How To Clean a Suitcase: Ultimate Guide to Prolonging Your Luggage’s Life

Your suitcase has joined you on vacations, weekend breaks, and business trips all over the world and probably has the scuffs and stains to prove it! But while cleaning your luggage is likely the last thing on your mind when you arrive home after a long journey, knowing how to clean a suitcase is an important skill for every traveler to have.

In this handy guide, we’ll teach you how to clean hard shell luggage, how to clean a fabric suitcase, and how to keep the inside of any suitcase clean and tidy. We’ll give you all the best tips to keep the outside and inside of your favorite luggage looking as good as new and answer your burning questions about prolonging your luggage’s life.

Ready? Let’s get scrubbing!

How to Clean Hard Shell Luggage

Properly caring for your hard shell luggage is the best way to guarantee your suitcase will last for years to come. Knowing how to clean luggage is also really important for hygiene reasons. Your luggage can pick up tons of dirt and bacteria while traveling through airports, train stations, and city streets, so it’s best to give it a quick clean as soon as you get back from your trip to help prevent those germs from spreading to your home!

Here are some of the best ways to clean your hard shell suitcase.

1. Empty Your Suitcase

Before we can tell you how to clean a suitcase, you should really unpack. Make sure you’ve removed all your belongings and checked any inside pockets and compartments — watch out for those pesky smaller items like bobby pins, watches, and plug adapters!

Throw your clothes in the washing machine and start a hot wash right away. This will reduce the risk of bringing bacteria or bed bugs into your home.

Emptying your suitcase and putting everything away before cleaning is also the best way to avoid damaging your belongings. You don’t want to get any cleaning chemicals on delicate items, so make sure your luggage is completely empty before you begin.

2. Wipe Everything Down

The next step is to use a mild cleaning solution to wipe down the outside of your hard shell case.

Water and mild soap might be old school, but it’s usually the best choice here. Mild, all-purpose cleaners are another great option because they’re gentle, non-abrasive, and easily remove dirt or grime.

The important thing to remember is that harsh chemical cleaners like bleach will be too strong for this step. Using them could potentially damage your favorite suitcase, which isn’t worth the risk!

3. Sanitize High-Touch Surfaces

If your recent trip involved any flights or staying in a hotel, you probably aren’t the only person who’s handled your suitcase. Plus, whenever you hop on that airport shuttle or city bus and hold on to the grab bar, you can pick up germs and transfer them to your suitcase’s high-touch areas like the handles, locks, and zippers.

A good way to combat this is to sanitize any high-touch surfaces on your luggage. Use disinfectant wipes containing at least 60% alcohol to clean locks, zippers, and any handles on your suitcase. Once you’ve wiped these surfaces, make sure they stay wet for at least 30 seconds to kill the bacteria.

4. Let Dry Completely Before Use

Once you’re done cleaning your hard shell luggage, it’s important to let it dry off completely before storing it away or using it again.

This is a key step that some people forget when figuring out how to clean luggage. Air drying — preferably in the sun — helps avoid trapping any moisture that could lead to mold or mildew.

How to Get Rid of Scuff Marks on Hard Shell Luggage?

Scuff marks are just a fact of life when you’re using hard shell luggage. But don’t worry — they’re really easy to remove!

Using a non-abrasive eraser (like a melamine sponge or magic eraser) is a great way to remove any scuffs from the outside of your suitcase. But before you start scrubbing, test the eraser on an inconspicuous part of your suitcase to see if it damages the finish. 

Another great way to clean scuffs off a suitcase is to mix baking soda and water to create a paste. Apply the paste to the scuffs with a soft cloth and buff gently. Pretty soon, your luggage will be as good as new.

How to Clean Soft-Sided Luggage

If your favorite suitcase is made from fabric rather than a hard shell, you’ll need to take a slightly different approach to cleaning.

Learning how to clean soft-sided luggage without causing any damage to the material is as easy as following the steps below. 

1. Start With an Empty Suitcase

Just like cleaning hard shell luggage, you should always start with an empty bag. Get all those travel goodies out to give yourself a blank slate to start cleaning.

2. Spot Treat Outside Stains

When deciding how to clean a fabric suitcase, choosing a fabric-safe stain remover is a great choice. Or, try mixing a small amount of mild laundry detergent with water. These are great for spot-treating any stains on the outside of your suitcase. 

Gently rub the stains to work the cleaning products into the fabric.

3. Rinse Away Cleaning Residue

Once those stains have been plotted, it’s time for a rinse. After all, you don’t want the cleaning products you’ve used to leave residue or stains of their own on your soft-sided luggage. 

Just use a soft, damp cloth to gently wipe away any cleaning products and suds they’ve left behind.

4. Let Dry Completely Before Use

You know the drill: you need to let your suitcase dry completely before using it again. 

This is especially important when you’re cleaning a fabric suitcase. Letting your bag dry helps maintain the fabric’s integrity and prevents mold and mildew growth.

How to Clean the Inside of a Suitcase

Knowing how to clean the inside of a suitcase is a skill in itself! Here’s how to keep the inside of your luggage free from dust, dirt, and odors.

1. Remove Belongings from the Suitcase

We’ve said it before, but this time, it’s especially important — make sure you’ve taken everything out of your bag! Be sure to check any pockets, detachable pouches, and compartments to make sure you’ve found everything.

2. Vacuum Out Any Debris

Time to break out your vacuum! Use a handheld vacuum or the hose on your floor vacuum to suck up any dust, crumbs, and debris from the inside of your case. Pay extra attention to the seams and corners to make sure you get everything.

3. Spot Treat Inside Stains

Spot treating is the best way to remove any stains from the inside of your suitcase. A mild detergent mixed with water or a gentle fabric cleaner are great options here. Gently dab the stain without soaking the surrounding material and your favorite bag will be as good as new.

4. Disinfect and Remove Unwanted Odors

Gone through all the steps of how to clean a suitcase, but it still smells a little funky? Here’s how to get it smelling fresh again. 

Use a gentle disinfectant spray or a disinfectant wipe to sanitize and clean the inside of your suitcase. This will help to get rid of any bacteria that might be causing bad odors. 

Then, use a fabric freshener, a dryer sheet, or a sprinkle of baking soda to help keep any stinky smells at bay.

5. Let Dry Completely Before Use

When it comes to cleaning the inside of a suitcase, it’s super important to give the material enough time to dry properly. Let the inside of your luggage air dry fully before closing the lid to prevent mold and mildew build-up.

Luggage Cleaning Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? We’ve got answers! Here are some tips and tricks based on the most common questions about how to clean luggage.

What is the Best Way to Clean Luggage?

The best way to clean luggage depends on what type of luggage it is, whether it needs a deep clean, and how much time you want to spend cleaning. For soft-sided luggage, it’s best to spot-clean the fabric with a soft, damp cloth. Or if you have hard shell luggage, go for water and mild soap to wipe down your suitcase.

Can You Get a Suitcase Professionally Cleaned?

If you’re stumped about how to clean luggage, don’t have the right supplies on hand, or just don’t have the time to do it yourself, you can get your luggage professionally cleaned. 

To find the right cleaner for your bag, try searching online for cleaners in your area who specifically mention luggage cleaning in their list of services.

How to Protect Luggage from Scratches?

You have a couple of different options to protect your luggage from scratches while traveling. You can buy protective luggage covers that act as a barrier between your bag and all those sharp edges out in the world. You can also apply a protective spray to the outside of your bag to give your suitcase an extra layer of protection.

Or opt for a durable bag from the start. When you’re shopping, look out for hard-wearing but lightweight materials like polycarbonate and aluminum and features like spinner wheels that help bags glide smoothly. 

Here are just a few of our favorite durable luggage choices:

• Ambeur Collection - These ultra-lightweight, expandable suitcases are perfect for stylish and convenient travel.
• Evry Collection - This collection is crafted with a durable polycarbonate shell and features dual spinner wheels.
• Hue Collection - The Hue collection is the epitome of minimal, bold style.
• Trnk Collection - Look no further for a modern take on vintage trunk luggage.
• Astyll Collection - Travel in style with these durable bags featuring stylish marble print designs.

How to Keep the Inside of Your Luggage Clean?

One of the best ways to keep the inside of your luggage clean is to keep everything you pack in your bag organized. Travel organizers and pouches help keep all the little bits and pieces you pack corralled and help keep your luggage clean. 

Packing cubes can help you organize your travel wardrobe, and makeup bags can keep powders from piling up in your bag. Use water resistant pouches to stop toiletry spills and leaks, and try shoe cubes to keep all those nasty road germs off the rest of your travel gear. 

Find Your New Favorite Suitcase with CALPAK

Now you know how to clean hard shell luggage, how to clean soft-sided luggage, and how to keep the inside of your luggage clean and tidy while traveling, there’s nothing stopping you from treating yourself to that dream travel bag you’ve been afraid of getting dirty!

Looking for your next favorite suitcase for an upcoming trip? Shop CALPAK luggage today!