Tips and tricks to salvage flooded items<\/p>\n
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Furniture, housewares, even beloved pianos and valuable computers
\nwere in harm's way when flooding swept homes in the capital last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
As the floodwaters receded, mud, stains, mold and possibly
\nrust were left behind.<\/p>\n
\"Rita\", who returned to her home in Pulomas, East Jakarta, on
\nWednesday after a week camped out at a relative's home, was
\ngreeted by a depressing mess.<\/p>\n
Valuable imported speakers were irreparably damaged, rotten
\nfood in the refrigerator gave off a terrible stench and her
\nclothing was soiled.<\/p>\n
\"It's going to cost me Rp 1 million to have the clothes and
\nbedding cleaned at the laundry, but it's got to be done,\" she
\nsaid. \"I'm cleaning up and throwing away a lot of stuff. I'm
\ngoing to pare back to what I really need.\"<\/p>\n
For advice on salvaging furniture and household goods, we
\ncalled on some experts in the capital. Hopefully, their tips will
\nsave you a trip to the dump.<\/p>\n
Wood<\/p>\n
Aris, a designer from Mahoni Furniture in South Jakarta
\nrecommended that, as soon as the floodwaters had receded and the
\nsun had begun to shine, wooden furniture be taken outside and
\nallowed to dry in the open air.<\/p>\n
There are several kinds of wood, such as plywood, which should
\nnever be allowed to get wet, as it leads to swelling, causing
\nirreparable damage. However, for furniture made from teak, for
\ninstance, a week or two in floodwaters should not cause lasting
\ndamage.<\/p>\n
\"Teak can endure a lot of water and heat. If the top coat or
\nfinish on the furniture is up to scratch, it only needs to be
\ndried and then wiped with a soft cloth,\" Aris said.<\/p>\n
Carpenters usually use varnish to coat teak furniture.
\nVarnish could be bought at the market, and a higher price was
\nindicative of quality, Aris added.<\/p>\n
Rattan<\/p>\n
Rattan furniture is more vulnerable to damage than other types
\nof wood, but a lot depends on the quality of the rattan. Aris
\nsaid that if the flooding was not too severe, rattan furniture
\nshould be checked after it had dried out to see whether it was
\nstill strong or had worn out, as water can easily damage the
\nrattan fibers.<\/p>\n
If the rattan was still strong, it was advisable to treat the
\nfurniture with varnish or paint.<\/p>\n
\"Besides appearance, the chemical in the paint is important in
\nprotecting the rattan from sunlight and also water. So if they
\nare affected by flooding, the damage will only affect its coat of
\npaint.\"<\/p>\n
Brass<\/p>\n
If inundated for a week or more, brass-coated goods will
\nusually start to peel and require professional restoration.<\/p>\n
Tari from Krisna Kerajinan Kuningan said, however, that if the
\nitems were under water for only two or three days they could
\nusually be salvaged by allowing them to dry (although not under
\ndirect sunlight) and then wiping them carefully with a dry cloth.<\/p>\n
Tari said if there were stains or mud on the items, they
\nshould be rubbed with a soft cloth and lukewarm water. They could
\nthen be polished with Brasso, a popular product for treating
\nbrass-coated items.<\/p>\n
Iron<\/p>\n
For furniture made of iron, the worst-case scenario is
\ncorrosion.<\/p>\n
Ling Ling from Subur furniture in Central Jakarta recommended
\nthat the goods be allowed to dry and then cleaned up using
\nsandpaper to get rid of rust.<\/p>\n
\"After being dried and cleaned, it is also important to paint
\nthe iron because it will prevent corrosive damage, as there is no
\nway of ensuring the weather will be dry all the time. Who knows
\nif the rain will continue and the surroundings are damp,\" Ling
\nLing said.<\/p>\n
Spring Beds<\/p>\n
Most spring beds affected by flood waters are destined for the
\ndump because the cost of restoring them is about the same as
\npurchasing a new one.<\/p>\n
Still, it's worth checking the condition of the springs (the
\nmost vulnerable part of the bed).<\/p>\n
If the springs are not damaged, but only wet, dry them
\nimmediately and clean them using a dry cloth. Other parts of the
\nbed such as the cover and the foam stuffing can be changed at a
\nservice center.<\/p>\n
Dealers or producers of well-known brands usually have their
\nown service centers.<\/p>\n
Sofas<\/p>\n
If a leather sofa gets wet (assuming it was not submerged for
\ntoo long), wipe immediately using a sponge or chamois soaked in
\nlukewarm water and a small amount of mild soap. Then gently wipe
\ndry with a cloth. Never use saddle soap, shoe polish, oil,
\nvinegar or any chemical substance to clean the leather.<\/p>\n
Wawa from Maxi Leather Son in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta,
\nwarned that leather goods were sensitive and needed special
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
In cases of severe damage, Wawa advised checking the condition
\nof the sofa to determine whether it needed reupholstering or
\ncould be coated with a special leather ointment (which she
\ndescribed as a homemade \"family secret\").<\/p>\n
The ointment allowed the leather to \"rejuvenate\" by itself.<\/p>\n
\"Such a treatment could also be applied to leather jackets or
\npants. One thing to remember is that leather garments cannot be
\nwashed.\"<\/p>\n
Carpet<\/p>\n
Different types of carpet need different treatments. According
\nto Wahyu, coordinator of operations at the Kuwera Jaya cleaning
\nservice company in East Jakarta, the thinner the carpet, the more
\ndifficult it is to clean.<\/p>\n
\"If it's really wet and isn't glued to the floor, just take it
\noutside and dry it in the sun,\" Wahyu said, adding that, after it
\nhad dried, a vacuum cleaner should be used to get rid of any dirt
\nstill attached in the carpet.<\/p>\n
For fixed carpets, the process is more complicated and
\ninvolves special devices such as wet and dry vacuum cleaners,
\npolishers and blowers -- so you probably need to call the
\nexperts.<\/p>\n
Piano<\/p>\n
If the damage is not too severe, pianos can be disassembled
\nonce dry, but be careful, because they contain lots of small
\nscrews.<\/p>\n
Wipe each part using a clean cloth, and be careful you don't
\nmiss anything -- if even one small part is still wet or humid,
\nit will affect the sound produced by the piano.<\/p>\n
A mechanic at Sigma Piano House in Kelapa Gading, North
\nJakarta, Tamsil, said, \"Hopefully it is not the mechanical part
\nof the piano (located inside the instrument) that is damaged
\nbecause it is very expensive. Even a small spare part of that
\nkind costs Rp 3 million.\"<\/p>\n
Tamsil also said the piano wires needed meticulous treatment.
\nUse a dry cloth then wipe them one by one; for the cords
\nconnected to them, rub each one using sandpaper.<\/p>\n
\"Finally, for the piano parts that are made of steel, rub them
\nwith any type of car wax,\" Tamsil said.<\/p>\n
If your piano still sounds off-key, call a professional tuner.<\/p>\n
Computers<\/p>\n
Once the hard disk becomes wet, it's basically a goner,
\nbecause the disk is not water resistant. However, the monitor and
\nthe keyboard can still be salvaged if they are not too badly
\naffected by water.<\/p>\n
But make sure that the monitor and the keyboard are dry. It is
\nalso advisable to open the covers on the monitor and the keyboard
\nso that the inner workings can be dried.<\/p>",
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