow with a clean rinse of warm water.

For Tough Cigarette Stains

Trisodium phosphate works best to get rid of tough stains because it also degreases the tars from cigarette smoke. You can find trisodium phosphate where you normally purchase household cleaning agents or at your local home improvement or hardware store. Wear gloves when you apply it to the walls after mixing 1 tablespoon in a gallon of warm water. To avoid streaks, start at the bottom of the wall and work your way up. Let the mixture sit on the walls before wiping it off. Rinse with a sponge dipped in clean water, changing the rinse water often as you work. Once walls are clean, they might require a primer and paint coat to freshen them up. Choose a primer product that can cover tough stains.

The Smoky Smell

All of these solutions can remove the cigarette stink from the walls, but the smell may linger inside the home and recontaminate the walls if you forget to clean the filters for the home's HVAC system. As you clean the walls, ventilate the house thoroughly. If the house has a whole house fan, turn it on or temporarily set a large reversible square fan inside a window to vent the household air outside. Remove and clean washable cold-air return filters or replace them completely. Clean the grates around the cold-air return to remove tar and nicotine stains. Clean the carpet and drapes thoroughly to get all the offensive odors out of the home.

[desperate1]

Thank you Whispers. Awesome and thorough reply. Very helpful. Yes I have called it a day on the coffee. Hope I can get some sleep tonight!!!

[Sazerac]

I smoked in my house too. The smell goes away. 

I laundered everything I could with a big spash of white vinegar or baking soda

and would have a spray bottle handy.  

Once things were pretty clean, I soaked small strips of cloth in peppermint or lemon grass oil or orange oil or what ever you like....lavender ? 

and tied them to the front of a few house fans.

 

If you want fresh paint to stick you should wash with Trisodium phosphate (TSP) anyway.   Wear gloves.

I scoured my house top to bottom during those first weeks/months.

Sure wish that chick would show up once in a while now !

 

Make sure you look at the link from @MLMR

which addresses the changes in caffeine tolerance when you quit smoking.

 

[Wayne045]

I’ve never smoked in my own residence (except my parents).  I remember as a pre-smoking teen helping dad clean the kitchen to prepare for painting.  We used a common household cleaner called Spic-N-Span which worked great on the walls and cabinets.   Had to change the water constantly as it would be black with a dozen rinses of the sponge.   Use a nice big sponge when cleaning and then throw the spong away when your done

 

Dad was under no illusion of what caused the yellowed walls but Mom kept trying to say it was the furnace that caused it, like we were burning coal or something.

 

 

 

 

[desperate1]

Lol Wayne. I sure remember spic and span. Thanks for your input. Will try all the above. 

[Still winning]

100% smoked in my house...vinegar in a bowl extracted the smell. Scrubbing all the shiz in my house gave me a new lease of life. Both

[desperate1]

Marti I will put out a bowl tonight.  

[Still winning]

I dunno how it worked? Tres odd! But was ever so greatful! The car however needed selling so there's that lol. 

[sgt.barney]

Industrial grade de-greasers cut the yellow/brown tar stains on everything. 

EZPZ

[desperate1]

Thanks sgt.  Will keep that in mind. 

[Reciprocity]

Wow! Lots of input here on this one  

 

Here's my 2 cents worth:

Freshening the smell - get fabric items in your home cleaned - carpets, drapes fabric covered furniture. That's what holds the smokey smell the most. 

 

If your walls are stained, by all means wash them down with whatever you like but understand that you may have to repaint depending on the paint finish on the walls you're washing. Do a small test spot first and let it dry completely to see if the paint color changes. Flat or eggshell finish (most often used in living areas/bedrooms/closets) do not wash well. They may end up streaky and faded after washing. Gloss or semi - gloss finish (most often used in kitchens & bathrooms) withstands washing pretty well. 

 

Keep yourself occupied and stay focused on your quit. That's job 1 for now  

. 

[Lilly]

I would just slap a coat of paint on in every room. It will keep you busy and the house will smell divine. 

 

Buy one of those small steamers and run it over the carpets and then just wash everything before you put it back in the room. 

 

 

 

 

 

[desperate1]

Recip thanks for your input. Figured anything to keep busy will help. Plus doing something helps curb pent up anxiety. 

Lilly you must have read my mind. Decided to start painting at least some of house. I can afford some paint now with extra money I have now

[Reciprocity]

There you go. Fresh coat of paint as a reward for quitting. Love it!