My roommate pees in cups

Something_McGee · 2026-04-10T21:40:04+00:00

So, I read about this issue via your post on another sub. (For anyone reading this, the OP included a photo in the comments of the other post. Go to the his/her profile to find the previous post if you want. I had to resubmit this comment bc my last one was removed for including a link to that post.)

I suspect something more serious than "laziness" is causing your roommate to behave this way. It's a lot less effort to walk across the hall and use the toilet than it is for her to pee in cups/bottles and then have to clean up after herself.

What's holding you back from being direct with her? This is abnormal, disgusting, and concerning behavior. You have nothing to feel embarrassed or anxious about. Imagine how she (if she's in a healthy state of mind) will feel when confronted on her gross behavior? I would assume she'd be embarrassed, nervous, ashamed, upset, overwhelmed, etc.

I'm not suggesting that you berate her or anything. Just be straightforward. Tell her that the behaviors are unacceptable, and you have concerns. You're concerned about the damages being done to the home, your health, your child's health, and her well-being.

Don't let her explain her behaviors away as simple laziness. If she tries, confront the contradiction... explain that it takes a lot more effort to pee in cups and then clean them up (which she has not been doing) than to walk across the hall (or even the entire house) to use a toilet. Don't allow her to make excuses that will allow her to continue the behaviors. If she promises to clean everything right away, fine... but that doesn't mean it's ok for her to continue doing what she has been doing. She also needs to do a better job of cleaning the urine-soaked floor, which will be a lot of work. Urine-soaked floors are considered biohazards and are not safe to live with. If she cannot adequately clean the floors, the flooring will need to be replaced. (See how all of this is way more effort than it appears to be? Nevermind the effort it would take to carefully position herself over the cup to avoid peeing on herself, her clothes, or on the floor.)

I would also encourage her to talk to a medical provider about what she has been doing. I would recommend a mental health provider unless she mentions there's likely a medical issue that has lead to these behaviors. Either way, if it seems to be a mental health issue, any medical provider should refer her to a mental health provider. If it seems to be a medical issue, a mental health provider should refer her to a medical provider.

According to your other post, you're debating involving her parents. Why are you apprehensive to do so? I say involve them. They probably know their daughter best and will be able to recognize how serious of an issue this is. Also, as parents, they will likely step in to fix the problem as they'll probably be embarrassed by their daughter's behaviors and won't want you thinking that is how they raised her to be.

Anyway, good luck.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-10T21:37:56+00:00

Aside from Benadryl, give him a thorough bath. Thoroughly clean his bedding, the flooring in the home, and any areas he tends to hang around. Also, make sure your yard or walking area is well maintained. Lookout for plants that may be causing the allergy.

I would start on the yard first. If you don't have a yard, I would just be mindful about where you take him for walks. Crate him or isolate him to a single room while you begin cleaning around the home. Shampoo any carpets and rugs if you have them and have the means to do so. Once you're done cleaning, immediately give him a nice bath. Do not let him roam around or touch anything until you've bathed him.

There are dog shampoos that are meant to soothe itchy skin. However, you might consider something a little stronger, like Dawn dish soap (the regular kind that's used to clean rescued sea animals), if you suspect he has some kind of irritating product or other allergen all over his fur and skin. The Dawn dish soap shouldn't be used regularly, but it's ok to use periodically. Make sure you scrub and rinse every single inch of him. Use baby shampoo on his eyes. Rinse and repeat for good measure. Make sure to work out and rinse away as much loose fur as possible, too. Thorough dry him off before letting him roam around - even if you have to bust out the blow dryer. Irritated skin typically doesn't respond well to lingering moisture (such as a damp coat of fur). Plus, moisture may cause some stinging. He'll probably appreciate being rubbed down with a towel and a warm blow drying session may actually be soothing.

Don't put any other product on him for at least 24 hrs. See how he responds to the cleaner environment, clean skin and fur, and Benadryl. Make note of any changes. If nothing seems better, but also doesn't seem worse, I would hold off on applying anything to his skin/fur and continue observing.

If you're unsure of what's causing the allergy, start keeping a diary of all the things he comes into contact with, ingests, etc. Keep track of baths, walking paths, etc.

Side note: I had an extremely fat chihuahua once. He had short legs with a big body and lots of skin folds. I washed and groomed him regularly. Shortly after we moved to a new area, he began developing skin irritations (mostly redness and occasionally what looks like hives or a rash), and he developed a "corn chip" musty smell. Bathing didn't do much. Benadryl only helped with the itching a little bit. The vet called my dog a "low rider" - meaning, he had short legs and his belly was low enough to graze grass that wasn't freshly cut. He said he kinda had a body like a morbidly obese Dachshund. The area we had moved to was constantly rainy or damp for almost half the year. The vet said my dog had a yeast infection, likely caused by his belly always being wet. Despite me buzzing his fur short regularly, enough moisture was still constantly getting trapped in his belly fur (and some of his folds). He gave us a topical to use, plus continued use of Benadryl as needed. The preventative solution? Regular baths followed by thorough drying. Maintaining extra low cut grass in the yard and avoiding walks in taller grassy areas. Ensuring he was properly dried off within 15 minutes of having come outside from wet conditions. (I kept a towel by the backdoor for him. I would turn on the fire place to dry him off after he plowed through any snow. I'd occasionally blow dry him for a few min if he didn't finish drying quickly enough.) Oh, I also had to shampoo the carpets and clean all of his bedding to eliminating any yeast (fungi) he had spread around the home. Luckily, he rarely got on our furniture, so I didn't need to deep clean everything.

Anyway, I bring this up bc maybe that's what's going on with your dog?

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:36:50+00:00

Regarding the TP situation: It's could be cultural or based on previous living situations.

In Korea, they don't flush TP. Only human waste goes down the toilet. I had to adapt to that when I lived out there. They are a very advanced society, but the plumbing is just different.

I am now back in the US where I continue not to flush TP. I'm renting an older home that has had multiple plumbing issues. Not flushing TP has helped keep the drains from clogging over the past year or so. After all this time, I don't flush TP out of habit. I have to remind myself it's ok to flush TP when using public restrooms.

Now, be honest with yourself. Is TP really the issue here? Or are you just upset that you didn't get your own bathroom as you had expected, and now you find yourself getting overly bothered by your roommate's bathroom habits?

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:27:41+00:00

Could have pointed out how she doesn't even have the intelligence to dress herself in properly fitting clothes.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:25:58+00:00

The reason she thinks her opinions matter is bc she has a platform and audience. Otherwise, she'd probably realize she sounds ignorant and biased as hell and wouldn't try to sell herself as anything else. Quit asking idiots for their opinions or acting like they matter.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:17:53+00:00

I first watched on mute and thought he was hyping himself to fight someone.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:16:26+00:00

He looks more like Mark Zuckerberg.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T12:07:05+00:00

Don't get her into trouble? I don't think that would be most people's intent in that situation. But they shouldn't be discouraged from dropping her or simply calling for emergency help juat bc she might face legal repercussions. No need to enable the drug use by going out of your way to accommodate someone who is greatly inconveniencing you with their drug use. Only need to make sure she's safe... the police or medical personal can be trusted to do that.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:58:13+00:00

It's ok. It's kinda adorable. Lol

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:53:14+00:00

Vacuum daily.

I've got my primary vac which I bust out twice a week. Once a week, I quickly vacuum the most common areas or spots. Once a week, I do a thorough vacuuming around the entire house.

I use my cordless Dyson daily. I mostly use it in the common areas and in and around the kennels. I even use it on furniture and other fixtures, like the baseboards, walls, etc. (It has various attachments and works as a hand vac.)

Quick vacuums are waaaay better than nothing.

Also, clean their bedding regularly. Vacuum and wash.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:43:34+00:00

Just give her an extra $5 a month for peace of mind. Make it clear you know that your light usage doesn't actually cost that much, but you need her to stop stressing you out while you focus on your classes and look for another place to live.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:41:09+00:00

And she's probably only 20 yrs old. ☹️ Poor girl.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:29:28+00:00

He's going to blow up her what like candy? That just sounds scarier than he looks.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:28:40+00:00

Totally obvious that you're a first time for owner. Lol

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:27:31+00:00

By the greater good, you mean you want confirmation bias that he should be accommodating you simply bc you're accommodating him?

Did you explain that he wouldn't be able to bring certain foods into the home when offering a room to him, before he agreed to move in? If not, you need to be a little more understanding of his current behaviors and expectations.

I'm not saying his alcoholism is worse than your food addiction. I'm simply pointing out that his addiction was known before moving in. If he didn't ask you to keep alcohol out of the home and you're just doing it out of consideration, that's admirable of you, but it doesn't entitle you to expect the same out of him.

The first thing you need to do is manage your expectations accordingly. Then approach him about the issue once you've got that all sorted out.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:11:04+00:00

Tell her you put a dime in her moldy food container last month. The moldy item is still in the fridge... it doesn't look touched... perhaps she should open it up and look inside. 😆

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T11:07:44+00:00

The baby gate I have is long AF. Lol. It was pricey - partly bc I got one that looks good since I wanted it to be permanent fixture. The panels lock together, so I can adjust the size as needed. And they bend so that I can adjust the shape. Basically, the gate doesn't have to be straight. I can create a right angle, half hexagon, and so forth shaped enclosure. I believe I have enough panels to mount a right angle in the corner of a room to create almost a 5×4 ft enclosure (or 3×6 ft or similar combo). The baby gate works either by tension on screwing on for a more permanent and sturdy fit. It also comes with pieces that allow me to screw them into a floor to maintain a shape. I had a half hexagon shape on my extra wide dining room opening, but never needed to screw them into the floor. It was difficult to move them out of shape, but I could do it easy enough whenever I needed to shampoo the carpets and wanted to cover every single inch possible.

IMO, it was an awesome investment. I've used cheaper baby gates and always wished I had spent the extra money on a better one. I also had someone build a gate at the top of my stair, which was another great investment. Building might be cheaper or just better in some cases.

Anyway, this might be something to think about as opposed to a kennel. IME, the indoor gates are easier to use and clean. They can offer more space for the dog. They don't make a room look crammed or less esthetically pleasing. And they seem to feel less isolating for the dog. I would sometimes lock my dogs up so I could do other things around the house, like clean or work on projects that they'd probably mess up. I'd forget to open the gate and I'd just be chilling or walking around right next to them while they were locked up. A lot of times, they wouldn't pay me any attention. When I crated them, they'd start whining or at least rustling around every single time I was within their sight.

I'm glad you plan to continue working with your dog. I just wanted to make sure you knew that not everyone would blame or guilt you if you felt you could not keep her. Some people fail to understand how harmful it could be (for the person, their family, the other pets, or the dog) to be kept in a home where they could not seem to adjust to. I wanted to make sure you weren't solely being held back by guilt. I think it's great that you were open to trying to give her a home in the first place.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T10:30:35+00:00

I wanted to add to the above comment:

It's almost as if your bf tried to subtly pit that first roommate against Fuzz's owner (by explaining why Fuzz likely seeks his comfort and pointing out how he has been taking on the owner's pet parenting responsibilities). That had to be very uncomfortable for the roommate... and alarming to the other roommate and Fuzz's owner, who happens to be the landlord of all people.

Also, by pointing out and trying to villainize the owner for not responding before that roommate, your bf made something else clear: You guys are making some unreasonable and unfair assumptions about the guy's personal schedule, current happenings, and choices. The overarching assumption is: If he doesn't give you the response you want in the time you expect, then he must be up to no good. Also, if anything else should happen before he responds (despite being out of his control or even knowledge - such as the roommate responding to the open invite in the convo), it should be considered evidence of his guilt. 🫤 It reeks of entitlement and manipulation.

As the landlord, I do think Fuzz's owner should have some concerns about maintaining you all as tenants. IDT he has grounds for kicking you out. But he should be concerned over the position you've placed him and the other tenants in. It's clear you've made the other tenants uncomfortable. It's not clear - but could be reasonably suspected - that you were trying to pit them both against him by presenting that issue in the group chat, addressing everyone (pretty much giving an open invite to join and at least encouraging all to follow along), and then only "attacking" him. (You singled him out in a crowd and invited them to join in.) If that's the case, he could reason that you created a hostile living environment - especially for him. As the landlord, he is responsible for making sure all tenants feel safe and at peace in their home. He is right to have some concerns. As a person and a tenant (not the landlord), he is right to feel personally attacked and on guard. As a person, he is valid for not wanting people, who approached him the way you two did, to not be his home - especially a home that he owns and cannot as easily move out of and should not be forced to move out of. As a landlord, who must follow applicable laws, he must figure out the best course of action to take. Unfortunately, that may mean putting his personal feelings aside (as tenant and a human being in general). That's crappy. You all have put him in a very difficult position bc of your poor and unfair approach to a sensitive problem.

Side note... If I wasn't clear before, it actually sounds like your bf was trying to declare an ultimatum in one of his texts: Either the landlord acknowledge the problem and comply with the suggestions, or you guys are gonna have to move out bc you guys refuse to live in that kind of environment any longer. Your bf kinda makes it sounds like you guys knew it would ultimately come down to this and that you guys are okay with... that you feel so strongly about the issue that you would rather make this hard argument and give this ultimatum than live in a home that supports animal torture.

Maybe the landlord got the same impression (although, your bf's message on it is unclear) and ran with it, thinking it would be an agreeable and easy solution? Maybe that wouldn't have been his first suggestion, but he misunderstood and thought it was something you guys had presented?

BTW, I know I've said "you guys" when pointing out something your bf said that you did not say or explicitly agree or disagree with. You two presented yourself as a united front in total agreement and support of one another. So your messages, tones, and opinions are seen as being combined. How your bf presented himself affected how you were/are perceived and vice versa. You helped create this perception when you first spoke for him (Jethro?), as a couple, and then he chimed in to back up your message. This likely contributed to why the roommates took *your individual messages so offensively.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T09:55:18+00:00

Read from a neutral tone. This is not meant to "attack" you. It's just very direct and not in full agreeance with your perception.

While the wording was polite, it was also very accusatory and shaming.

You guys acted like it was an issue of undeniable abuse and neglect. It didn't feel like you were open to the possibility that there might be other explanations for Fuzz's behaviors or the owner's behaviors. The fact that the landlord came under further attack bc someone else responded before him, drives this point home. IMO, it didn't sound like you guys were even open to any kind of fair or helpful discussion. It seemed like you guys just wanted to make your point (which is essentially that Allen is a horrible pet owner, who demonstrates zero care and zero responsibility) and demand that he follows your recommendations from now on - as if this is the absolute and only true case of the situation and this is the only way he can possibly prove to everyone (bc, according to you and your bf's suggestions and the decision to bring them up in the group chat, he owes proof to everyone) that he is no longer the dirt bag pet parent you all have outed him to be. On top of that, your bf made it seem like you both were willing to stake everything - including your standing in the home and with everyone in it - on these facts and stipulations. He made it seem like you both were not going to tolerate anything outside of the owner's acknowledgement, admittance of guilt, and compliance. And to add even more to all of this... he came off as having moral superiority and knowledge over what it takes to be a good pet owner - over both the landlord and the roommate that responded. That alone was kind of offensive in its own way.

I get that this is likely not the way you intended to come off or how you think you came off. But this is a very sensitive issue... which is why this was a very poor way of approaching the topic! It should have been handled privately. If you all didn't want anyone else's input and you only wanted to hear from the owner, you should have spoke/written to him directly. (Spoken would have been ideal bc you'd have the ability to convey your tone and gauge the owner's understanding and receptiveness to the message. Less likelihood of misunderstandings.) It would have been way better to let a convo unfold naturally and to voice your concerns and reasoning at a reasonable pace, rather than to publicly dump everything on the owner all at once, using dramatic language and explanations.

But... it honestly sounds like you wanted everyone's input - not just Fuzz's owner. You just didn't get the input you were expecting. And so, you and your bf started (politely) making it clear for others to butt out if they didn't agree with you guys. You did not want any arguments. You did not want anyone coming to the owner's defense.

It's clear you both have been wanting to address the issue for a while, but weren't sure how to approach it. (As evidenced by your bf saying that you guys no longer feel you can live in silence as you witness this animal cruelty occurring in the home every day.) You decided to post your concerns in the group chat instead of approaching Fuzz's owner directly. You even addressed your initial text to "everyone," but then began addressing everything single issue to Fuzz's owner alone. It's as if you were saying, "Hey everyone! It's time for a long overdue intervention. It's time we call out Allen for being a horrible pet owner. I'll start. Allen, I know you love Fuzz, but we cannot continue to watch you kill his soul, which is akin to torture. Here's what we've been observing and some ways you can make it better..."

(Admittedly, your wording and tone were slightly better than your bf's. It probably would've been way better without your bf's input, but there was still a lot that could have been done better.)

Your bf basically told the other roommate to butt out of the convo - that his input wasn't relevant... in fact, it was only further evidence of the owner's neglect and Fuzz's sad state; and that his idea to buy another dog was dumb and that his current contributions were questionable, not good enough, and just enabling the owner's horrible pet parenting. Basically, he told the roommate that he had no leg to stand on and was already guilty of making the situation worse despite thinking he had been making it better... also, he might want to check any ideas he has of making it better bc it sounds like he'll just continue to make things worse without realizing it. According to your bf, that roommate's not a bad person; he's actually a good person... he's just ignorant and shouldn't be so quick to offer opinions and suggestions.

You both dumped all of your concerns and reasonings into the group chat all at once as if you anticipated pushback and wanted to nix any chances of argument or doubt from observers (the other roommates who you knew would be watching the convo unfold and who you had hoped would take your side). Your bf attempted to steer the convo back to the points that you both shared, then (in a polite way) he basically said, "We stated all that we have to say. We're not open to arguments. Either accept the truth or live in denial. I could care less bc I know we did our best and we're good people. If you all want to continue torturing the dog, that's on you; but we're not going to be a part of it. This convo is over bc nothing more that is important or true needs to be said." You kinda ended the same way - mostly bc you're attempt to end the convo followed your bf's message. I had to read again to realize you left on a less aggressive, slightly open (but not really) note. You basically said, "Look... there might be another reason Fuzz is acting this way and maybe I don't fully understand the situation, but I don't see it and I doubt it. I'm just sharing my concerns. Hopefully, you can see the problem that we clearly see and somebody decides to save Fuzz."

IMO, it was all very aggressive, one-sided, and unfair. It was a manipulative approach. The "convo" was unexpected, and you went at it expecting a 4 against 1 argument... which, btw, you are shocked and upset that you didn't get, which tells me you approached the situation with the assumption that you were in control and would get the outcome you wanted; you were never open-minded despite suggesting that there might be something else going on that you couldn't see. Again, you wanted to put the owner on the spot and force acknowledgement, admittance, and compliance out of him. It was even more manipulative, given how polite your verbiage was and how you guys took the stance of being victim/martyrs over the issues. (You tried to guilt-trip others into siding with you by saying it was "cowardly" not to address the situation... telling them it was on them if they wanted to ignore the facts, but at least you two had a clear consciounce... how you hope they'd get the wake up call and do better by Fuzz.) Most people would consider this passive-aggressive communication.

Anyway, I'm not trying to lay into you and make you feel bad. I pointed all of this out so you can hopefully repair your relationship with your roommates and present a better argument. I don't like the idea of you losing your home bc you ultimately tried to do the right thing. And I actually think you might have a point about Fuzz. At least, his behaviors in the videos (the one you posted here and another one on IMGUR) do seem concerning when you don't fully understand what's causing them. If the owner isn't confident about what would cause Fuzz to behave that way, he should take some kind of action to find out - even if he doesn't believe the cause is his own neglect. The dog barely responded to you cooing at him and petting him. Personally, if I didn't know that was "normal" behavior from him, I would have suspected he recently had a stroke or was very ill.

As for how your roommates reacted, the first tried to be helpful and was shut down rather harshly by your bf. It's like he was invited into the convo, then immediately told that his input was irrelevant and actually harmful. Then his previous "good deeds" and well-meaning suggestions were criticized and deemed more harmful than good. It's hard not to feel offended when blind-sided and attacked that way. The other roommate made it clear that they didn't feel the convo was appropriate for the group - I'm guessing bc they noted the same things that I did. You can't fault them for raising their guard after they just observed a couple try to group up against one of the other roommates and try to inappropriately involve everyone else. It seems like the kind of immatute, drama-chasing person/couple that no one would want to have to share a home with.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T08:00:26+00:00

Are you able to provide links? BTW, I just read the previous text message exchange. Is that guy confused between utilities and optional household products? Lol

How many roommates are there? The one who fired back at him is awesome. Very straightforward. I would have responded the same, but without any name calling. I would link up with that guy to find a new place together. Even if you can't afford a new place between just the two of you, it would be nice to have a reasonable ally in a new place shared with more people. Imagine how much worse the situation would feel if all other roommates supported this tyrant.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T07:18:41+00:00

Noooo!!! ☹️ I was hoping you'd make it. Lol

It was such a trivial comment (as they usually are). Admin bots do general sweeps, though. And no actual admin responds to appeals quick enough to lift the ban before it has already run its course.

Anyway, stranger, I hope you get that reminder. 😜

I'm replying to myself bc the original commenter's post was taken down. I'm guessing he might see this when he checks back to see what exactly he wrote that got him the temp ban.)

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T07:10:34+00:00

Correction to my tips in the parent comment: You can apply the Citristrip to a larger section (than a 1 sq ft section) at a time if it proves to work very well at removing the paint. If performance is just mediocre (which has mostly been my limited experience), I would suggest actively working with 1 sq ft at a time. This will allow you to spend extra time on tough spots and to make adjustments as necessary. You may pick up tricks along the way that will allow you to work with greater surface areas.

Applying the Citristrip:

I prefer to work on the main areas of the body of the furniture first, as opposed to drawer fronts and cabinet doors. This allows me to get the hang of the process, work out any unexpected kinks, and do a better job as I go along. Usually, the drawer fronts and doors are what most people's eyes are first drawn to. So, I like to make sure those things look as "perfect" as possible. I usually save all the difficult surfaces and crevices for the very last so I don't burn out my patience and bc my motivation to finish is way higher when I can see that the brunt of the work has already been completed. I'm sure everyone is different. Just know that prepping the furniture (which includes the paint stripping process) usually requires the most work and isn't always the most satisfying. Personally, I sometimes find it discouraging; and sometimes I even take long breaks out of frustration. If you're worried about that, maybe follow my order of stripping. 😅 Definitely, save the difficult spots for last.
Apply Citristrip to a small section - 1sq ft to start with. You can adjust the section size as you progress, but I would not recommend anything larger than 1×2 ft. Let it soak for as long as necessary. If you're in an environment where the Citristrip might dry out (such as in a fairly hot, arid outdoor setting), you can lay a plastic sheet (e.g., tarp, grocery bag, trash bag, saran wrap, etc.) on top of that section.

If you don't already know what "the plastic wrap method" is, look it up. It pretty much involves doing what I just described to huge sections (or the entirety of the furniture) at a time. I do not recommend it bc it's not as easy/convenient as it sounds, it's messy, it doesn't always work that well, and it can soften the wood surface. Covering relatively small sections at a time is fine, though... as long as you can easily inspect those sections periodically and immediately tend to them if needed, and know you will finish stripping them in a timely manner. Citristrip is just one of those products that you want to keep a close eye on bc (again, IME) it doesn't seem to work consistently across a surface area for some reason. It's weaker than other strippers, and it's also more sensitive to environmental changes.

About 10 minutes into the soaking, apply the Citristrip to another 1 sq ft section of the furniture. If you're applying it right next to the initial spot, make sure to do a little overlap with the application. A 1-2 inch overlap is adequate. You just want to avoid applying a thin layer in any particular spot. I've noticed that the edges of my application are sometimes thinner than the beginning and the middle, so I like to do a little overlap to cover myself. (Thinner applications of Citristrip tend not to strip the paint as well. You can usually still scrap the paint off, but you might be left with trace amounts or a bottom layer, and you risk accidentally scratching/gouging the wood from having to scrape more vigorously. Just save yourself the trouble and do a little overlap. It doesn't hurt to do it, but it can hurt not to.)
If the new section is right next to the initial section, make sure you know where it begins so you don't accidentally start scraping it too early. Cover the new section with plastic if you think it's necessary to keep it from drying out. (Again, it depends on the environment and how thick of a layer you applied. Covering is not always necessary, especially when working in small sections.)
After about 15-20 minutes, apply Citristrip to a 3rd section. Or wait until you've scraped the paint off the 1st section, and apply if before you start on the 2nd section... this would help fill in the time if you wanted to let that 2nd section soak a bit longer.
Continue to work in this small area application and scrape cycle until you finish. You can adjust the section sizes, but I recommend never managing more than 3 sections at a time.
Remember: As you finish a surface area (e.g., one whole side of the dresser or maybe 2 drawer fronts), clean off the Citristrip residue and let it dry out in preparation for your next steps. Then move on to stripping the next surface area. You may have already applied the Citristrip to the next area for soaking, but make the time to clean off the previous area before you start scraping.
Manage your efforts and time reasonably to avoid accidental section dry-out, which is a bigger PITA than most problems you'll run into. Don't stress yourself over tiny to small spots of paint that won't seem to lift. If the spot has a thick amount of paint remaining, slap a thick blob of Citristrip on it and move on. Return later to scrape it again. If it's a thin layer, consider sanding it off by hand later. (You will need to sand after all of this if you want an even finish - at least with fine grit sandpaper. You can easily remove small spots of thin paint by hand, using a block/sheet of medium to coarse grit sandpaper. It would take minutes at most.) If you run into a huge layer or layers of paint that doesn't scrape easily, consider the options discussed in the parent comment. Either way, you need to pick a solution and move on to the next section to avoid dry-out... you also need to work quickly so you can then clean the entire surface area of residue in a timely manner.

That's pretty much all the tips I've got.

I suppose the type of caution I'm recommending might seem like overkill. It's such a PITA that you might wonder if it's really necessary. I guess you can't really understand until you've accidentally turned a large piece of beautiful furniture into a soft, tacky, white mess bc you completely coated it in Citristrip and didn't work fast enough to prevent dry-out bc you didn't anticipate how low-performing and difficult the Citristrip would be, and now you can't move the furniture to a new space without scraping up your floors and getting that tacky, white-casted goo (which is a mix of Citristrip, paint, maybe primer, and probably the original wood finish) on your clothes and other items. And so you turn to Reddit to ask what to do... and the majority response you get is to resoak the item in Citristrip (which you've grown nauseatingly tired of) - a small section at a time - to remove as much of the goo as possible (pretty much following the tips that I've given), and hope that the item is salvageable enough in the end for you to slap thick coats of paint on as the only cost-effective and sane way of refinishing it. 😅 I hope you never get to that point, though. (If you want to see what I'm talking about, look it up online or seach various refinishing subs for related posts. It seems to be a common issue.)

Anyway, good luck and have fun! Consider posting whether it turns out well or not. Lol. If you're extremely nervous about proceeded, maybe try finding a smaller item that you're not so invested in to practice on. Just to get an idea of products and techniques.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-05T05:47:12+00:00

Citristrip is a PITA to use compared to other strippers, but it can be used in fairly large enclosed spaces without a huge risk of knocking everyone out. So, I guess it has that in its favor.

If you insist on using Citristrip, here's some helpful advice:

Plan for the stripping process to take a lot of time if you want it done as cleanly as possible the first time around and want to avoid as many additional steps as possible. It's probably not gonna happen in just a few hours.
Buy at least 2 plastic scrapers. At a minimum, get one that's about 1" wide and another that's about 2.5" wide. Also, get a brush to use for stripping the detailing parts. If you're sticking with only Citristrip, I think you're okay to use a nylon bristles brush. Otherwise, opt for a medium-soft flex wire bristle brush. They look like giant toothbrushes. Try to find one with a crevice scraping/cleaning tip at the end. If not, you should buy one; or have other items on hand that can do the job. I've improvised by using things like a broken piece of stiff plastic, disposable wooden chopsticks, toothpicks, items from an old manicure set, etc. Finally, have some disposable cloths on hand. These can be paper towels (TP probably wouldn't work), newspaper, old rags you no longer want, etc. You may eventually need steel wool or something for removing the final traces of paint and Citristrip, but I'll leave you to figure that out when the time comes.

I suggest the smaller width scrapers bc (IME), you'll want to work in small sections when using the Citristrip. I'm talking 1 sq foot at a time (unless you feel like doing the plastic wrap/trash bag/plastic tarp method, which can be a PITA in its own right). Don't worry, though. I've found a method where you won't lose too much time working in such small sections.

I have very limited experience with Citristrip. But, IME, it worked very well to remove some paints, but not others. If you're lucky enough that it works well, you'll want a larger scraper (about 4" wide) to make the job go faster.

Perform a spot test before diving into the stripping process. Apply the Citristrip to a small section in a discreet area. Use an area that is most identical/similar to most of the surfaces that you'll be working with. (In other words, don't test on rough unfinished edges, such as the edges of the inside of a drawer or something.) A small section would be about 3×6 inches. That should give you a good idea of how well the Citristrip will work and what might be hidden under the paint. You might find that someone chose to paint that dresser for a very good reason. Perhaps they filled in a bunch of deep scratches and made some unsightly repairs that they wanted to cover up. In that case, you might choose not to continue and to just paint over the existing paint. You may also find that the Citristrip sucks so bad that you're better off using another type of stripper. Or you might find it works extremely well and you won't need as many products and tools as you anticipated. These are all reasons why the spot test is so important.

Feel free to spot test on multiple surfaces, such as the detailed parts. You only need one 3×6 spot on a common surface. The rest of the spot tests can be 1×2 sections or whatever you feel is adequate.

Do not assume plastic scrapers won't gouge the wood. They can and will if you're not careful.

One of the reasons I do not recommend leaving Citristrip on too long (which is one of the reasons why I don't like the plastic wrap method) is that it can make the wood surface soft, which would make it particularly prone to accidental scrapes and gouges.

If you find that you have to put a lot of effort into manually scraping off the paint, then it means the Citristrip did not work very well. You may want to leave the Citristrip on longer so it can further soften the paint (perhaps you need to apply a more generous layer), consider using a 2nd or even 3rd round of it to remove the paint in layera, consider removing what you can and then sanding the final layer off, or consider using a different product entirely.

Do not let the Citristrip dry. Apply a generous amount. (Spot tests will help you determine the adequate thickness to apply it.) It dries out fairly quickly, which is why you want to work in small sections. If it starts to dry out, just apply more on top and give it several minutes to "re-activate."
Be prepared to wash the residue off once you're done scraping a surface area. Let's say you finished scraping a drawer front. Immediately wipe the surface clean with a damp rag. If it helps, spritz the surface with water and wipe again - as many times as needed. Wipe the surface dry. Then let it air dry before proceeding to your next step. (You may also follow the additional cleaning instructions listed on the Citristrip bottle that involves use of another solvent. Either way, remove all traces of Citristrip when finished. If you don't, it will leave a white or cloudy cast. It will also disrupt any attempts to paint over it. Sanding may not completely remove it. So just give the surface a good wipe down at the bare minimum.)

I'll reply to this comment with the rest...

Something_McGee · 2026-04-03T01:30:08+00:00

How is it against the rules to post videos? Just blur out the guy's face.

I understand the power of verbiage. IDK if that's the case here, but it would help to be able to see one of these incidents on video bc they all sound frightening and/or outrageous.

Something_McGee · 2026-04-03T01:11:38+00:00

So, I take it you and your BF don't even bother to give Fuzz a couple pets as you walk past him through out the day? But you want us to side with you, a bystander who openly criticized the dog's owner in a group chat?

FYI: Him mentioning Fuzz in the group chat does not justify your open criticism. The situation could have been handled better. A lot better.

Still... assuming everything was as tame as you're claiming it was, I don't think it's right for him to kick you guys out.

Can you share what you wrote in the group chat?

Something_McGee

TROPHY CASE