1. Shovel out the worst of the mud and silt before it dries. Use a hose if necessary.
2. Before the house has dried out ,scrub floors and woodwork with a stiff brush, plenty of water, a detergent and a disinfectant. Remove mud and silt from corners, cracks, and crevices. 3. Water may have accumulated in partitions and exterior walls. Drain these areas by removing baseboard and drilling holes between studs a few inches above the floor. You may need to remove sections of the wallboard or plaster so that wall studding and interior can dry thoroughly--a process that may take months. 4. Give floors a final thorough washing with a non- sudsing cleaning product. Removing Surface Mildew 1. Heat the room to a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees F. to help dry mildewed wood. 2. Scrub mildewed floors and woodwork with an alkali solution such as washing soda or tri-sodium phosphate (4 to 6 tablespoons to a gallon of water), available in paint and grocery stores. Or use a cloth dipped in hot water and a small amount of kerosene, or in a mixture of borax dissolved in hot water. 3. Rinse with clear water. 4. Allow wood to dry thoroughly. 5. Apply a mildew resistant paint. 6. Replace badly infected wood, preferably with treated or decay-resistant wood. Bleaching Wood Stained by Mildew 1. Remove paint or varnish with paint remover. 2. Apply a solution of 3 tablespoons oxalic acid dissolved in a pint of water to the stains. (Oxalic acid crystals can be purchased at drug stores. OXALIC ACID IS POISONOUS. Label it clearly and keep out of children's reach. 3. Rinse with clear water. 4. Dry thoroughly before refinishing. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
