THEN - FIFTIES HEALTH
A single widow in the Fifties
A German refugee, with white hair
Europeans open their windows daily
She did, too, each morning, for fresh air
Took tea outside in the open air
Left a mould-free flat to unheeding heirs
Her Fifties beds and chairs had space below
Advantages Brits forgot, didn't know why nor care
NEXT - HOUSES LIKE GRENHOUSES
Then came the joys of central heating
Double glazing, and big meetings
Cold floors, draughty homes, we'd rather forget
Buy thick drapes, duvets, and wall-to-wall carpet
Outside, rainwater pours down ivy leaves
Inside, you breathe out water when you breathe
You exercise, cough, blow your nose
You wash lots of the dishes, bedding, clothes
Every adult, child and cat
Each wet umbrella, raincoat, rain hat
Around the bath, under the bathmat
Around the sink, that dripping tap
We bought a big, noisy, dehumidifier
List in inventory. Plug in to check it's working
Overnight fills with water - tenant's shock!
Can't keep emptying it. Unwanted. Storage stock
NOW
Well after the Millennium
The occupants had changed again
Two bedrooms, two tenants became a family of five
Suffered mould. Why? That was a surprise
The law has changed yet again
A child's death governments mention
The landlord must: fix problems fast
Advise tenants on prevention!
CAUSE - OBSERVATION - EVIDENCE
The cause of mould is no mystery
Water, in the buildings' history
Black ceilings, from gutter leaks overhead
Skirting boards - rising damp from leaning flower beds
Builders long gone, might have done their best.
Let's walk round, observe, an easy test
Blocked drains and flooding bring more pain
Report quickly. Landlord paints. All do your best
You're spreading water everywhere
Every time you wash your hair
Every time you flush the toilet
Under the rim, how often d'you clean it?
You shut the windows when it's cold
Windows steam up, water makes mould
The mould will give you colds and coughs
Asthma, worse, carries small kids off
OUTSIDE MOULD CAUSE And COURSE
A damp course, horizontal line
Walk outside, foot high, you'll see it
Unless the plants touch bricks above
Gardeners should cut, agree it
ANALYSE & DECIDE ACTION
What causes moisture and mould? You must decide
Is it from outside, or inside?
If you see drips or mould, warn landlords, don't delay
The longer it's left, the more landlords pay
The leaking radiator burst, turns into a flood
The hall floor mould looks like a river of mud
The maintenance will rise, the exhausted landlord dies
At the end of the day rents rise and drive tenants away
INSIDE - MOULD CURES
Proverbs say a stitch in time saves nine
Is all that mould their fault - or mine!
Even though nobody's looking
Put lids on saucepans when you're cooking
Duvets and cushions away from walls
Clothes in cupboards in a basket
Buy a wall moisture detector
Is it too much to ask it?
I known skiers keep warm in snow
So warm clothes are the way to go
Save money to dispel the gloom
Heat up the person, not the room
Dress for the outside, take a walk
Even the old won't feel the cold
But what if you lot only slouch?
Buy electric blankets, for bed - and couch!
INDOORS CAUSES
You breathe out water through the night
Open the windows in daylight
And keep them open half an hour
Before, during, after a shower
Either banish water, or make spills vanish
Ban wet clothes on the radiator!
Kettles, covered coffee cups, big dinners
A warning sign, misted windows and mirrors
From hot countries, other nations
Aren't prepared for so much rain
Causing so much condensation
Global warming, yet more rain
The Moist Millennium
Double glazing, central heating,
Extended families, big meetings
Instead of people living alone
MOH, and working from home
Paranoid, put lids on glasses of water
Cover coffee, like a lurking Turkish bath attendant watch mirrors for mist
Buy a dehumidifier for each room
Keep adding to the minimise mould action list
INDOORS MOULD CURES
We can't fix the sloping grounds
Rebuilding walls costs thousands of pounds
But now we're wiser, now we know
The simple, cheap answer - open the window!
-ends-
Easy rhymes, observation, observe.
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