Is your home monsoon-ready?

As the monsoon makes headway in Pune, the guide tells you how to take care of your furniture this season

The rainy season is characterised by abundant greenery and beautiful landscapes. But at the same time, it’s not a great season for the maintenance of your home. During monsoon, your home could be affected by pests, flooding, leaks from the walls or ceilings, and moisture which peels off the wall colour and damages the furniture.

During the monsoon, avoid placing furniture near the windows

Says interior designer Medha Joshi, “In this season, it is important to take care of expensive wooden items in your house and see to it that they don’t end up in bad shape once the rains recede.”

Joshi points out that one must do maintenance and not enhancement in this season. “Don’t polish or paint your wooden furniture and fixtures during monsoon as it affects the wood badly, particularly the outer surface. Polishing should always be taken up before or after the rainy season,” she adds.

You can also avoid placing furniture near the window as rain water dripping in can damage them. “Ensure the room has cross ventilation and remains dry. Use water-resistant glue and materials for the construction and upkeep of the woodwork.

Never use a damp cloth to clean wooden furniture. Use a dry, soft cloth to clean furniture every day to reduce dust accumulation. Try to keep the wardrobes and cupboards a few inches away from the walls as these get damp during the rains. Also, put camphor or naphthalene balls in the wardrobe as they will soak up dampness,” she suggests.

You can also oil the furniture or waxing to prevent it from absorbing moisture. Interior designer Ashwini Deshpande adds that one can keep rooms moisture-free by keeping the doors and the windows closed. “One can do Polyurethane coatings for the furniture so that the problem of furniture getting moist is solved to a great extent,” she states.

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