diff --git a/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js b/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
index 7b1e2c4a2a7..5bbc35287fa 100644
--- a/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
+++ b/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ module.exports = {
         const sourceCode = context.getSourceCode();
 
         let smartTabs;
-        const ignoredLocs = [];
 
         switch (context.options[0]) {
             case true: // Support old syntax, maybe add deprecation warning here
@@ -41,47 +40,23 @@ module.exports = {
                 smartTabs = false;
         }
 
-        /**
-         * Determines if a given line and column are before a location.
-         * @param {Location} loc The location object from an AST node.
-         * @param {int} line The line to check.
-         * @param {int} column The column to check.
-         * @returns {boolean} True if the line and column are before the location, false if not.
-         * @private
-         */
-        function beforeLoc(loc, line, column) {
-            if (line < loc.start.line) {
-                return true;
-            }
-            return line === loc.start.line && column < loc.start.column;
-        }
-
-        /**
-         * Determines if a given line and column are after a location.
-         * @param {Location} loc The location object from an AST node.
-         * @param {int} line The line to check.
-         * @param {int} column The column to check.
-         * @returns {boolean} True if the line and column are after the location, false if not.
-         * @private
-         */
-        function afterLoc(loc, line, column) {
-            if (line > loc.end.line) {
-                return true;
-            }
-            return line === loc.end.line && column > loc.end.column;
-        }
-
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Public
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         return {
 
-            TemplateElement(node) {
-                ignoredLocs.push(node.loc);
-            },
-
             "Program:exit"(node) {
+                const lines = sourceCode.lines,
+                    comments = sourceCode.getAllComments(),
+                    ignoredCommentLines = new Set();
+
+                // Add all lines except the first ones.
+                comments.forEach(comment => {
+                    for (let i = comment.loc.start.line + 1; i <= comment.loc.end.line; i++) {
+                        ignoredCommentLines.add(i);
+                    }
+                });
 
                 /*
                  * At least one space followed by a tab
@@ -89,24 +64,6 @@ module.exports = {
                  * characters begin.
                  */
                 let regex = /^(?=[\t ]*(\t | \t))/u;
-                const lines = sourceCode.lines,
-                    comments = sourceCode.getAllComments();
-
-                comments.forEach(comment => {
-                    ignoredLocs.push(comment.loc);
-                });
-
-                ignoredLocs.sort((first, second) => {
-                    if (beforeLoc(first, second.start.line, second.start.column)) {
-                        return 1;
-                    }
-
-                    if (beforeLoc(second, first.start.line, second.start.column)) {
-                        return -1;
-                    }
-
-                    return 0;
-                });
 
                 if (smartTabs) {
 
@@ -122,25 +79,19 @@ module.exports = {
 
                     if (match) {
                         const lineNumber = i + 1,
-                            column = match.index + 1;
+                            column = match.index + 1,
+                            loc = { line: lineNumber, column };
 
-                        for (let j = 0; j < ignoredLocs.length; j++) {
-                            if (beforeLoc(ignoredLocs[j], lineNumber, column)) {
-                                continue;
-                            }
-                            if (afterLoc(ignoredLocs[j], lineNumber, column)) {
-                                continue;
-                            }
+                        if (!ignoredCommentLines.has(lineNumber)) {
+                            const containingNode = sourceCode.getNodeByRangeIndex(sourceCode.getIndexFromLoc(loc));
 
-                            return;
+                            if (!(containingNode && ["Literal", "TemplateElement"].includes(containingNode.type))) {
+                                context.report({ node, loc, message: "Mixed spaces and tabs." });
+                            }
                         }
-
-                        context.report({ node, loc: { line: lineNumber, column }, message: "Mixed spaces and tabs." });
                     }
                 });
             }
-
         };
-
     }
 };
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js b/tests/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
index d1333b2dbb1..3e39c51dcd3 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs.js
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ ruleTester.run("no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs", rule, {
         "\t/*\n\t * Hello\n\t */",
         "// foo\n\t/**\n\t * Hello\n\t */",
         "/*\n\n \t \n*/",
+        "/*\t */ //",
+        "/*\n \t*/ //",
+        "/*\n\t *//*\n \t*/",
+        "// \t",
+        "/*\n*/\t ",
+        "/* \t\n\t \n \t\n\t */ \t",
         {
             code: "\tvar x = 5,\n\t    y = 2;",
             options: [true]
@@ -69,6 +75,8 @@ ruleTester.run("no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs", rule, {
             code: "`foo${ 5 }\t    `;",
             env: { es6: true }
         },
+        "' \t\\\n\t multiline string';",
+        "'\t \\\n \tmultiline string';",
         {
             code: "\tvar x = 5,\n\t    y = 2;",
             options: ["smart-tabs"]
@@ -96,6 +104,56 @@ ruleTester.run("no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs", rule, {
                 }
             ]
         },
+        {
+            code: " \t/* comment */",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 1
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "\t // comment",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 1
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "\t var a /* comment */ = 1;",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 1
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: " \tvar b = 1; // comment",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 1
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "/**/\n \t/*\n \t*/",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 2
+                }
+            ]
+        },
         {
             code: "\t var x = 5, y = 2, z = 5;\n\n\t \tvar j =\t x + y;\nz *= j;",
             errors: [
@@ -157,6 +215,26 @@ ruleTester.run("no-mixed-spaces-and-tabs", rule, {
                     column: 2
                 }
             ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "  \t'';",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 1
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "''\n\t ",
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    message: "Mixed spaces and tabs.",
+                    type: "Program",
+                    line: 2
+                }
+            ]
         }
     ]
 });