Nicotine affects on your Columbia County Home or Business.

5/20/2016 (Permalink)

This is a Vent from a Nicotine Cleaning we did on a Suwannee County Home.

Nicotine is an alkaline chemical that acts as a stimulant by raising blood pressure, which in turn increases your heart rate. It has also been found to act an appetite suppressant. Nicotine is the primary chemical found in most tobacco products. It is absorbed into the body through the skin, lungs, digestive tract, mucous membranes in the nose, and tissues located in the mouth.

While it has been proven that Nicotine exposure can cause some health issues, what most people do not realize is that there can be traces of Nicotine in the home long after the last puff. The residue left by the use of Nicotine products is commonly referred to as “Third-Hand Smoke.”

Third-Hand Smoke is caused by smoke combining with indoor pollutants such as ozone and nitrous acid, in turn creating new compounds. Third-Hand smoke not only mixes but settles with dust and drifts down onto furniture and carpeting. It will also get deep down into paneling, drywall, and any other porous surface. These new compounds are also carried on the body of the smoker, so even if they did not smoke inside of a building they act as carriers. 

Third-Hand Smoke was shown to decrease a home’s value by up to 29% in 2010. According to the U.S. Census, the median sale price of an American home in 2010 was $221,800. Meaning smokers or homes with Third-Hand Smoke could potentially lose about $64,000 on average.

These new compounds are difficult to clean-up, and have a long life span of their own. Research has not figured out exactly how long it takes to completely remove every trace, but it has been proven over 20 years later, Nicotine was still found in homes.

Here at SERVPRO of Columbia and Suwannee Counties we are trained to handle Nicotine Cleanings in homes, businesses, and cars. We are also highly trained in Fire, Smoke and Soot Restoration and Cleanup, Water Removal and dehumidification, Biohazard, Vandalizm, Crime Scene, Mold, Air Duct Cleaning, Carpet and Stain Cleaning, Odor Deodorization, and Upholstery. 

Give us a Call at (386)754-0261 and let us make it “like it never even happened.”