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GEORGE TOWN: As companies reopen after more than 50 days, some merchants are forced to work harder as mold stains appear on merchandise.
At a shopping center in Pulau Tikus, the owner of a cold clothing and travel store who wanted to be known as Chong said it could have happened due to the humidity.
“Because the mall’s temperature depends on the air conditioner, it can sometimes be humid when the cold temperature suddenly rises.
“This causes a sudden increase in water vapor in the surrounding air, making mold more likely to grow,” said the 47-year-old man, whose store had been closed since the start of the control order on movement (MCO).
Chong said mold was found growing on some wallets, leather backpacks and bags.
“It makes products look less attractive, but it doesn’t affect their function. All we did was use a little oil and polish them with a clean cloth, “he said when he met yesterday at his store.
Another purse and bag vendor at a mall here who wanted to be known as Lai, 65, said most of her products were dusty.
“Some products on the display shelf were dusty, as we were unable to clean them when we were closed. Most of our other products are fine as we wrapped them in paper for storage before closing the MCO.
“Since most of our products are not pure leather and are made of PU leather or PVC leather, they are less prone to mold,” he said. A mall sales assistant who wished to be known as Saw, 51, said moldy leather products growing on them could easily be cleaned with baby oil or furniture wax.
“During the two-month shutdown, there may be fluctuations in air conditioning temperature in the mall. The air can be more humid at times. And since it has been raining, the air can be humid.
“The leather is durable and if you take good care of it, mold shouldn’t grow easily,” said Saw, who oversees the leather wallet and bag section at the mall.
At Petaling Jaya, the President of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Datuk Seri Garry Chua, said losses to property damage during the MCO period were rare.
“I think there are remote cases where there was property damage, but MRCA members have had no problem with that,” Chua said.
He also said that retailers and shopping malls needed to work together to attract more customers.
“Malls must have aggressive promotions to help retailers.
“Malls must also demonstrate that they have their standard operating procedure for preventing Covid-19 infection, such as temperature control and the provision of hand sanitizers, to regain customer confidence,” he said.
A post featuring photos of moldy leather goods has gone viral on social media.
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