As it always happens: I settle down to write, and something comes along to distract me. Today’s distraction was mould. More importantly: mould in my wardrobe, on my curtains and along the skirting board.

To coin a phrase: This Is Not Good.

The curtains went straight into the wash and I started playing hunt the mould. I dealt with the stuff on the skirting board. Then out came my underwear drawers, everything hanging in the wardrobe as well as plastic crates of other clothes in storage. The strange thing was that the mould seemed very picky. For example, I have about seven Gossard Ultrabra basques that live on a hanger together. I pretty much never wear them, but they are too gorgeous to get rid of. They are the same material and everything, yet only one basque was riddled with mould, but even the ones that had been touching it were free. I found some of my old Goth clothing mouldy, but other bits not. It seemed to be a very picky breed of mould.

I took the opportunity to throw some infected clothes that I hadn’t worn in ages, and washed others that smelt a little fusty for good measure. But the basque, another basque from a box under the wardrobe, several trusty Wonderbras and my one of my two huge black velvet skirts were just too good to let go of.

None were particularly machine washable, so I had to improvise. Boiling water in the bath was a start, then I hand washed the skirt. The bras and the basques then gotr put in pillow cases and carefully placed in a wash cycle with the spin speed turned right down. Time will tell if it all worked, but needless to say I’m a tad worried at the mould.

We have had a mould issue for a few weeks. It’s a very picky mould, and it mostly likes to coat wooden furniture. However, until today there was never any on walls, and so far stuff like LPs and books seem to be safe, even when the shelves they are on became infested.

This is the first time it has decided on attacking clothes. We’ll have to keep more of an eye on things, and we’re running the central heating for the first time since March just to heat the house through and be sure. Still, it is very annoying.

And now, back to the real job I was supposed to be doing today of writing…