Fitted Wardrobes Care Guide

Opening your wardrobe should be an effortless moment in your morning. Instead, many of us start the day facing a 'floordrobe' and a sudden wave of stress.

A well-ordered space resets your focus and brings harmony to your bedroom. Caring for your fitted bedroom furniture is the simplest way to keep that sense of calm.

Use this guide to protect your clothes and turn your storage back into a space that works for you.

Everyday wardrobe care tips

Opening your wardrobe to find mountains of piled outfits or musty smells can be seriously deflating.

Those looming layers of laundry could be harming your clothes and the wardrobe itself. But staying on top of things is easy enough if you bake a few quick checks into your routine.

Prevent damp in your wardrobes

Damp in wardrobes is usually caused by condensation or putting clothes away before they are fully dry. The still, dark conditions inside can make it the ideal breeding ground for mould.

A lack of air circulation can also be to blame, as wardrobes are most often closed. Leave your sliding wardrobe doors open now and then to allow air to flow through and prevent stale odours from building up.

Cedar hangers are another great solution as they absorb moisture and pass a pleasant woody aroma to your clothes, too. The scent also helps to ward off a wardrobe's biggest pest...

Banish moths for good 

Adult moths are attracted to our clothes if they carry smells of perspiration and moisture, then their larvae eat natural fibres like wool, silk and cotton. Be careful when storing clothes that have been worn. Try airing them outside your wardrobe before storing – or wash them more regularly.

A tightly packed wardrobe gives the larvae opportunities to feast on more items, so space your clothes and deep clean shelves every so often to disturb their potential feeding ground.

Cedar hangers or blocks smell great to most human noses, but moths find them rather repellent. Lavender, citrus and mint are more soothing scents that can keep moths away while making your wardrobe smell dreamy.

Dust-busting wardrobe tips 

Like any part of the home, wardrobes can gather dust over time. If you're cleaning elsewhere in your home, turn the duster onto your wardrobe and use the nozzle on your vacuum cleaner to remove as much dust as possible. Interior wardrobe shelves and handles are the biggest culprits.

Fitted wardrobes give dust fewer places to settle as there's no gap to the ceiling. Removing clutter from the bottom of your wardrobe makes it easier to sweep or vacuum the space where dust normally gathers.

Also consider clothing bags for items like suits and formal dresses that you may wear more infrequently, so they don't gather dust between wears.

Our eight-step guide to cleaning your wardrobe

Sometimes wardrobe care goes beyond your regular habits and requires a total reset. It might be part of a general spring clean or time to reorganise your entire collection. Here's how to methodically approach it for the best results.

1. Set the intention: Is ruthlessness or reorganisation the order of the day? Mental preparation is key for a task that can take you several hours. Pick a positive playlist, surround yourself with snacks and set aside enough time to keep the momentum going.
2. Gather supplies: A duster, cleaning spray, glass cleaner, lint roller, vacuum cleaner and microfibre cloths will help you make things spick and span. You might also want boxes or bags to help with step 3...
3. The full reveal: Emptying your wardrobe is the perfect time to declutter and organise everything. Keep, donate, sell is a neat breakdown. Go with whatever works for you, but honesty is the key to this process. If it doesn't fit your body or your lifestyle, it can go.
4. Clean the interior: Dust and vacuum right into the corners to make sure surfaces are completely clear. Use specific products for natural wood surfaces. Laminates and plastics will cope fine with all-purpose products.
5. Doors and handles: Use glass cleaner in small sections of mirrored doors so as not to cover other areas in the solution. Microfibre cloths hold the key to a fine finish on glass and glossy doors, as they leave a streak-free finish.
6. Sliding wardrobes: Pay extra attention to the door tracks if you have a sliding wardrobe. Vacuum them and be careful with sprays, as residual water could lead to rust. Think about removing drawers for easier access.
7. Archive by season: Are you working with a smaller wardrobe? It can be overwhelming to see everything spilling out of your wardrobe. Vacuum bags or under-bed storage are great for keeping chunky knits and big coats stored safely while summer shines.
8. Put the clothes back: Be mindful of this, and you can set up a wardrobe that stays organised and protects your clothes at the same time. Give every item a designated home and make sure you stick to these rules.

Folding hacks to maximise wardrobe space

While hangers are ideal for silks and tailoring, clever folding techniques can double your storage capacity for everyday items. Mastering a few uniform folds ensures that every time you open your wardrobe, you're met with a boutique-level display rather than a mountain of fabric.

• The t-shirt fold: Instead of stacking t-shirts on top of one another, fold them into small, sturdy rectangles and stand them upright like files in a drawer. This allows you to see every item at a glance, preventing you from digging and creating new creases in the rest of your collection.
• The knitwear roll: Gravity can stretch the shoulders of heavy jumpers and ruin the shape. Instead, fold the sleeves inward and the whole thing in half before rolling it up. This is easier than folding chunky items and avoids creating a toppling tower on your shelf.
• The jean pocket tuck: Keep your denim stack from toppling over by folding your jeans in half lengthwise, then into thirds. Tucking the hem into the waistband creates a secure package that stays neat even if you're reaching for the pair at the bottom of the pile.
• The shirt space-saver: Hold onto more hangers with this one. Button the shirt to the top, lay it face down, and fold the sleeves into the centre to create a long rectangle. Fold the sleeves up to the collar, then bring the rest of the garment up in thirds to create a crisp, flat square that resists wrinkling.

 

Speak to us to see what's possible in your space

Have you cleaned and reorganised, but things still aren't quite right with your wardrobe? Freestanding units can limit your options and don't maximise the storage potential on offer, whereas fitted furniture opens up a world of innovative solutions.

A free design visit from our experts can help you discover what's possible – and we specialise in making the most of awkward spaces, too. Together, we can create a stylish wardrobe that provides the space to care for your clothes, not just store them.