The essence of wardrobe care in the rain

- Prevent things from getting worse due to moisture

The salty air of Mumbai becomes more humid in the rains and this air is such that it can damage the expensive wardrobe of the people. Mumbai's four-month-long monsoon is often a headache for saving certain items. Silverfish, worms, crickets, fungi - all of these can damage goods. But with a little care, many things can be saved by getting wet in the rain.

Leather shoes and bags can be packed with silica gel to protect them. If your closet is open from the inside, that is, if all the clothes are left open on the inside, a plastic bag can be taken to store it. A little expensive, anti-fungus and anti-moisture bag can be purchased to save the precious item if needed. It looks like a blue felt and can hold 15 to 20 hangers at a time. Also, even if everything stays in the air-conditioned environment, it does not feel damp quickly. The only way to prevent things from going bad is to keep them dry. However, in a humid city like Mumbai, not only the monsoon, things have to be protected from moisture all year round.

Another easy way to save a wardrobe is to keep things in a ventilated wardrobe. For that, wicker mesh can be used for closet doors. It does not cause odor or fungus. Keeping a low voltage bulb burning inside the closet also prevents moisture from getting inside due to the heat generated due to it and clothes can stay dry.

Many people choose clothes that do not have the problem of keeping them dry. Clothing such as cotton and thin denim can be easily washed as it is pure and airtight. And it dries quickly. Leaving the clothes in the open air for a while also keeps them dry. Starching cotton keeps it stiff. Keeping naphthalene tablets with different fruit scents in the closet does not cause worms and keeps the smell coming.

As a simple solution, pillows, saris, old sheets and fabrics should be warmed only before the monsoon days whenever it is hot. So the fear of getting white moths in it goes away. During the summer, keep the wardrobe open for two to three days so that it stays dry with good ventilation.

Jewelry needs to be taken care of as well as clothes, handbags and shoes. Silver and costume jewelery in particular oxidize due to salty air and turn black. Body perspiration and moisture can also cause skin rashes or infections due to the chemical processing of silver jewelry. Applying colorless nail polish on silver jewelry does not darken it and does not affect the skin.

Silver jewelry can be washed with detergent in slightly warm water. Also only wash metal jewelry this way. If there is a stone in it, do not make the mistake of cleaning it with detergent as caustic soda cannot say what effect it has on the stone. So rubbing dry tooth powder on jewelry without water can remove the blackness on the jewelry.

Always keep precious metals and stones in a dry environment. A portable dehumidifier can be purchased at little cost. Otherwise it can be cleaned, dried and stored with a soft muslin cloth.

Here are some simple tips to stay away from monsoon moisture:

* Grind dried neem leaves into small bags. Keeping it on clothes keeps it dry.

* Dry tobacco leaves absorb moisture naturally. Sprinkle them on things or fold them with clothes. Add a few dried rose petals and a couple of drops of lavender oil as the tobacco leaves smell strong. Saving your carpet this way during the rain won’t make it worse. Dried neem leaves can also be rubbed on the carpet.

* Instead of throwing away the old pleasant garland, crushing it on the bed does not cause pests and it also smells good.

* Keeping camphor tablets in the house till it is done absorbs moisture in the atmosphere.

- Nayana