Shivam Hegadi
Hi there, my name is Shivam Hegadi. I love to tinker with electronics and design 3D models.
@shivamhegadi.bsky.social on Bluesky
If you’ve been 3D printing for more than a week, you’ve probably run into this problem: your prints suddenly look worse for no obvious reason. You didn’t change the printer settings, your bed is level, your nozzle is clean… but now the filament feels brittle, stringy, or just refuses to print like it used to.
Nine times out of ten, it’s because the filament has absorbed moisture from the air.
Filament might look like solid plastic, but it’s actually thirsty. The moment you open that sealed bag, it starts pulling in moisture, and before long, your once-perfect PLA or PETG turns into a headache. The good news is, with a few simple storage tricks, you can keep your filament fresh and printing like new for months, sometimes even years.
Here’s my go-to list of filament storage hacks that actually work in real-world use.
1. Understand Why Filament Needs Special Storage
Most popular filaments like PLA+, PETG, ABS, and especially nylon are hygroscopic, meaning they suck in moisture from the air. Even a small amount of humidity can cause problems like:
Stringy prints
Popping and hissing during extrusion
Weak or brittle parts
Inconsistent extrusion and layer adhesion
The tricky thing? Sometimes the filament looks fine but is quietly degrading in performance. That’s why storing it right from the start is key.
2. The Golden Rule: Seal It Up Immediately
This is the easiest habit to start. As soon as a spool comes out of the printer, it goes straight into storage. No, “I’ll just leave it out for a few days.”
What I use:
Heavy-duty resealable plastic bags with a decent zip closure.
A handful of silica gel packets inside each bag to absorb moisture.
Label each bag with the filament type and date opened so I know what’s what later.
I’ve seen people spend hundreds on fancy filament boxes when this $1-per-spool method works incredibly well for everyday use.
3. Go Big with Airtight Storage Bins
If you’re like me and have more filament than you’ll use in a month, individual bags get messy. That’s where airtight plastic bins come in.
Tips for setting one up:
Look for bins with rubber gaskets in the lid-those seal better against air leaks.
Toss in a few reusable silica gel canisters that you can dry out in the oven.
Store the bin in a cool, dark spot to protect against UV damage, too.
Some people add humidity indicators inside their bins so they can see if the silica needs recharging. It’s a cheap and satisfying little upgrade.
4. The “Dry Box” Printing Method
If you live in a humid climate, even taking the spool out for a few hours can be enough to ruin it. That’s where a filament dry box really shines.
A dry box lets you print directly from a sealed container with a feed hole for the filament. Inside, you’ve got desiccants working non-stop to keep humidity low.
You can buy purpose-built ones or make your own using a food storage container, a PTFE tube, and a drill for the feed hole. The DIY version is surprisingly effective.
5. Don’t Forget to Dry Your Filament
Sometimes you forget and leave a spool out for too long. It happens. The good news is that most filaments can be saved by drying them out.
Two common ways to dry filament:
Food dehydrator – Keep it under 60°C for PLA or around 70–80°C for PETG and ABS.
Oven method – Place the spool in your oven on the lowest setting, but keep a thermometer in there. Home ovens can overshoot temperatures, and melted filament is no fun to clean up.
If you print a lot of moisture-sensitive materials like nylon, investing in a filament dryer box is worth it. Those units keep the spool warm and dry while printing.
6. Upgrade to Vacuum-Sealed Storage
If you want to go full pro, get a home vacuum sealer and a roll of vacuum bags. I’ve done this for specialty filaments that I don’t use often, like wood-filled PLA or conductive filament.
It’s the same idea as storing food; removing the air means almost no moisture can get in. Just toss in a silica packet before sealing for extra protection.
7. Silica Gel – Your Best Friend
I can’t stress this enough. Silica gel is cheap, reusable, and makes all the difference. The trick is to use enough of it and to recharge it regularly.
To recharge silica gel packs:
Bake them in the oven at 120°C (250°F) for a couple of hours until they turn back to their “dry” color.
Let them cool before tossing them back in storage bags or bins.
Colored indicator silica makes life easier because you can see when it’s saturated.
8. Avoid the “Spool Graveyard” Problem
We’ve all done it-buying a bunch of colors and materials we might use someday, only to leave them open for months. That’s how you end up with brittle, unusable filament.
The hack here is simple: only open one spool of each type and color at a time. The rest stay sealed until you actually need them.
It might feel less exciting than having a rainbow of spools on your shelf, but your prints will thank you.
9. Keep Filament Off the Floor
This sounds obvious, but moisture problems get worse the closer you are to the ground, especially on concrete. Always store filament on a shelf or table.
I’ve even seen people mount storage bins high on the wall in small workshops to save space and avoid dampness entirely.
10. Check Humidity Levels Occasionally
You don’t need to obsess over humidity, but having a cheap digital hygrometer nearby can be eye-opening. I once discovered my “dry” storage area was at 60% humidity because of a tiny leak in my window seal.
If your storage space is above 40% humidity, add more desiccant or consider moving the filament somewhere drier.
Final Thoughts
Good filament storage is not about spending a fortune on fancy gadgets. It’s about consistency. Every spool you save from moisture damage is money you didn’t waste and a print you didn’t ruin.
If you make these habits part of your workflow-bag it right after printing, store it airtight, and dry it when needed-you’ll notice your prints come out smoother and stronger. Plus, you’ll avoid that dreaded moment when you realize you just wasted eight hours on a brittle, useless print.
So, seal it, dry it, and treat it like the precious print fuel it is. Your future self (and your printer) will thank you.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and are not endorsed by or affiliated with Anycubic.
