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How to Get Cigarette Burns Out of a Bathroom Vanity

Erin Ringwald

When lit cigarettes are allowed to sit on a counter top, such as a bathroom vanity, they can burn and stain the surface. Cigarette burns leave a yellowish stain from the cigarette's nicotine and tar.

Lit cigarettes can stain bathroom vanities.

Although some of the stains require complete replacement of the counter top or restoration completed by a professional, you can treat the other stains. Using homemade cleaning solutions and just a little elbow grease, you can restore the beauty of your bathroom's vanity.

Primary Treatment

  1. Mix a stain cleaner with baking soda until the mixture becomes pastelike in consistency. Choose a stain remover that is specifically formulated for the type of counter top you want to clean. For example, if the bathroom vanity is marble, use a marble stain cleaner.

  2. Apply the stain cleaner-baking soda mixture directly to the cigarette stain. Scrub the stain with a dish scrubbing pad using a circular motion.

  3. Rinse the cleaning solution away using a sponge and warm water. Remove all of the stain cleaner-baking soda mixture to avoid damage to the vanity.

Secondary Treatment

  1. Place an old, clean rag soaked with nail polish remover on top of the stain. Let it sit on the stain for 15 minutes.

  2. Scrub the stain with a clean wool cloth.

  3. Rinse the stained area with a wet sponge.

  4. Scrub the spot with a clean dish scrubbing pad. Use some of the stain cleaner-baking soda mixture from the primary treatment.

  5. Rinse the area clean with a damp sponge.

Further Treatment

  1. Pour bleach directly on the vanity top on top of the cigarette stain.

  2. Scrub the stain with a fine-grit sandpaper.

  3. Rinse the bleach away using a clean, wet sponge.

  4. Tip

    Avoid caustic cleaners that may damage the vanity. Unless your vanity counter top is truly white, the bleach will stain it if left in place for any period of time. Thoroughly rinse away all the bleach. Baking soda is an effective cleaner because it scrubs without scratching.