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How to Clean Cigarette Smoke From Windows

Constance Barker

As cigarette smoke moves through the air in a home, it settles on walls, furniture and windows. The smoke creates a greasy film, leaving dirty streaks on window glass. The smoke stains require a cleaning solution to remove the film from windows along with an acid-based cleaner to brighten the glass.

Clean cigarette smoke from windows with vinegar.

Clean windows regularly to avoid the dingy look of cigarette-smoke haze.

  1. Fill a bucket with warm water and 1 tsp. dish soap. Fill a second bucket with warm water. Wet a sponge with the soapy solution.

  2. Wipe the sponge over the cigarette smoke on the window. Start at the top of the window and wipe the sponge back and forth as you work your way down. Dig into corners and along the sides to remove all of the cigarette-smoke film.

  3. Wet a second sponge with the warm water. Wipe the sponge over the window, rinsing the soap from the surface. Wipe the window dry with paper towels. Repeat the cleaning process on all windows with the cigarette-smoke stains.

  4. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar. Spray the window generously with the vinegar.

  5. Wipe with a lint-free cloth starting at the top of the window. Remove all vinegar from the window surface and check for streaking. Fold the cloth to expose a dry side as you continue to clean all the windows. If the cloth becomes too wet, use a new one.

  6. Tip

    Smoke outside to avoid cigarette stains left on windows.