You unzip your suitcase for the next trip and the smell hits before the clothes do. Here is how to keep a suitcase from smelling musty between trips: dry it out, wipe it down, give it something to absorb odors and put it somewhere that stays dry. Each step takes a few minutes, and the last one matters most.
The short answer: air the suitcase out open until it is completely dry, wipe the lining, tuck in a baking soda or activated charcoal sachet, and store it somewhere dry and well ventilated instead of a damp basement.
Four steps to keep a suitcase from smelling musty
1Air it out before you store it
Verdict: do this every time. A musty smell usually means moisture got trapped. The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control, and that mold generally won’t grow if wet or damp materials are dried within 24 to 48 hours. Unzip every pocket, open the suitcase fully and leave it in a room with moving air for a day or two, using a fan if you have one. The EPA suggests more ventilation and air movement, such as open windows or fans, where practical.
Empty it first, including damp swimwear, used towels and sandy shoes. It is the same damp-fabric problem behind musty-smelling towels. When you pack for the next trip, our packing tips cover packing cubes, which help keep worn clothes apart from clean ones.
2Wipe the lining
Verdict: yes, and dry it completely. For hard surfaces, the EPA says to scrub with detergent and water and then dry completely. That fits a hard-shell interior, zipper tracks and the frame. For a fabric lining, our approach is to wipe it with a lightly damp cloth, then let it dry fully before you close the case. That fabric step is our own suggestion, not something the EPA specifies for luggage.
If a lining looks fuzzy or spotted, treat it as a mold problem, not an odor problem. The EPA notes that absorbent materials may have to be thrown away if they become moldy, and that mold needs to be removed, not just killed. Wash anything that was packed inside using the steps in our guide to getting mildew out of clothes.
3Add a baking soda or charcoal sachet
Verdict: a helpful extra, not a fix. A University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension fact sheet lists baking soda and activated charcoal among its dry household deodorizers, and it suggests sachets of cat box filler for trunks and suitcases, along with fabric softener sheets or wrapped bars of soap. Oklahoma State University Extension calls baking soda an inexpensive, natural odor absorber and says activated charcoal can be used the same way. Spoon baking soda into a breathable pouch, or use activated charcoal in a mesh bag, and keep it in the suitcase while it is stored.
Remember that a sachet absorbs smell, not moisture, so it works best after steps one and two. Fresh matters too: baking soda loses its odor-absorbing strength as it sits, which our guide to whether baking soda goes bad explains, so refresh the sachet between trips. The Kentucky fact sheet dates from 1997, so tr
