Canned Air?

[mom_to_3]

I haven't posted in quite a while, but I do read. My difficult child is still a difficult child, but we are seeing improvement as she ages. I learned long ago to remove myself from her drama so that keeps us out of her chaos. There is hope!

She was at our family gathering for Thanksgiving. I have never known our difficult child to use drugs. Several years ago she did tell me that she had tried a few things but didn't like it. I am SO thankful for that and I do believe her. I've never had any indication or suspicion of her using drugs.

She was unavailable as other guests were leaving, and I got nominated to move her car so my brother could leave. What has prompted this post is that I noticed canned air in the drivers side door. I find that so odd! She does have a new car that she says she is trying to keep clean. She is not a clean person about herself, her home or her other cars. The car was clean except for the horrendous cigarette smell. She must smoke in there with the window up!

Do people use canned air to clean their cars, or could this be her vise? I would never ask her as she lie's as well as she tells the truth and it would just cause me more upset. She has been more stable in the last couple of months than she ever has been. I don't see her that often to get any visual clues. I do talk to her, but have not picked up on anything any more unusual than usual if that makes sense! Any insight?

 

[AmericanGirl]

It seems to be that if she were using it for her car that you would see other items to keep it clean. Was there anything else?

 

[Nancy]

It is not used to clean a car. Young people huff it for a cheap high but it can be deadly. It was more common several years ago but is still around. Same with many aerosol cans.

 

[mom_to_3]

I saw no other cleaning items in the car. I've heard of "huffing" and wondered about that. Does it do anything to keep you awake? I can say a lot of things about her, but drinking and drugs aren't her style, but this is so unusual to have in her car.

 

[busywend]

Or she could be using it to blow the ashes out of the crevices or backseat for passengers.

 

[AmericanGirl]

Isn't it expensive? I'd think there were cheaper ways to clean.

 

[Marcie Mac]

They had a program on Intervention about canned air. I think to be on the safe side you should google it.

Marcie

 

[DammitJanet]

I was going to say like Marcie. Ashes can get everywhere and you dont have to see lots of cleaning products in the car. My car has so many ashes everywhere in so many crevices that I should have kept canned air in the car. I didnt and the dirt and ashes are just caked in now. It would take a toothbrush and a water hose to clean it now.

 

[mom_to_3]

I did google it. Very scary stuff there! I guess this is why I am not an addict, but I just cannot imagine why anyone would want to inhale that stuff. It makes you dizzy and your body is oxygen deprived and you run a huge risk of dying from it! There isn't a certain amount that is too much, any amount can kill you. I don't speak to her often, but I will have to ask her about it now. If for no other reason than to stress to her to make sure her son does not have access to it.

 

[DDD]

Yikes, I'd be very careful in having that conversation. Guess it depends on the personalities involved but I'd likely bring it up as a curious question to make sure she didn't think you were being accusatory. Good luck. DDD

 

[mom_to_3]

I agree DDD. I figured I would ask her if the canned air works well for cleaning her car? I would be insulted if someone suggested to me that I was abusing anything. on the other hand, it's a pretty pricey option for cleaning a car. Just think you could open all the doors and windows and use your shop vac in reverse to get an even better result for less money! lol Her son is a big concern as he is very impulsive and I would hate to see him misuse it.

 

[SuZir]

Yikes, I'd be very careful in having that conversation. Guess it depends on the personalities involved but I'd likely bring it up as a curious question to make sure she didn't think you were being accusatory.

Ditto to this. I know I would certainly take offence if someone would ask if I'm abusing cleaning products to get high because otherwise having them with me doesn't make sense because I'm a known slob. And I certainly am not too neat so that part would be true. Or if not taking offence I would probably think that person asking that would be more or less crazy. With an adult, independent child I would be very careful to raise this kind of questions. Especially if you are not talking that often otherwise.

 

[susiestar]

It might be more helpful to both of you if you approached the issue by giving her info about how kids are using it to get high. Tell her you want to be sure she is aware of the signs so that she will know the signs in case he ever tries this. Don't ask her if she is using it - it won't help in any way and will just be another wedge between you. You are a concerned grandma, and you want to be sure that she knows that this can be instantly fatal if her son tries it. It can kill the first time, or the thousandth, and no one ever knows. So you want her to know hte warnng signs, and to be informed.

If she is using it to get high, then she will know how dangerous it is to her own health. You can give her the info with-o putting her back up, and this way you can keep an eye on what is going on.

 

[cubsgirl]

I work very part-time at a retailer and we actually have to get ID to sell canned air. I agree with Susie's approach of concern.

 

[mom_to_3]

I can say a lot of things about her, but drinking and drugs aren't her style
Read more: http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f11/canned-air-51330/#ixzz2DGJ1dcJA
but I will have to ask her about it now. If for no other reason than to stress to her to make sure her son does not have access to it.
Read more: http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f11/canned-air-51330/#ixzz2DGJSDd00
I agree DDD. I figured I would ask her if the canned air works well for cleaning her car?
Read more: http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f11/canned-air-51330/index2.html#ixzz2DGJga43M
Her son is a big concern as he is very impulsive and I would hate to see him misuse it.
Read more: http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f11/canned-air-51330/index2.html#ixzz2DGJpHEoe


I had no intentions of accusing her of using it for huffing. Like I said in my first post, I stay out of her drama and work hard to keep peace so that we can have contact with our grandson. I also mentioned that I did not see drugs and drinking as part of her persona. I still find it odd to have canned air tucked into the "cubby" of the drivers side door. I was asking a question if this is something others use to clean their cars or could it be a vice? I guess somewhere you all thought I'd accuse her and get her dander up.

 

[Kathy813]

Canned air works well to clean a computer keyboard. Any chance she bought it for that and just left it in the car?

However, my difficult child did use cans of Redi-whip to get high. i naively bought them for her at her request thinking she liked whipped cream. It wasn't until the Demi Moore story came out about her using whippets to get high that I realized why my difficult child was asking for them.

I hope it is an innocent explanation in your daughter's case.

~Kathy

 

[DDD]

SuZir your post made me laugh outloud. The dog came running to see what was going on because I haven't laughed much lately. Thanks, DDD

Mom_to_3 please don't be offended by the advice. Nobody thinks you are a dumb bunny but ALL of us have been triggered into conversations that we later regreted with our SA adult kids. Sometimes it's hard to judge exactly where a fellow parent's concerns are on the detachment scale. Heck, alot of the time it is hard to figure where our own concerns fall. You are among friends. Hugs DDD

 

[DDD]

Kathy the "boys" in our family think Redi Whip is the star of Thanksgiving. This year I had my 50 year old, easy child/difficult child at 25. difficult child at 21 AND my son's son who is 19 all standing in the kitchen filling their upturned mouths with Redi Whip.
Geez, I wish I'd had a camera. It was like baby birds in a nest. Yes, lol, I did buy four cans because I knew it was bound to happen and "sharing" wouldn't work. Thank God nobody started laughing! DDD

 

[DammitJanet]

LOL DDD.

As far as why canned air would work better for cleaning crevices in a car than the shop vac, think of it just like the computer keyboard. With cars these days, they have so many nooks and crannies that dirt and debris can get into so many places that you cant even get a qtip or rag anymore. If you are smart enough to blow it out before it gets so grungy that its packed in there, you have a leg up. It would take ... well I dont know what to get the grunge out of the little nooks in my car...lol. I guess a toothbrush and a whole lot of degreaser.

 

[Kathy813]

DDD, I thought the same thing. Gee, difficult child, sure does like whipped cream. I was devastated when I realized what she was using them for and that I was supplying them!!

Now I only buy cool whip. Come to think of it, though, we do have a can of canned air that we use to clean the computers. I better lock that up, too.