# Nasty Walls



## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Oh, I had the worst cleaning day in a long time this week. Our old kerosene heater used to smoke terribly, due to a problem with the release switches and such. We replaced it, but I didn't realize how bad it was until just this week. My son moved his stereo out of the living room. The speakers had been against the wall, so I got to see visible proof of what that smoke had been doing to my walls. I THOUGHT I could live with it until the weekend. I was way wrong. I tolerated it for about the length of time it took to fill a bucket!!! OMG, the amount of water and vinegar and such that I went through this weekend! I even wound up using bleach! I still have a small wall to do, behind the snake tank. All the curtains were washed, the shelves and such emptied and scrubbed and the furniture is getting steam cleaned tomorrow. It was AWFUL!!!! So, my plans went out the window, and I spent the whole day cleaning and re-arranging and scrubbing every surface of my living room. It's gorgeous now, and I did a 200 item fling while I was at it---all empty DVD cases, which were freecycled and are gone! I actually didn't feel guilty when I skipped the table top clear off last night to sit in my nice clean livingroom! (of course, I did this morning when I had to clear it)


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## Christine in OK (May 10, 2002)

Oh yeah, there's nothing to get you moving like proof that something is really nasty!!

I say as I sit here glaring at the perpetual cobweb in the corner above my desk. 

I'll talk to you guys later - I have to go get my broom....


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## Murron (Oct 17, 2007)

Ninn - Kudos! Sounds like you did an awesome job, too! I'm so not looking forward to wall scrubbing this spring after a winter of the woodstove and incense.  We still have to paint the ceilings (last "big" project since last year's renovation) - DH's ex used to hang candles from the ceiling with plant hooks - you know what I mean -and there are numerous large black spots glaring at me... Ugh! 

Christine - Yep. I saw the little webbies above the stairs today!


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Murron~

Did you know that soy based candles will burn without leaving that nasty black smoke on everything? Some of the smells are alot nicer in the soy base, too. The look of them hanging from the ceiling is probably amazing, but it would be nice to avoid the smoke stains, as well. I wish I could do that here, without being in danger of a cat started fire.......lol


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## Murron (Oct 17, 2007)

Ninn - Wow, thank you - I never knew that about soy candles! DH gave me a soy one last year, and I remember that the fragrance smelled very... "smooth", if you know what I mean. Yankee Candle is huge out here, and I do like them, but sometimes the scents are just overwhelming. So, for now, I'm sticking with votives in a holder on the mantle.


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## Christine in OK (May 10, 2002)

Ninn said:


> Murron~
> 
> Did you know that soy based candles will burn without leaving that nasty black smoke on everything? Some of the smells are alot nicer in the soy base, too. The look of them hanging from the ceiling is probably amazing, but it would be nice to avoid the smoke stains, as well. I wish I could do that here, without being in danger of a cat started fire.......lol


ABsolute worst day in someone's life...

My neighbor at our old house - left a candle burning in his bedroom and went somewhere. The cat knocked it over, caught the bedroom/house on fire, when the fire department got there they discovered the pot growing on the back porch and called the police, who showed up and hung around until the neighbor got home and arrested him. He was a substitute teacher for the local schools, so he was immediately fired. 

Burned house, arrested and fired all in one afternoon. Gotta watch them cats, they'll getcha in trouble no doubt!!


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## Murron (Oct 17, 2007)

Christine in OK said:


> Gotta watch them cats, they'll getcha in trouble no doubt!!


Cats + Candles = Catastrophe! Especially the first time your cat "sniffs" the burning flame on the kitchen table. It only takes .003 seconds to run across the room, grab her, and extinguish her melted whiskers. (Don't ask me how I know this).


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

HeHe, *Christine*, yup, that's a bad day fer sure!

*Murron*, I think every cat has to singe whiskers or fur on a candle at least once.  Our big, fluffy orange and white tom melted a stripe of fur off the back side of his tail when he was a kitten - he BACKED into a candle. :nono:

*Ninn*, this is probably too late to help you now, but TSP (trisodium phosphate) makes a great wall cleaner to get rid of smoke staining. My oldest sister had a house fire years ago (from a burning candle left in the bathroom, go figger), and that was what they used to clean everything. It works like magic, and it's cheap, but it is caustic, so wear gloves! It gets rid of smoke, grease, etc.

Congrats on getting the walls clean - doesn't it feel good to look at fresh, sparkling clean surfaces?


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## Christine in OK (May 10, 2002)

Murron said:


> Cats + Candles = Catastrophe! Especially the first time your cat "sniffs" the burning flame on the kitchen table. It only takes .003 seconds to run across the room, grab her, and extinguish her melted whiskers. (Don't ask me how I know this).


Oh poor baby!!


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