Leave the case fully open, ideally standing upright with the lid propped, in a well-ventilated room away from direct sunlight or a heat source. Direct heat can warp a hardside shell or damage fabric coatings, so patience with air-drying is worth it over trying to speed up the process artificially.
Check seams, zip channels and any interior corners specifically before considering the case dry — these areas trap moisture longer than open flat surfaces, and a case that feels dry to a quick touch on the main panel can still be damp in these less obvious spots.
Closing a case that’s still even slightly damp in these areas is one of the most common causes of a musty smell developing during storage, so it’s worth erring towards leaving it open longer rather than sealing it shut prematurely to save time.
Last reviewed 26 August 2026