TL;DR
The entire point of cleaning a storage tote is drying it. A tote packed while even slightly damp becomes a sealed humidity chamber, and whatever you stored inside comes out musty months later. Wash with soap and water, rinse, and give the tote hours of open-air drying before anything goes in.
Why does cleaning a tote matter before storage?
Because a lid seals in whatever conditions exist at the moment you close it. Dust and old residue are minor problems. Trapped moisture is the one that ruins a box of holiday linens or a bin of winter clothes.
Plastic itself does not absorb water, which is an advantage. But the corners hold droplets, the lid gasket channel holds more, and stacked totes have almost no airflow to evaporate it.
That is why the drying step gets more attention here than the washing step. Material decides method, which is the organizing idea behind the home object cleaning guide.
How do you clean a plastic storage tote?
Empty it, wipe out the loose dust, then wash inside and out with warm water and dish soap using a cloth or soft brush. Rinse thoroughly, wipe with a towel, and leave the tote and lid open in moving air for several hours until every corner is completely dry.
Source: general household cleaning guidance from consumer product care resources
Do the lid separately and pay attention to its rim channel. That groove holds water longer than any other part of the tote and is the most common cause of a musty bin.
Step by step
- Empty the tote and sweep or vacuum out dust, insect debris, and old packing material.
- Wash inside and out with warm water and dish soap using a soft brush or cloth.
- Scrub the corners, the handle recesses, and the ribs on the bottom.
- Wash the lid on both faces, working the rim channel with a brush.
- Rinse until no soap film remains, since residue attracts dust and can transfer to stored fabric.
- Towel dry, then air dry the tote and lid separately for several hours.
- Check the corners with a dry hand before packing. If it feels cool and slightly tacky, keep waiting.
Storing totes upside down without lids between uses keeps them dry and dust-free, and it saves this whole routine next season.
How do you get a musty smell out of a plastic tote?
Wash it with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry it completely in sun and airflow if possible. If the smell persists, wipe the interior with a solution of one part white vinegar to several parts water, rinse, and dry again. Sunlight plus complete drying resolves most cases.
Baking soda helps as maintenance, not as a cure. An open container of it inside a stored tote absorbs residual moisture and odor for months, which is worth doing on any long-term bin.
Never combine vinegar with chlorine bleach in a tote or bucket, because the mixture releases chlorine gas. Never combine bleach with ammonia, which is in many glass cleaners, because that produces chloramine gas. One product at a time.
What about mildew or mold spots in a tote?
Small surface spots on a hard, nonporous plastic surface wipe off with soap and water followed by thorough drying, because plastic does not let growth root into the material the way fabric or wood does. Rinse and dry completely, then fix the storage conditions that caused it.
Visible mold growth on walls, floors, framing, or on a large volume of stored belongings is a different situation. That is remediation and moisture control, which is a separate trade from cleaning, and the honest move is to route it there.
Also inspect what was inside. Cardboard, paper, and textiles that got damp inside a sealed tote may be beyond saving even if the tote cleans up fine.
How do you keep stored items dry inside a tote?
- Store totes off a concrete floor, on a pallet, shelf, or strips of wood, because concrete transmits moisture.
- Choose totes with a gasketed lid for basements, garages, and sheds.
- Add a desiccant pack or an open container of baking soda in humid spaces.
- Never pack anything damp, including clothing that was folded straight from a dryer while still warm.
- Label the outside so bins are not opened and left open unnecessarily.
- Keep totes out of direct sun, which makes plastic brittle over a couple of seasons.
Fabric containers cannot do any of this, which is why fabric storage bins belong indoors in conditioned space rather than in a garage or a basement.
Which storage container should you use where?
Plastic totes are the right choice for garages, sheds, basements, attics, and anywhere temperature or humidity swings. They seal, they wash, and they do not host mildew in the material itself.
Woven containers such as a wicker basket are for visible indoor storage, where looks matter and conditions are stable. They breathe, which helps in a closet and hurts in a garage.
Fabric bins and collapsible cubes are for closets and shelving in living areas. In damp spaces they absorb moisture and hold odor the way a laundry hamper does when wet items go in it.
How often should storage totes be cleaned?
Wash a tote whenever you unpack it and before you repack it, which for seasonal storage means about twice a year. Totes in active rotation in a pantry or a craft room get wiped monthly. Totes in long-term storage should be checked annually for moisture, pests, and cracking.
Checking is worth as much as cleaning. A five-minute inspection each year catches a leaking roof, a failed gasket, or a pest problem before it works through a whole shelf of bins.
FAQ
How do you get a musty smell out of a plastic bin?
Wash it with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry it completely, ideally in sun and moving air. If odor lingers, wipe the interior with diluted white vinegar, rinse, and dry again. Persistent smell almost always means the bin was never fully dry, so extend the drying time rather than adding more product.
Can you put plastic totes in the dishwasher?
Small food-safe containers can go on the top rack if labeled dishwasher safe. Large storage totes will not fit and the heat can warp thin polypropylene, especially at the rim, after which the lid no longer seals. Hand washing with warm soapy water is the practical method.
How long should a tote dry before packing?
Several hours at minimum, and overnight is safer for a large tote in humid conditions. Check the corners, the handle recesses, and the lid channel with a dry hand before packing. Any coolness or tackiness means water is still present and the tote is not ready.
Can you use bleach on plastic storage bins?
You can, per its label and after cleaning, but it is rarely needed. Soap, water, and complete drying handle household mustiness and surface growth on nonporous plastic. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, or any other cleaner, since the combinations release toxic gas in an enclosed space.
Why do my storage bins crack?
Ultraviolet light and cold both make polypropylene brittle over time. A tote stored in direct sun or in an unheated garage through several winters loses flexibility and cracks at the rim and corners under stacking load. Store totes out of sun and avoid overloading the bottom bin in a stack.
Should storage totes be stored on the floor?
Not directly on concrete. Concrete wicks and transmits moisture, and a tote sitting on it collects condensation underneath and along the lower walls. Use a pallet, a shelf, or even a couple of boards to create an air gap. This one change prevents most basement and garage storage problems.
Do you need to wash a brand new tote?
A quick wipe with a damp cloth is enough for most new totes, mainly to remove manufacturing dust and any label adhesive. If the tote has a strong plastic smell, wash it and air it out for a day before packing textiles, since that odor can transfer to fabric during long storage.
Storage projects usually surface a lot of other work at the same time, from garage floors to closet shelves. Every home is different, so the real scope depends on your space, volume, and what you want covered. Our house cleaning services page has more, or get a quote and we will walk you through it.