How do I pack toiletries so nothing leaks?
Why bottles leak in a hold bag, the two-second seal that prevents it, and where the wash bag should sit in the case.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Leaks are caused by pressure and by squeezing, not by bad lids. Leave air space in every bottle, put a disc of cling film or a small square of plastic under each cap before screwing it down, and put the whole wash bag inside a sealed bag of its own, upright, in the middle of the case.
A bottle that is watertight on your bathroom shelf leaks in a suitcase because the air inside expands as cabin pressure drops, and because the case gets sat on, thrown and compressed. Both are dealt with by leaving room for the expansion and by adding a second seal that does not rely on the thread.
What you'll need
- Resealable bags
- Cling film (optional)
- Travel bottles (optional)
Step by step
- Leave air space at the top of every bottle.A bottle filled to the brim has nowhere to expand into and forces liquid past the thread. Two thirds full is a sensible maximum for anything flying in the hold.
- Put a barrier under each cap.A disc of cling film, or a small square cut from a plastic bag, laid over the neck and then the cap screwed down over it. This is the single most effective trick and it takes seconds.
- Bag each type separately, then bag the lot.Liquids in one sealed bag, so that if something does go it contaminates the other toiletries and not your clothes. Then the wash bag itself inside a larger sealed bag.
- Swap to solids where you can.Solid shampoo, conditioner bars, solid deodorant and toothpaste tablets cannot leak and do not count as liquids at security. For a short trip they remove the problem entirely.
- Pack the wash bag upright and in the middle of the case.Cushioned by clothing rather than against the shell, so it is not the thing that takes an impact. Upright means gravity is working with the seal rather than against it.
- Keep anything that would ruin clothing away from clothing.Sun cream, oils and hair products stain worst and leak most. Give those their own bag at the bottom of the case rather than nestled in with shirts.
- Decant rather than taking full-size bottles.Small bottles have less liquid to lose and less weight to carry. Label them — an unlabelled bottle of clear gel is a small daily mystery.
Tips
- Nail varnish, and anything with a solvent, is worth leaving at home entirely. It is restricted in quantity by many airlines and it destroys whatever it touches.
- Reuse the same sealed bags trip after trip and store them with the wash bag so the whole setup is permanently ready.
- For hand luggage, the clear bag the airport requires doubles as the leak bag — but still put a film disc under each cap.
Questions people ask
Why do bottles leak on a plane?
Cabin pressure drops, so the air trapped in the bottle expands and pushes liquid past the cap thread. Leaving a third of the bottle empty and adding a film disc under the cap deals with both that and being squashed.