How to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh in a Suitcase
Unpack clothes that smell like home, not like a suitcase. Packing habits and a travel-friendly scent that never touches them.
After a few days away, a suitcase can smell of everything you've done. A few habits and a small scent keep your clothes smelling like home from the first day to the last.
Before you pack
- Pack only clean, completely dry clothes.
- Air the suitcase open for a few hours if it's been in storage.
- Roll knits and fold shirts with a little space; tightly crammed clothes hold odours.
While you travel
- Keep worn clothes separate in a laundry bag, so they don't touch clean ones.
- Shoes go in shoe bags, never loose.
- Open the suitcase in the hotel for the first night to let it air.
- Hang what you can in the hotel closet.
Bring your scent with you
The Wardrobe Pomander is small enough to travel. Rest it in a corner of the suitcase, or hang it in the hotel wardrobe on its satin ribbon. The scented wool sphere stays enclosed in the gold lattice, so nothing touches your clothes. Pack a spare sphere, sealed in its pouch, for longer trips.
For travel, Thé Blanc (white tea and musk) feels clean anywhere, and Cèdre Noir (cedar and leather) suits a business trip.
When you get home
- Empty the suitcase the same day.
- Leave it open overnight before storing.
- Put the pomander back in your closet.
Quick answers
How do I keep clothes smelling fresh while travelling? Pack clean, dry clothes, keep worn items in a separate bag, and bring an enclosed scent such as a small pomander.
How do I stop my suitcase smelling musty? Air it out before and after each trip, and store it open or with a scent inside.
Can I bring a pomander in a carry-on? It holds no liquid you can pour, but check your airline's rules if you're unsure.
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More from the Journal
- How to Make Your Clothes Smell Good in the Closet (Without Spraying Them) — Clean clothes should come off the hanger smelling lovely, not of perfume. Storage habits and a quiet scent that never touches them.
- How to Make Your Closet Smell Good (and Keep It That Way) — A closet that smells good starts with air and ends with a quiet scent that never touches your clothes. Here's the order that works.
- What Is a Pomander? The Story of the Scented Gold Sphere — From royal courts to the modern wardrobe: what a pomander is, where it came from, and how people use one today.