You open the owner cabin wardrobe at the start of a Caribbean season and find last winter cashmere still in its dry-cleaning bag, a faint musty smell, and two small holes in a navy sleeve. That is three separate storage failures, and every one of them was preventable.
Hanging
| Hanger | Use for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Broad, shaped wooden | Jackets, coats, suits | Supports the shoulder; prevents the dreaded hanger bump |
| Trouser bar / clamp | Trousers, skirts | Hang from the hem or clamp at the waistband; no crease bar across the knee |
| Padded | Silk, fine dresses, lingerie | Prevents shoulder marks and slippage |
| Wire | Nothing | Distorts shoulders, rusts, stains |
- Leave 2-3 cm of air between garments. A packed rail cannot breathe, holds creases and grows mildew.
- Face all garments the same way, buttoned or zipped at the top only, to keep the line.
- Never hang knitwear. Cashmere and heavy knits stretch under their own weight. Fold them.
Folding
- Fold knitwear at the seams: arms back, then in half or thirds. Interleave acid-free tissue on delicate pieces.
- Fold, do not hang, beaded or heavily embellished gowns for long storage: their own weight tears the beadwork off the base cloth. For short periods, hang them and support the weight.
- Shirts: fold to a consistent size, or hang, according to the guest profile.
Moth
Moth larvae eat protein fibres: wool, cashmere, silk, fur, feathers. They are attracted to soiling, sweat and food residue, not to clean cloth.
- Clean before storage. Always. A garment stored dirty is a garment fed to moths.
- Use cedar blocks or rings, or lavender sachets, in the wardrobe. Sand cedar lightly to refresh the oil; it repels, it does not kill.
- Do not put naphthalene mothballs near a guest's clothes: the smell is persistent, unpleasant and hard to remove.
- Inspect seams, cuffs and under collars for larvae casings and fine webbing. Escalate an infestation immediately: it will spread through the whole wardrobe.
Humidity and ventilation
- The wardrobe is a damp box in a humid, salt environment. Aim for stable, ventilated, dry.
- Use breathable cotton garment bags for long-term protection. Never leave garments in plastic dry-cleaning bags: they trap moisture and solvent, yellow silk and promote mildew.
- Silica or a small dehumidifier in a locker is useful; check and dry it out on a schedule.
- Shoes and leather go in ventilated storage, not sealed boxes.
Onboard Notes
- Never seal a garment in plastic, and never store a garment that has been worn but not cleaned.
- Leave a wardrobe door slightly ajar in port if you can; still, warm, damp air is what mildew wants.
- Fur, shearling and feather need cool, dark, breathable storage. If a guest travels with fur, ask for their instruction rather than improvising.
- Report holes, casings or a musty smell to the chief steward(ess) the day you find them. A quiet moth problem becomes an expensive one.