Nicotine odor and the residue it leaves behind can be very difficult to get rid of. So, if you are about to move into a home whose previous occupant was a smoker, what can you do to eliminate the smell? Here are a few preliminary steps you may want to try:
Perhaps the first thing you should do when you obtain the keys to your new place is open all the windows and doors to get a good flow of fresh air moving. You can also place odor absorbers throughout. Some good natural ones are coffee grounds, citrus peel, and baking soda.
You may notice a brown sticky residue on surfaces in the home, which comes from nicotine. It can be very hard to remove this residue so get rid of anything that you do not need to keep that was left behind by the previous occupant. It is also a good idea to replace light bulbs and air conditioning filters. You can clean hard, non-wooden surfaces with an ammonia-based cleaner, as this is effective at getting rid of nicotine.
You will probably want to give your new home a fresh coat of paint. Ask for advice on the type of paint to use on walls with nicotine, as not all paints are effective against it.
Lastly, if there is any carpeting on the floors, it would be a good idea to replace it. Nicotine is very difficult to remove from carpets. So, if you want to get rid of the odor completely, you should replace them.