How to keep on top of an old house?

[noname1234]

Just moved (rented) into a victorian house that had been left in very poor state of cleanliness by old tenants. I had to clean the whole day we moved in to get it in a state fit to live in but now I'm struggling keeping on top of it. There's red sand-like stuff in a lot of the grout, mould on the window frames and sills, damp, the bath is a bit old and grotty, the fireplace has been gutted but soot still falls down the chimney :S I just want it to be a healthy place to live in. Does anybody living in an old house have a good routine they could share for keeping it healthy and mould-free?

[LadyMaryCreepyCrawley]

Mould is a real pain to get rid of. Lakeland probably sell some great stuff. Have the chimneys been swept? I'm not sure what you mean by 'gutted'. I get soot falling down mine. Damp is something that is a lot harder to sort out, you need to air the rooms as much as possible. Have you checked the gutters for any leaks? I'm not sure about the red sand-stuff, it sounds like mould though. Lakeland sell things for this as well (I spent a fortune in there when I moved into my house).