THREE WEEKS AGO THE RIVER showed us how its life has been disturbed when it climbed into our home to reclaim the riverside that was his.

Water damage would have probably been easier to deal with had it not come with mud, but we had a flood of silt that left mud all over our floors, decks and garden. We also had mud inside our shelves, appliances and on everything else that was unfortunately reached by the floodwater.

I learned a few things about dealing with muddy floodwater and I randomly share these with you:

• Clean up while everything is wet. Don’t wait for the mud to dry up as it makes it doubly difficult to remove mud. Removing stiff mud from floors and other hard surfaces increases the risk of scratching or scraping, inevitably damaging your finishes.

• Soft furnishing like upholstery, carpets and other textured material are going to soak up the mud and eventually stain. It’s important to immediately soak these and let mud loosen up. Even upholstery that are for dry cleaning can usually withstand washing with gentle soap.

• Any wood-based material will swell. Solid wood furniture will warp and expand. Before doing any repairs, let the wood dry properly. Shaving off excess edges while the timber is swollen will leave you with large gaps and openings when the excess moisture is finally gone.

• Plywood and Fiberboard (HDF or MDF) will swell even more and will be almost irreparable. But if your cabinetry is finished with a good lacquer or “duco” finish, then you’re in luck! Lacquer will seal off the wood and it will be as good as new after it dries up.

• Check the mechanisms of your window blinds or roller shades. They may seem to be operating well but if floodwater got to them, they will eventually rust or corrode. Best to have your supplier open them up for cleaning and oiling.

• Your door hardware will have to be checked. Flush the openings with clean water then try moving the knobs, levers and locksets around. Better yet, have them opened up and cleaned to remove any excess moisture that can eventually lead to corrosion.

• Open up baseboards and flush down gaps between built-in items and walls. Mud finds its way into everything.

• After washing down everything, dry up properly and thoroughly. Use electric fans, industrial blowers or dehumidifiers. Excess moisture can do further damage on the long term.

In my attempt to decrease the risk of water damage, I’ve happily discovered a few new materials for not only flood prone areas but for wet areas as well. More on that next week!

Send your comments to DD@abi.ph.