"the windows were coated in this nasty yellow residue and smelled vaguely like cigarettes" I painted a room in my parent's home after decades of smoking that o

"the windows were coated in this nasty yellow residue and smelled vaguely like cigarettes" I painted a room in my parent's home after decades of smoking that occurred long before and after I was born. First step was to wash the thick layer of nicotine and tar off of the walls using Trisodium Phosphate or other strong cleaner. A stain blocking primer, typically used for smoke damage from fires, was then applied, and then you can paint. Even then, you could still detect the faint odor of cigarettes. Nasty stuff.