Clean, hoover, prep and maintain your wardrobes!
Welcome to our 3 part ultimate wardrobe maintenance guide!
Now and then everything needs a bit of TLC.
And your furniture is no different.
So if you’ve bought some high quality, but cheap wardrobes from us, and you want to keep them in good condition and hope they last a long time, then follow this guide.
Detailed but short and conscious, this guide will help you maintain your cupboards in the best possible way.
What will we cover in our wardrobe maintenance guide:
Part 1:
- How to get started.
- Preparing your wardrobe
- Materials and equipment needed
Part 2:
- How to deep clean your wardrobe and cupboards
Part 3:
- How to ensure your wardrobes last a long time
In the first part of this guide we will go over the importance of totally emptying your wardrobe and giving it a deep clean every few months.
Not only cleaning but we will also be checking for any loose hinges, handles, doorknobs or shelves.
The second part is a step by step instructions on how to give your wardrobe a deep and lasting clean.
From top to bottom. Dust, wipe, hoover; the full shebang.
The last part will be about how to reduce the effects of wear and tear on your cupboards to help it last longer.
Ready? ….. Let’s start!
Part 1: Empty the wardrobe
1. The first thing to do is to empty the entire wardrobe.
Yes, as evident as it sounds, you won’t be able to reach all the nooks and crannies to clean or maintain the wardrobe while it still has all your stuff in it.
Take out everything that is being held and stored in the wardrobes. All clothes, hangers, socks, accessories and everything else you have managed to cram inside it.
Remove all items from shelves to clean it thoroughly.
In fact, if you have drawers too, carefully take them.
Just make sure it is empty before we start any fixing, adjustments or cleaning.
2. Once you have done this, check for any loose fittings.
Check if the door hinges are tight. Grab a screwdriver and tighten each screw on the hinge.
If you have removed the shelves and have small little metal fittings that hold up the shelves from underneath, make sure they are still tight into their holes, and none are missing.
Replace any that are missing or have bowed or cracked.
Some wardrobes have shelves which are screwed in from the outside of the wardrobe. Remove the screw caps and check if they are tight.
If not then replace them with slightly longer or thicker screws. Make sure you screw them correctly though, you don’t want the screw to pierce through the shelf!
3. Are the handles and knobs on the doors and shelves firm?
Most of them have screws on the rear end of the handlers, which usually is the inside of the door or drawer.
Locate them and tighten them, if you have to, replace the screws or the handle and knobs themselves.
4. Hanging rails – Now hanging rails come in many different types in wardrobes including metal, plastic and wooden.
Some hanging rails are screwed into the inner side of the wardrobes. These screws are visible from the inside of the cupboards. Check if these are still tight.
Some are screwed in from the outside if so, remove the screw covers and tighten them.
Many hardwood wardrobes have shelves that are resting on carved out niches in the side panels of the wardrobes.
These are excellent for long term longevity. Just make sure that there are no cracks on the edges and nothing has chipped away.
If you do come across any cracks, just add some wood putty to strengthen them and any chipped areas.
5. Check for any loose legs or lower base support panels.
The support panels help to keep the wardrobes sturdy and to prevent warping. So it is essential to ensure that they are firm.
If they have loosened or moved out of place straighten them and tighten the screws in.
Some wardrobes have soft small rubber legs at the bottom. These also need to be checked for tightness.
If the need arises, replace the legs or support panels.
Once you’ve tightened what you have to move on to number 6.
6. Spray the hinges, screws and any other metal fittings with WD40.
Using WD40 or similar products to oil your metal fittings will help them remain buoyant and easy to maintain
OK so now we have completed the repairs …. Let’s get on with some cleaning
Part 2 – Cleaning your wardrobe
1. Get the duster out and dust everything. And I mean everything, all the shelves, hanging rails, drawers, wardrobe base everything.
Don’t forget the handles, doorknobs, the top of the door frames, in and the outer door panels too.
Yes, everything means lock stock and barrel!
2. Now, Get the hoover out and hoover up all corners and angles.
All shelves, drawers, corners and anywhere else you can stick the hoover.
Hoover the base, in between the doors, the top of the shelves, the hinges, hoover everywhere!!!!
3. Wipe everything down from top to bottom.
Use a damp cloth or a specialist furniture cleaning spray and wipe it all down. Furniture polish will also do.
Wipe the base, the inner sides of the wardrobes, the inbuilt shelves and the cupboards. Everything should be wiped.
If you have hanging rails, then wipe them too.
Don’t’ forget to include the doors in your wiping. Wipe them thoroughly; inside and out, make sure you don’t miss the top and bottom edges.
Make sure you clean the top of the cupboard where dust will gather the most.
This will help you keep the dust off and prevent storing of dust, and could help keep away dust mites etc.
For MDF wardrobes, do not use wet cloths, Use special cleaning sprays to wipe them down.
4. Mirrored wardrobes– Wipe down the whole door inside and out. Keep the mirror clean with a glass/mirror spray or use an eco-cloth.
Once you have completed the wiping, leave the doors open and let it air for a short time.
Once that’s done, we can move on to part 3.
Part 3 How to reduce the effect of wear and tear.
The final part is about how to reduce the effects of wear and tear on your wardrobes and cupboards.
Now I’m sure you have heard of the saying “prevention is better than cure”, and yes it regards personal health; however, you can use this for everything in life, including furniture.
If you can keep your furniture in good condition, then it will last longer, remain in better health and save you money in the long term.
So here is a quick list of how to keep our furniture in good condition and reduce the effect of wear and tear where possible.
Let’s start with:
1. Hanging rails
Don’t overburden the hanging rails with heavy clothes.
Make sure you limit how many items you hang on it. Yes, a good wardrobe can take a lot of weight, but even then be careful and sensible.
With plastic rails, you might see them bow after some time. If possible, replace them to keep the life of the wardrobe extended.
2. Door hinges
With constant use, all hinges become loose at some stage, but if you keep them oiled, or spray them with WD40 or something similar, it will keep them buoyant and last longer.
Also, grab a screwdriver and check they haven’t become loose. If so, tighten them and if needed, change the screws.
If you need to, replace the whole hinge, this will help extend the life of your cheap cupboard.
3. Shelf care
Another thing not to overburden with too many heavy items are your inbuilt shelves.
Even though cupboards are incredibly versatile to keep in mind, their ultimate purpose is to store clothes and not bulky electric goods or other household items!
Check if any of the shelves have bowed. If so and the can be removed then turn to take them out, turn them upside down, so the bow is now on top and put them back, this should increase your shelves life.
If they have cracked or are beyond being re-used, measure the exact size and replace them.
You can buy like for like shelves from manufacturers, or you could buy it from your local DIY shop and paint them the same colour or any other colour you want.
4. Drawers
Keep drawers in good condition by ensuring the runners are well looked after.
Once again Wd40 will be your saviour.
Don’t overburden the drawers with heavy items, and be sensible in the way you store your items.
Help handles last longer by making sure you don’t pull on the doors or drawers.
Keep your handles clean through wiping and as soon as you feel they are becoming loose, tighten them to prevent them from pulling off.
If need be, replace them with like for like for something similar.
5. Repaint
If you think the effect of wear and tear has taken its toll on the aesthetics of your wardrobe and you want to change the look of it, then you can paint it.
If your wardrobe is a wooden one then give it a light sand first, make sure the surface lacquer, paint or varnish has come off. Make sure you have a smooth surface and then repaint it.
Give it a couple of coats to ensure your new colour comes out perfect.
If you want to paint an MDF wardrobe, then make sure you use an MDF primer or sealer before repainting.
MDF can be hard to paint over so make sure you get professional advice before attempting to redecorate your MDF wardrobes!
Finally, you’re finished!
How often should I deep clean my cupboard?
Now dusting and hoovering the inside of our cupboard can be done a few times a year. This will help keep everything in good order, and also prevent your clothes from unwanted smells and dust mites which could build up in the wardrobes.
Checking the fixtures and fittings could be done a couple of times a year to ensure the wardrobes is in good nick.
We hope this guide will help you look after your wardrobes and furniture better.
If you are after some new cheap wardrobes or other home furniture, please check out our vast ranges.
Further reading:
Why you need a corner cupboard?
Looking to buy cheap wardrobes? Then check out our Ultimate guide on cupboards and wardrobes!
Ready to buy? Then check out our fantastic range of cheap wardrobes and cupboards. For more guides tips and hints, check out our full collection of furniture articles.
