A cupboard dehumidifier keeps a wardrobe, a linen cupboard or a shoe rack dry enough that clothes do not turn musty. The choices are hanging moisture bags, small tubs, reusable silica units that you dry out and use again, and small electric cupboard dryers. Which one suits you depends on how damp the cupboard is and why. Tell us what you need, and we pass your request to independent suppliers who quote you directly.
Why cupboards go musty
A built-in cupboard on a cold outside wall is a common culprit. The back of the cupboard is cold, warm room air gets in whenever the door opens, cools against the wall and leaves its moisture behind. Clothes packed tightly, damp washing put away too soon and shoes worn wet make it worse.
Musty clothes, speckled leather and a smell in the linen are early signs. Leave a few centimetres between clothes and the back wall, and open the doors on dry days. Rental flats and holiday homes that stand closed for weeks are the worst, because nothing moves the air at all. A bag left in each cupboard, and doors opened a hand's width when you are away, often keeps the smell down until you return.
Bags, tubs, reusable units and small dryers
Each type has a place:
- Hanging bags of calcium chloride crystals fit a rail and need no power; see moisture absorbers for how they work.
- Small tubs stand on a shelf and hold more crystals than a bag.
- Reusable silica units change colour when full and can be dried out again; see silica gel and desiccant packs.
- Small electric dryers use a Peltier or a heating element, plug into the wall and can be left running in a larger wardrobe. Check the power draw and the water tank size.
Fix the cause as well
A bag helps, but if the same cupboard goes damp every winter, look at the wall. A cold outside wall with condensation, a leaking gutter or a damp wall behind the cupboard will beat any bag. Move the cupboard a little from the wall where you can, add ventilation slots and check for penetrating damp. A humidity meter placed inside the cupboard shows whether it stays above about 60% RH, the level commonly advised as the upper limit to discourage mould.
Looking after clothes, leather and shoes
Wash and dry clothes fully before storing them. Keep leather bags and shoes in breathable cotton, not sealed plastic, which traps moisture. Do not put damp towels or swimming costumes in the cupboard. In a very humid area, such as the KwaZulu-Natal coast, replace bags and refills more often, and air the cupboard on dry mornings. If mould is already on the clothes, wash or clean them and fix the cause, or it will return.
What to put in your request
- How many cupboards or wardrobes, and roughly how big
- Whether the cupboard is on a cold outside wall
- What is going musty: clothes, shoes, leather or linen
- Whether you prefer no-power bags or a plug-in dryer
- Delivery address or whether you will collect
Wardrobe and Cupboard Dehumidifiers for homes, rentals, businesses and industry
- Homeowners and tenants: bags in bedroom wardrobes and shoe cupboards that smell musty in winter
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a bag or tub in each built-in cupboard of a flat between tenants
- Offices, schools and clinics: a unit in a uniform or coat cupboard and a cupboard of stored files
- Warehouses, archives and storage: small units in cabinets of uniforms, textiles or boxed paper samples
- Factories and food plants: bags in changing-room lockers and stores of protective clothing
- Growers, nurseries and farms: units in a cupboard of seed packets, gloves and spare clothing
- Hotels, gyms, spas and pools: bags in guest wardrobes and linen cupboards, especially at the coast
- Insurers, assessors and restoration firms: bags to protect clothing and textiles stored after a leak is repaired
- Builders, HVAC engineers and contractors: units in new fitted wardrobes in a closed, newly plastered home
Frequently asked questions
How long does a hanging moisture bag last?
Can a bag stop mould on my clothes?
Is a small electric cupboard dryer worth it?
Do you sell wardrobe dehumidifiers yourselves?
Wardrobe and Cupboard Dehumidifiers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg