The Wardrobe Armoury

You may have spent many years collecting the ultimate clothing collection that you adore. Until one day you have noticed a small hole in your favourite cashmere coat or your favourite beaded gown has faded. I have devised a list of  "wardrobe enemies" and given you my top advise on just how to prevent them and in the worst case scenario, cure them.

THE ENEMY 

• Moths (can munch their way through several thousand pounds’ worth of cashmere in a summer)
  
• Woolly bears (wiggly tracks down your woollen coat)
  
• Silverfish
  
• Carpet beetle
  
• Dust
  
• Sunlight
  
• Damp
  
• Plastic
  
• Wool pills
  

PREVENTION

• Use cedar wood and southern wood (moths hate it)
  
• If you have ventilation holes in your wardrobe, cover them on the inside with mesh – old-fashioned wardrobes had louvred slats
  
• Use lavender, herbs and spices (ask at a health shop, where they may recommend such things as vetifer, cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmet, mugwort, rosemary, thyme and camomile flowers)
  
• For pills, buy a de-bobbler or a de-fuzzer
  

CURE

• Look out for the new generation of organic insect repellents.
• There’s also a sexy moth trap, which dispenses pheremones called tineola bisselliella, and kills off randy moths. Shop yours at www.totalwardrobecare.co.uk.

MAINTENANCE

• Twice a year, at the turn of the season, air your wardrobe and sprinkle it with essential oils such as garderobe (literally ‘clothes protector’ in French) or southern wood.
  
• Avoid damp at all costs (which makes clothes smell) by flat drying woollens (you can buy a net framework to stretch across the bath) or hanging them up on hangers if they’re light.