how do you clean the carved wood on these?

Use a soft bristle brush to lift dry dust out of the crevices first. A damp cloth just pushes dirt further into the grain. Once dusted, apply a light coat of clear beeswax. Buff it off after fifteen minutes to restore the surface.

i bought a large wardrobe and my stairs are really narrow so i need to know if the base section comes apart at all?

The plinth base is usually a single solid frame. While the cornice lifts off and the central sections divide, the base itself rarely breaks down any further. This provided a rigid foundation to keep the heavy doors swinging true. Check the corners of the base for exposed screw heads. Sometimes a country maker would screw the plinth sides to the front, allowing it to dismantle, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

what are the wooden sliding trays for?

These trays held flat folded linen and delicate fabrics. Stacking clothes in deep drawers often crushed the items at the bottom. Cabinet makers provided shallow sliding trays to keep things accessible and crisp. They slide out on wooden runners screwed into the side of the carcase. This allows you to view the whole stack of clothing without reaching into a dark cupboard. Many people remove them today to fit modern hanging rails. Finding an example with its trays still intact means it survived without major modern alterations.

there is a weird smell inside my old wardrobe that gets onto my clothes, is there a way to stop it smelling like that?

Old cupboards absorb decades of damp air and dust into their unpolished interior timber. The bare pine carcase acts like a sponge for household smells over the centuries. Start by leaving the doors wide open in a dry room for a week to let the trapped air circulate. Wipe the interior down with a weak solution of white vinegar and water. Let it dry thoroughly. If the smell persists, paint shellac sanding sealer over the bare internal wood. This clear coat creates a barrier between the old timber and your clothing.

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Antique Victorian Wardrobes

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Antique Victorian wardrobes are substantial freestanding cupboards built during the nineteenth century to store clothing, typically featuring hanging space alongside fitted drawers and breaking down into sections to negotiate narrow staircases.