Nine years of nicotine stains, this fixture had a light cover

I wrote yesterday I am cleaning my rental home of nicotine.   I believe I’ve now cleaned enough nicotine from the front bathroom that I can begin actually cleaning the room.  It’s remarkable how much nicotine comes off the walls, even after several washes with Fabulouso cleaner.   I’ll continue to wash all surfaces each morning until it’s all gone.  Last night I could smell the nicotine on my fingers and in my lungs.  I’m not a hater, if people want to smoke they should smoke and it rarely bothers me.  But I’m talking here about the physical effects on the interior of a building.  And it didn’t occur to me until today that I really should have worn gloves the whole time I had my bare hands in it.

Nicotine stained metal windowframe, cleaning with my bare hands

I was only about 5 hours into cleaning today when I got really sick.  I’d been spraying cleaner onto the unpainted surfaces and wiping them down and then washing the cleaning rag out each time it got orange and black, about every 4-5 passes.  The same thing I did for hours and hours yesterday, too.  I thought I was keeping my hands rinsed enough, but apparently not.  I had the a/c on and the fans on, so the room is well ventilated.  Ugh, now I know to wear gloves if there’s ever a next time.

As soon as I got sick, my spidey sense  showed me my arms and hands and lungs.  The words nicotine poisoning flashed in my head and I knew what it was.  I came home and got sick again.    I Googled nicotine poisoning and saw that was clearly what I had. I went to the walk in clinic and sure enough that’s what I had.  I’m sure being a deep breather and copious water drinker has helped me not have it too bad.  So, it’s gloves ON tomorrow when I do it all over again.  This is gonna be the cleanest freshest unit in the park.

How funny that I got pancreatitis years ago and I’m not a drinker, and I get nicotine poisoning now and I don’t smoke cigarettes.  Ya gotta laugh.  That’s ok, I’ll take on everyone’s karma.  I ain’t skeered.  Famous last words, right?

Andrea

Getting my rental property ready for the next lucky tenant
I clean my rental home of nicotine stains
My tenant is moving out this weekend