Long-Term Luggage Care

• Use a whiskbroom* to remove dirt and dust before and after storing suitcases.

• If a bag has gotten damp, put it outside in the sun to both dry and freshen it up. If the sun's not shining, use a hair dryer or mini vacuum cleaner.

• Keep the small packets of silica gel that come with the luggage so that you can store them in your bags to absorb moisture.

• Place dryer sheets or bars of deodorant soap in your stored suitcases to keep them smelling fresh. It's a good idea to make a sachet with these items to protect the suitcase lining or other cloth from oils.

• To help protect your bags while they're in storage, purchase luggage covers from a luggage store. You could also use laundry bags or even make your own cover from a bed sheet: Just cut a twin sheet in half to make two luggage covers, depending on the size of your bags, sew up the bottom and side and hem the top edge with a channel for a nylon cord to be used as a drawstring.

• Before leaving on a trip, take a picture of your luggage to use as identification in case any of the pieces become lost or stolen.

• Place bright ID tags on all corners of your bags.

• Use a brightly colored luggage lock with a combination lock instead of one that requires a key.

* whiskbroom--a small short-handled broom used especially to brush clothes

Some smart features to look for when buying luggage include the following:

• recessed wheels, which are less likely to be knocked off during handling

• side guards to protect the edges of your luggage

• self-repairing zippers--If you have a bag with a broken zipper, a shoe repair store should be able to fix it for you.

• expandable zipper compartment for stowing purchases from your trip