I keep pj soaked cotton balls in a mini Altoids tin sealed with electrical tape and it hasn't dried out in over a year. Try sealing the tin.

I have had a lot of success with pj soaked cotton balls.
After reading numerous how to's here and some trial and error I've found it key to really tear and fluff the fibers. The fibers are the wick and the pj the candle so to speak.

Picture the tinder bundle with the fluffed cotton ball in the center in front of you with your back shielding the bundle from the wind.
I hold the edge of the firesteel to the cotton ball and while pressing firmly with a firesteel.com striker I pull the firesteel towards me, away from the bundle. The strikers is stationary and angled so that the sparks aim at the cotton ball.
Using this technique the cotton ball has not failed to light.

I'm no expert so it takes a couple of tries when the weather is not ideal but being patient and sometimes uttering words I would not type has worked for me.

Good luck!