Do NOT use any high-abrasive cleaner like Comet! Acrylic has a fairly thin high-gloss top layer that is easily damaged by the wrong cleaners. Damage that topcoat and it will never look clean again for more than the time it takes to shower once (ask me how I know, LOL). It's a very brittle material and care should be used in handling it. All mfgs have a list of recommended cleaners for their products. Use those, and don't use anything else. I have noticed that the anti-skid surfacing mandated by the Fed government, on many tubs/shower surfaces, is just a thin plastic film which catches dirt, as you have found. We specifically purchased a tan granite-pattern showerpan to hide this tendency for the floor to darken, but found that the material we chose has an integral non-skid finish, so is easier to clean.

OK - I read it and they are 7 to 14. Definitely old enough to clean up after themselves and to share cleaning the common areas. READ THIS: http://strikingmom.blogspot.com/ The problem there is they bounce back and forth between my house and the ex's house so if they have chores they may not be home that evening to do them, if the ex has them he keeps them until bedtime so they come home and go straight to bed, no chores done so its left to me. So I've been having them help when they are here but trying to come up with a routine I can do when they aren't. Talk to their father ... they should not be able to use "went to dad's / mom's" as a way of leaving their responsibilities to either of you. This is about raising them to take care of themselves, and be good partners and roommates for other people more than it is about keeping you from dropping dead of exhaustion. Distinguish between things that only affect one person with those that affect everyone, like cleaning common areas and doing dishes. Perhaps a "chores done over there before you come over here" policy? And a "If you left chores undone, you will go home in time to do them before bedtime" policy? Something like this: "Susie is running late because she forgot it was her turn to clean the kid's bathroom. Which is more convenient - picking the kids up after she's finished or bringing them back early so she can get it done before bedtime?" NOTE: This will affect the other children, but don't worry about it. The one responsible for the problems will get a LOT of hassling from the siblings to not ruin it again. Or, if the chores aren't done, the other kids go and the one who didn't plan it right can have another chance at it "next time". Do this once or twice, consistently, and they will become much better at remembering and time management. =========== Set a zero clutter policy for common areas : all personal possessions must be in their rooms before they leave for dad's or go to bed. In other words - out of your sight and not your problem. As for the clutter they inevitably leave when they zip off to dad's ... either toss it onto their bed so they have to deal with it when they really want to go to sleep, or if you feel less charitable, pick it up and toss it in a large box and put it in the trunk of your car. When they ask "Mom, where's my ___ whatever?" you smile and say, "It must be in your room. Did you put it in your room before you left yesterday?" You can let the confiscated clutter sit for a while and then appear on their bed, or make them ransom it back by doing something for you. =========== Adding - they should be doing their own laundry. Show them how and stand back. If they forget a load in the washer, take ot out and put it in a basket on their bed. ======== If you keep picking up after them, and "doing for them", they will never learn to be self reliant. Mom as backstop is a bad thing when it comes to daily life. This post was edited by lazygardens on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 11:18

Thank you for the response. Yes, in reply to your advice, I have a found a place that does repairs. I came here in hope of hearing experiences or seeing images from people who have done this type of repair before. I am not sure how much improvement there can be, so I’m trying to gauge that before deciding whether or not to approve the repair.

Good article, Lynzy. Replace every single light bulb. As soon as they heat up the nicotine will cook and ooze. Same with appliances, ceiling fans and light fixtures. Get rid of them. Research ozone generators. We had our ductwork and a/c system professionally cleaned and inspected, in addition to everything mentioned in my previous comments. No smoke smell at all now, but we are having a whole house air purifier installed because of the desert sand. The seller insisted she didn’t smoke, but forgot her cigarettes and lighter the first time we looked at the house. We walked out after five minutes. We came back again when they offered to reduce the price by $20k to cover restoration costs. We threw out every single thing they left here. The non-smoker husband died two months after closing, not sure from what, they were both elderly and unwell. We had neighbors over for a cocktail party and a toast to Jim and they were all amazed that they could not detect cigarette smell. It can be done, but it’s risky and very expensive and should only be done by a professional disaster team. And don’t live there until everything is finished!