Tips and tricks to salvage flooded items

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.