Tips and tricks to salvage flooded items

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Furniture, housewares, even beloved pianos and valuable computers were in harm's way when flooding swept homes in the capital last week.

As the floodwaters receded, mud, stains, mold and possibly rust were left behind.

"Rita", who returned to her home in Pulomas, East Jakarta, on Wednesday after a week camped out at a relative's home, was greeted by a depressing mess.

Valuable imported speakers were irreparably damaged, rotten food in the refrigerator gave off a terrible stench and her clothing was soiled.

"It's going to cost me Rp 1 million to have the clothes and bedding cleaned at the laundry, but it's got to be done," she said. "I'm cleaning up and throwing away a lot of stuff. I'm going to pare back to what I really need."

For advice on salvaging furniture and household goods, we called on some experts in the capital. Hopefully, their tips will save you a trip to the dump.

Wood

Aris, a designer from Mahoni Furniture in South Jakarta recommended that, as soon as the floodwaters had receded and the sun had begun to shine, wooden furniture be taken outside and allowed to dry in the open air.

There are several kinds of wood, such as plywood, which should never be allowed to get wet, as it leads to swelling, causing irreparable damage. However, for furniture made from teak, for instance, a week or two in floodwaters should not cause lasting damage.

"Teak can endure a lot of water and heat. If the top coat or finish on the furniture is up to scratch, it only needs to be dried and then wiped with a soft cloth," Aris said.

Carpenters usually use varnish to coat teak furniture. Varnish could be bought at the market, and a higher price was indicative of quality, Aris added.

Rattan

Rattan furniture is more vulnerable to damage than other types of wood, but a lot depends on the quality of the rattan. Aris said that if the flooding was not too severe, rattan furniture should be checked after it had dried out to see whether it was still strong or had worn out, as water can easily damage the rattan fibers.

If the rattan was still strong, it was advisable to treat the furniture with varnish or paint.

"Besides appearance, the chemical in the paint is important in protecting the rattan from sunlight and also water. So if they are affected by flooding, the damage will only affect its coat of paint."

Brass

If inundated for a week or more, brass-coated goods will usually start to peel and require professional restoration.

Tari from Krisna Kerajinan Kuningan said, however, that if the items were under water for only two or three days they could usually be salvaged by allowing them to dry (although not under direct sunlight) and then wiping them carefully with a dry cloth.

Tari said if there were stains or mud on the items, they should be rubbed with a soft cloth and lukewarm water. They could then be polished with Brasso, a popular product for treating brass-coated items.

Iron

For furniture made of iron, the worst-case scenario is corrosion.

Ling Ling from Subur furniture in Central Jakarta recommended that the goods be allowed to dry and then cleaned up using sandpaper to get rid of rust.

"After being dried and cleaned, it is also important to paint the iron because it will prevent corrosive damage, as there is no way of ensuring the weather will be dry all the time. Who knows if the rain will continue and the surroundings are damp," Ling Ling said.

Spring Beds

Most spring beds affected by flood waters are destined for the dump because the cost of restoring them is about the same as purchasing a new one.

Still, it's worth checking the condition of the springs (the most vulnerable part of the bed).

If the springs are not damaged, but only wet, dry them immediately and clean them using a dry cloth. Other parts of the bed such as the cover and the foam stuffing can be changed at a service center.

Dealers or producers of well-known brands usually have their own service centers.

Sofas

If a leather sofa gets wet (assuming it was not submerged for too long), wipe immediately using a sponge or chamois soaked in lukewarm water and a small amount of mild soap. Then gently wipe dry with a cloth. Never use saddle soap, shoe polish, oil, vinegar or any chemical substance to clean the leather.

Wawa from Maxi Leather Son in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, warned that leather goods were sensitive and needed special treatment.

In cases of severe damage, Wawa advised checking the condition of the sofa to determine whether it needed reupholstering or could be coated with a special leather ointment (which she described as a homemade "family secret").

The ointment allowed the leather to "rejuvenate" by itself.

"Such a treatment could also be applied to leather jackets or pants. One thing to remember is that leather garments cannot be washed."

Carpet

Different types of carpet need different treatments. According to Wahyu, coordinator of operations at the Kuwera Jaya cleaning service company in East Jakarta, the thinner the carpet, the more difficult it is to clean.

"If it's really wet and isn't glued to the floor, just take it outside and dry it in the sun," Wahyu said, adding that, after it had dried, a vacuum cleaner should be used to get rid of any dirt still attached in the carpet.

For fixed carpets, the process is more complicated and involves special devices such as wet and dry vacuum cleaners, polishers and blowers -- so you probably need to call the experts.

Piano

If the damage is not too severe, pianos can be disassembled once dry, but be careful, because they contain lots of small screws.

Wipe each part using a clean cloth, and be careful you don't miss anything -- if even one small part is still wet or humid, it will affect the sound produced by the piano.

A mechanic at Sigma Piano House in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, Tamsil, said, "Hopefully it is not the mechanical part of the piano (located inside the instrument) that is damaged because it is very expensive. Even a small spare part of that kind costs Rp 3 million."

Tamsil also said the piano wires needed meticulous treatment. Use a dry cloth then wipe them one by one; for the cords connected to them, rub each one using sandpaper.

"Finally, for the piano parts that are made of steel, rub them with any type of car wax," Tamsil said.

If your piano still sounds off-key, call a professional tuner.

Computers

Once the hard disk becomes wet, it's basically a goner, because the disk is not water resistant. However, the monitor and the keyboard can still be salvaged if they are not too badly affected by water.

But make sure that the monitor and the keyboard are dry. It is also advisable to open the covers on the monitor and the keyboard so that the inner workings can be dried.