Wardrobe carcass
Wipe surfaces with a slightly damp cloth and dry them straight away. Make sure there are no leaks or constant damp nearby.
Care
Care and upkeep
Wardrobes and shelves last a long time if you keep an eye on them. Loose hinges, sticking drawers and a musty smell in the wardrobe rarely appear overnight; they build up over months. Brief, regular care prevents most of these small faults.
A creaking door is not the wardrobe's personality — it is a request to tighten a screw.
How this section works: we give general advice on caring for storage furniture. Check cleaning products and how to adjust fittings in the furniture manufacturer's instructions.
Care part by part
What to look out for to keep storage furniture working properly.
Door hinges
If a door sags or will not close, tighten and adjust the hinges with a screwdriver as instructed. Do not wait until the screw tears out of the panel.
Drawer runners
Clean off dust and crumbs and do not overload the drawers. If a drawer is stiff, check whether it is misaligned or something is in the way at the back.
Shelves
Check from time to time whether they are sagging and whether the supports are holding firmly. Move heavy items lower.
Wall anchoring
Once a season, check that tall wardrobes and shelving units are still securely anchored. After a move or rearranging, fix them to the wall again.
Boxes and containers
Go through the contents and update the labels. Cardboard does not like damp, so plastic is better in a cellar or on a balcony.
Humidity and ventilation
- Do not put damp or not fully dried things into a wardrobe — that is where a musty smell begins.
- Leave the doors of the walk-in wardrobe and cupboards open now and then so the air can refresh.
- Do not push a wardrobe right up against a cold external wall: condensation can build up behind it.
- Clean and fully dry seasonal items before storing them.
- If mould spots appear in a wardrobe, deal with the cause of the damp, not just the result.
- Put shoes away once they have dried, not straight from outdoors.
Read next
- How-to
How to put up a shelf without hitting hidden wiring, and how to declutter without regrets or exhaustion.
- Tools
What helps with tidying and simple installation: spirit level, tape measure, wire detector, boxes — no brands.
- Materials
Open and closed storage, drawers, baskets, hooks and shelves: what suits what. The article catalogue is here too.
What we rely on
- Furniture and fixings manufacturers' instructions
- 78Online editorial materials
Our advice is kept general and is based on furniture and fixings manufacturers' instructions and on common household safety rules. Always check the fixing method, permitted load and the right wall plug for your wall in the instructions for the specific product, and leave complex installation to a professional.