How to Clean a Suitcase: 7 Simple Steps to Keep It Looking New
Summer is the hardest season on a suitcase. Airport carousels, sandy boots, a week of sunscreen leaks pooling in the lining, dusty hotel corridors and the inside of more taxi boots than you can count. Most people unpack, zip it up and slide it under the bed. By next summer it looks like it has genuinely been through something.
The good news is that cleaning a suitcase properly takes less time than most people think, and doing it at the end of summer, before the bag goes into storage for months, makes a meaningful difference to how it comes out the other side. Grime that sits on a shell or in a lining for six months sets in a way that fresh grime doesn’t.
Here are seven steps, the same process for hard shell and soft shell with a couple of small differences where the material calls for it.
Step 1: Gather Your Tools
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For hard shell: microfibre cloths, mild washing-up liquid, warm water, a magic eraser for scuffs, a soft toothbrush for detail work.
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For soft shell: a stiff dry brush, mild laundry detergent, warm water, a soft cloth, a toothbrush.
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For both: an old toothbrush for wheels and zips, mild soap and a dry bar of soap or candle stub for lubricating the zip teeth once they’re clean.
Step 2: Wipe Down the Exterior
For both hard shell and soft shell, start dry. Wipe or brush off any loose dirt before introducing water - wetting dirty surfaces first pushes grime further in rather than off. For soft shell bags like the 15" Soft Cabin Bag in Orange, use a stiff dry brush to sweep the fabric before anything else. For hard shell, a dry microfibre cloth does the same job.
From there, the approach depends on the material.
Cleaning removes visible dirt and grime. If you want to go further, particularly after international travel, follow with a disinfecting wipe on the exterior handle, wheels and shell once they're clean and dry.
Hard Shell
Mix a small amount of mild washing-up liquid into warm water, dip the microfibre cloth in and wring it out until it’s just damp rather than wet. Wipe the shell in gentle circular motions, paying extra attention to the base and corners where grime builds up fastest. Avoid abrasive sponges or chemical sprays; they scratch the finish and can strip the water-resistant coating over time.
Worth noting: ABS and polycarbonate shells clean the same way, but polycarbonate is slightly more sensitive to harsh chemicals, so mild soap and a damp cloth is the safe option for both. Not sure which material your suitcase is? Read our hard shell vs soft shell guide for a full breakdown of the differences. A small underseat bag like the Jetset Underseat Cabin Bag in Stone takes about five minutes this way. An extra large suitcase takes longer, but the process is identical, just more surface to cover.
For scuff marks from airport conveyor belts, a damp magic eraser buffed gently over the mark does the job on most ABS shells. Test on a small hidden area first because some finishes are more sensitive than others. Rinse off any soap residue with a clean damp cloth and dry with a fresh one to prevent water spots forming.
Soft Shell
Once you’ve brushed off the loose dirt, mix a small amount of mild laundry detergent with water and apply with a soft cloth. Work it into any stained areas gently, then rinse by wiping with a clean damp cloth to remove the detergent. Be aware that leftover soap residue can itself cause marks if it dries in the fabric. Leave to air dry away from direct sunlight. Prolonged sun exposure fades colours faster than most people expect, particularly on nylon and polyester fabrics which can lose their tone relatively quickly under strong UV.
Don’t put a soft shell bag in the washing machine unless the care label specifically says you can. Most aren’t built for it and the internal frame and wheel housing don’t survive a machine cycle intact.
Step 3: Sort the Wheels
Clogged wheels drag rather than roll and track airport floor grime straight into the house. An old toothbrush with mild soap and warm water works into the wheel housing and clears compacted dirt. Work around the full circumference of each wheel, not just the visible surface. Most of the grime will be packed into the housing where the wheel meets the casing. Rinse with a damp cloth and dry.
Step 4: Handle the Handle
The handle is one of the most-touched parts of the bag, whether it’s you, airport staff or anyone who moves it through a terminal. A damp cloth with a small amount of mild soap, wiped down and dried, is all it needs. If your handle has a telescopic mechanism, extend it fully to clean along the full length of the tube rather than just the grip.
Step 5: Revive the Zips
Zips are the part of a suitcase that fail first, and most zip failures come from dirt in the teeth rather than a fault with the zip itself. Grime in the teeth creates friction, the slider catches and eventually the zip jams or splits in a way that can’t easily be undone. Cleaning the zip is the simplest way to prevent that.
Run an old toothbrush with a tiny amount of mild soap along the zip teeth on both sides, working it into the gaps. Rinse with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Once the zip teeth are clean, run a dry bar of soap or a candle stub lightly along them to lubricate and keep them running smoothly between cleans. Avoid WD-40 on fabric zips - it attracts more dirt over time and does more harm than good.
Do this for every zip on the bag, including the internal dividers and any exterior pockets. It takes a couple of minutes and adds significantly to the life of the case.
Step 6: Freshen Up the Interior
Empty everything out fully, including the pockets. Shake the bag upside down over a bin first, the amount of debris that comes out that way is usually surprising. Vacuum the lining if you can to get crumbs and debris out of the corners, then wipe down the interior with a lightly damp cloth and a small amount of mild soap, paying attention to the base where liquids tend to settle.
For stubborn stains inside, a small amount of laundry detergent mixed with water and an old toothbrush works for both hard shell linings and soft shell interiors. Apply, work it in, rinse with a damp cloth and repeat if needed. For interior odours that linger after cleaning, a light spritz of diluted white vinegar left to air dry handles most smells without leaving a lasting scent of its own.
Leave the bag fully open in a ventilated room to dry before you zip it up or put it away. A slightly damp bag closed in a dark wardrobe is a reliable way to end up with a mildew smell by the time you next need it. If you’re in a hurry, a fan pointing into the open bag speeds up the process considerably.
Step 7: Store It Properly
Once it’s clean and fully dry, storage matters more than most people think. The under-the-bed location most people default to isn’t ideal. It’s often dusty, poorly ventilated and prone to temperature fluctuations, all of which affect both the shell material and the lining over time.
A better option is somewhere cool and dry with consistent airflow: a wardrobe shelf, a spare room or a dedicated storage area. Keep the bag either unzipped or slightly open so air can circulate inside.
A fabric dust bag or pillowcase over the outside keeps dust off the exterior without trapping moisture underneath in the way a plastic cover would. If you are looking for a new case that is easier to clean and store, browse the hard shell suitcase range or the full suitcase range.
If you have multiple cases, nest the smaller ones inside the larger ones to save space. Just make sure they’re all completely dry before you do. A damp underseat bag sealed inside a larger case for six months is a problem waiting to be discovered.
For an extra layer of protection in humid climates, drop a small silica gel sachet inside the bag before you close it for storage.
The Takeaway
A suitcase that's cleaned and stored properly after summer comes out in spring looking significantly better than one that wasn't. The process takes under an hour for most bags and even less for a small underseat case. Seven steps, same order every time: gather your tools, wipe down the exterior, sort the wheels, handle the handle, revive the zips, freshen up the interior and store it with airflow. Do it once at the end of every summer and the bag will look after itself for longer than you'd expect. If you are thinking about replacing your current case, read our guide on how to choose the right suitcase before you buy.
