A Story from the Field: The Parts Room Nobody Wanted to Open

Ek is thirty-eight and runs a small computer and laptop repair shop in a two-unit shophouse in Rangsit, in Thanyaburi District. Most of his customers are students from the nearby universities, office workers, and local shops that send him their cash register computers and office PCs to look after. At the front of the shop is a counter where devices are checked in, next to a technician's bench. At the back is a spare parts room with plywood shelving that runs from floor to ceiling, packed with boxes of hard drives, memory modules, keyboards, chargers, second-hand laptop screens and cooling fans.

When the flood arrived, the water inside the shop rose almost to knee height. Ek and his one employee managed to carry nearly all of the customer devices waiting for repair up to the mezzanine. The boxes of parts on the two lowest shelves stayed where they were, though, and the plywood shelving sat in water for several days. The shop was closed for close to three weeks.

On the first day back, as soon as he opened the door of the parts room, a damp, musty smell mixed with the odor of mud rushed out. The edges of the plywood shelves had swollen and were dotted with greenish-black mold. The cardboard boxes holding the parts had gone so soft that they fell apart when he tried to lift them, and a few anti-static bags had beads of water trapped inside. A student who came in to pick up his laptop asked, a little nervously, "Was my computer in that room too? Is it going to smell?"

That night Ek sat down and made a list of more than twenty customer devices still waiting for repair. He wanted the smell gone and the parts room free of mold as quickly as possible. A friend suggested ozone treatment. But as an IT technician he knew that ozone, rubber, some plastics and electronics need to be handled carefully together. The question was how to get the room clean without causing even more damage to everything in the shop.

Why a Computer Repair Shop Is at Greater Risk Than an Ordinary Shop

1. Humidity is the enemy of circuit boards. In a room that is still damp, oxide films form easily on chip legs and contact surfaces. A part that looks fine from the outside may behave unreliably once it is installed in a customer's machine, and that turns into a warranty return the shop has to deal with. The longer parts sit in humid air, the higher the chance of these hidden problems.

2. The parts room is a sealed space. Most IT shops keep the storeroom window shut because of dust and the risk of theft. The air does not move, the humidity stays high, and mold spores multiply quickly on plywood, cardboard and walls that were under water. A storeroom that was a sensible design choice in normal times becomes an incubator after a flood.

3. Customer trust. Customers leave devices that hold important information with the shop. If they walk in and smell must or see mold on the shelves, that trust disappears on the spot, and they may never come back. In a neighborhood with many repair shops close together, reputation is everything.

4. The health of technicians who sit there all day. Floodwater carries whatever was in the drains, including bacteria that cause diarrhea and the organisms linked to leptospirosis. Technicians who bend over a bench near damp shelving for hours each day also risk breathing in mold spores, which can lead to allergy symptoms, coughing, sneezing or a blocked nose.

5. Money tied up in stock. Computer parts are valuable item by item. If the room stays damp, the parts that survived the water may slowly deteriorate too, and the capital tied up in that stock quietly drains away without anyone noticing until a part fails.

What Many IT Shops Try That Does Not Work

• Running fans in the parts room all night: Surfaces do dry faster, but plywood that has soaked up water stays wet inside, and the airflow blows mold spores around so they settle on boxes of parts that were still clean.
• Spraying air freshener: It hides the smell for a few hours, does not kill mold, and some fragrance mists leave a film on part contacts.
• Wiping the shelves down with bleach: The fumes are harsh in a closed room, bleach encourages rust on the metal surfaces of parts, and it should not be used near circuit boards.
• Painting over moldy walls: Fresh paint hides the marks for a while, but if the wall is still damp, mold pushes back through within a few weeks.
• Running ozone through the whole shop without moving anything: Ozone is an oxidizer. At high concentrations it can speed up the aging of keyboards with rubber domes, cables, rubber seals and sensitive electronics. Equipment must always be moved out or fully covered first.

Before You Call the Team: Sort the Shop into Five Groups

Wear gloves, a mask and boots while you work. Have an electrician check the wiring before you switch the breakers back on, and do not plug in anything that was under water. Then sort everything as follows.

• Customer devices waiting for repair: Move all of them out of the rooms that will be treated and keep them somewhere dry that can be locked. Make a list of which devices were exposed to water and tell customers honestly. Anything to do with the data on those devices is a matter for the technician and the owner, not part of the disinfection process.
• Parts that never touched water: Memory, hard drives, SSDs and boxed items from the upper shelves. Move them out and store them in plastic boxes with lids and fresh moisture absorbers.
• Parts that were submerged: Keep them apart and have a technician assess them one by one. Anything not worth repairing should be disposed of through proper electronic waste channels.
• Lithium batteries: Laptop batteries or power banks that got wet, have swollen or smell odd should be placed in a non-flammable container away from anything combustible and taken to an appropriate collection point. Never charge them.
• Items to discard: Softened cardboard boxes, swollen and moldy plywood shelving, foam chair cushions that absorbed water, and door mats.

The anti-static rubber mat on the bench, test keyboards and spare cables should leave the room with the equipment, because they are rubber and plastic items that should not be in the room during ozone treatment.

The Solution: WHD Disinfection and Ozone Treatment for IT Shops

Once the rooms are clear of equipment, the floors, walls, metal shelving, counter and technician's bench need to be restored so the shop is ready for customers again. World Health Disinfection (WHD) combines two main steps.

Disinfection service using CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant through an ultra-low-volume (ULV) fogger. The very fine droplets reach room corners, under the counter, behind the shelving and into the joints of walls that were under water, helping to reduce floodwater germs on surfaces. Fogging is done only after the electronics have left the room.

Ozone treatment service. Ozone spreads through the closed parts room, helping to deal with mold spores in the air and on surfaces, and it breaks down musty odor molecules instead of masking them. The team uses a Master Ozone Generator, controlling dose and duration to suit the room size.

How the Work Is Done

1. Site survey: The team looks at the shop front, technician's bench, parts room, mezzanine, areas where mold has appeared and the condition of the air conditioner.
2. Preparation check: The team confirms that customer devices, parts, the shop's own computers, printers and rubber items have been moved out. Anything that cannot be moved, such as a network rack or a wall-mounted screen, must be switched off and fully covered with plastic sheeting.
3. Disinfection fogging: Fine mist is applied through the empty room, covering floors, walls, metal shelving, the counter and the bench.
4. Ozone shock treatment: The room is sealed with no people, pets or plants inside, and time and concentration are controlled.
5. Ventilation: Doors and exhaust fans are opened until the ozone has broken down back into oxygen, before new shelving and parts are brought back in.
6. Re-check: The team checks for smell and damp again and gives advice on storing parts over the long term.

Ozone safety: No people, pets or plants may be in the room during treatment, and the room must be ventilated until the ozone smell is gone before anyone goes back in. In an IT shop, electronics, customer devices, parts and rubber items must be moved out or fully covered as the team advises, and the team uses a controlled ozone dose.

10 Reasons a Computer Repair Shop Should Restore Its Parts Room Properly

1. The musty smell really goes: Ozone treatment breaks down odor molecules rather than covering them up.
2. Fewer spores on shelves and walls: Parts that come back into the room are less likely to meet mold.
3. Cleaner surfaces: The check-in counter and bench have been through disinfection fogging, reducing floodwater germs.
4. Safe for equipment: Work starts only after equipment is moved or covered, and ozone is used at a controlled dose.
5. Reaches places a cloth cannot: Behind tall shelving, under the counter and the ceiling corners above the mezzanine.
6. Technicians breathe easier: A room with fewer spores helps reduce coughing and congestion during long working days.
7. Customers feel confident leaving devices: A clean, odor-free shop builds trust from the moment they reach the counter.
8. A disinfectant suited to the job: CHEMGENE HLD4H does not have the harsh fumes of bleach, and there is a spray version for wiping the counter each day.
9. Reopen on schedule: A clear process lets you know in advance when parts can go back into the room.
10. Ongoing advice: If the smell or damp returns, contact the team by LINE or phone.

Before and After Restoring the Shop

Setting Up the Parts Room So Mold Does Not Come Back

• Use metal shelving instead of plywood: Raise the lowest shelf well off the floor in case water comes in again.
• Store parts in lidded plastic boxes: Add moisture absorbers, replace them on a schedule, and label each box with the date they were changed.
• Put a hygrometer in the room: Mount it in the parts room so you know as soon as humidity climbs above normal.
• Clean the air conditioner filters: A clean unit helps control humidity and does not spread spores.
• Keep boxes away from the walls: Leave a gap so air can circulate behind the shelving.
• Wipe the counter every day: Use disinfectant spray as directed on the label, without spraying directly onto any device.
• Watch the walls after heavy rain: If you see new damp patches, deal with the cause before mold spreads.

If the shop has a waiting sofa or upholstered chairs for customers, the dust mite removal service can be added. You can also read more about ozone odor and chemical residue removal.

A Step-by-Step Reopening Plan

A small repair shop usually has one or two people doing everything, so a written plan helps keep the recovery on track while you also answer calls from worried customers.

Days 1 to 2, safety and rescue. Have the electrics checked. Move customer devices and good parts to a dry place. Separate any batteries that were exposed to water. Photograph the damage for your records and for any insurance or assistance claims, and call every customer who has a device waiting for repair.

Days 3 to 5, clearing and discarding. Take down the moldy plywood shelving, throw away cardboard and cushions that soaked up water, wash mud off the floor and the lower walls, and leave the door open during the day so the room can start to dry.

Days 6 to 7, room treatment. With the room empty, the WHD team carries out disinfection fogging and ozone treatment, followed by full ventilation.

Day 8 onward, bring things back in order. Install the metal shelving first, then the boxes of parts, and only then return customer devices to the shop. Start taking new repair jobs once the room has no smell and the walls show no new damp.

Having a plan like this also gives you a clear answer when regular customers call to ask when the shop will be open again and when their machine will be ready.

Looking After Customer Devices and Trust During the Recovery

For a repair shop, the devices customers leave behind are not just objects. They are laptops holding a student's thesis, a shop's accounts or a family's photos. How you handle them during the flood recovery matters as much as how clean the shop is when you reopen.

Keep a clear record. For every device in the queue, write down where it was during the flood, whether it was exposed to water, where it is stored now and what the customer has been told. A simple spreadsheet or notebook is enough. When a customer calls, you can answer in seconds instead of searching shelves.

Store devices somewhere dry and secure. A locked upstairs room or a relative's house that did not flood is better than a corner of the same damp ground floor. Keep laptops closed, place them flat rather than stacked high, and do not leave them in a car where heat and humidity build up quickly.

Be honest about water exposure. If a device was in the room when the water came in, tell the owner. Let the technician assess it before anyone tries to power it on. Customers usually respond far better to straightforward information than to discovering a problem later.

Keep devices out of the treatment area. Customer machines should never be in the room during disinfection fogging or ozone treatment. They return only after ventilation is complete and the room smells fresh. If a customer asks whether their laptop was "ozoned," you can confidently say no, it was kept safely elsewhere while the room was treated.

These steps take a little time, but they protect your reputation. In a busy area like Rangsit, where students and office workers have plenty of choice, a shop that handled the flood calmly and openly is the one people recommend to their friends.

What About the Network Rack, CCTV and Fixed Equipment?

Not everything in an IT shop can be carried out of the room. Many shops have a small network rack with a router and switch, a CCTV recorder, a wall-mounted display, or a ceiling projector used to show customers what is wrong with their machine. These need a clear plan before treatment begins.

Switch off and isolate. Fixed equipment should be powered down before the team starts. If the CCTV recorder needs to keep running for security, discuss with the team whether it can be moved temporarily to another room, or whether the treatment area can be arranged to exclude it.

Cover completely. Anything that stays in place is wrapped fully in plastic sheeting and taped closed, including ventilation openings. The aim is to keep both the disinfectant mist and the ozone away from the electronics.

Check cables and sockets. Floor-level cable trays, extension leads and power strips that were under water should be inspected by an electrician and replaced if needed before the shop is powered up again. A damp power strip under the bench is a common and avoidable hazard.

Uncover only after ventilation. Once the room has been ventilated and the ozone smell is gone, the coverings come off and the equipment can be switched back on, ideally one item at a time so any fault is easy to spot.

Customer Voice (Example Scenario)

"Because I'm an IT technician, ozone and equipment was the thing I worried about most. The team had me move every customer device and all the parts out first. The rack we couldn't move was switched off and wrapped in plastic. Only then did they disinfect and treat the room. Now when I open the parts room there's no musty smell, and customers have stopped asking about it."

— Ek, computer repair shop owner, Rangsit, Thanyaburi (example scenario from the field)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can ozone be used in an IT shop that is full of electronics?
A: Yes, once the equipment has been moved out, or switched off and fully covered. The team uses a controlled ozone dose and never treats customer devices directly.

Q: Can ozone repair a device that got wet?
A: No. A device that was submerged needs a technician to open it and clean the boards using proper repair methods. The WHD service looks after rooms and surfaces, not equipment repair.

Q: Will the disinfectant get on the parts?
A: The team fogs a room that has already been cleared of equipment and parts, and the surfaces are left to dry before anything goes back in.

Q: How long will the shop need to close?
A: It depends on the size of the shop and how damp it is. The team gives an estimate during the survey and plans for ventilation to be complete before equipment comes back.

Q: Can moldy plywood shelving be kept after ozone treatment?
A: If the plywood has swollen or the mold has soaked deep into the wood, it is better to remove it and switch to metal shelving. Ozone helps with odor and spores in the room, but it does not make damaged wood strong again.

Q: The mezzanine stayed dry. Does it need treatment?
A: Not always. If it smells fresh and the walls are dry, regular cleaning may be enough. Humidity rises through the whole building after a flood, though, so if you notice a musty smell or condensation up there, mention it during the survey.

Q: Which areas do you cover?
A: Thanyaburi, Rangsit, Khlong Luang, Lam Luk Ka, Mueang Pathum Thani and nearby areas. Ask about available dates by phone or LINE.

Get Your Repair Shop Ready to Take Customer Devices Again

Serving Thanyaburi, Rangsit and the whole of Pathum Thani Province

Book Ozone Treatment - Click Here

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Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · Email worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Articles and Links

• Residential ozone disinfection
• Master Ozone Generator
• All articles
• External source: WHO: Floods and health and Department of Disease Control, Thailand

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