Dry it upside down with the lid cracked open.

The best way to dry a lunch box is to flip it upside down and leave the lid cracked open so air can actually move through it.

The biggest mistake people make is sealing it shut. A closed lunch box is a humid little terrarium, and even a few drops of water left in the corners will turn into mold by Thursday. Crack the lid, give it a night on the counter or a dish rack, and you’re done.

Don’t forget the gasket. The rubber seal around the lid holds water like a sponge. Pop it out if you can, dry it separately, and towel off the groove where it sits. That groove is where the gross stuff always starts.

Dishwasher-safe boxes get a head start from the heat, but the dishwasher still doesn’t dry everything. You need that cracked-lid air-out time no matter how you wash it.

Your lunch box wants to breathe. Let it.