Your main living spaces, attic, basement, garage, and shed all get yearly deep cleans — but have you cleaned your storage unit recently?
Despite housing some of our most precious belongings, we often forget to care for our storage units the way we do our storage units. Regarding your storage locker as if it was another room in your house helps to keep your precious items clean and free of dust and molds.
Experts recommend cleaning your storage unit at least once per year, which involves sanitizing and organizing its contents. These steps help you get better use out of your storage unit. More, regular cleaning:
By keeping your storage unit in tip-top condition, you ensure that the next time you have your items, they’re still in good shape. Read on to see how to clean a storage unit!
A clean storage unit is a must. You’re paying for space, and it’s housing your valuable items, so keeping it clean makes the most of your investments and helps preserve your valuables.
Regular cleaning check-ins mean better organization and reduce the chance you’ll buy items you already own. A good clean also prevents item deterioration because you catch any issues early. Additionally, keeping your storage unit organized and clean helps you maximize your storage unit size — you may even be able to move to a small, less expensive unit.
Now that you understand the importance of a clean space let’s look at how to clean a storage unit. Cleaning your storage unit comes in a few forms, and the cleaning you do before your initial use of the space differs from that done intermittently. Your move-in cleaning will likely set the tone for your locker’s cleanliness for the time you use it. Focus on that initial cleaning carefully.
Double-check that you know what not to store in your storage locker and that you’re not about to store items that could cause problems for yourself and the facility. These best practices for occasional or seasonal cleaning provide peace-of-mind and investment maintenance:
The storage locker itself should be immaculate when you arrive with your belongings. If it isn’t, consider another facility.
A quick floor sweep or a wipe-down with disinfecting wipes should be sufficient. Should your storage unit be outdoors, setting rodent and insect traps could be a smart move. Even the cleanest of storage units can have unwelcome critter invasions from time to time!
Once the unit is clean, you can bring in your possessions. Use plastic bins with tight lids to keep dust and pests out. Dust and clean all items thoroughly before bringing them inside the unit, and wrap what you can in protective plastic or coverings. The goal is to have them perfectly clean before bringing them in so that items don’t track any dirt. If possible, label each item and its contents, and have a general plan for organizing your items.
Organizing is how to keep a storage unit clean over time. Organizing your storage unit is a process that may take place before you’ve moved your belongings in, during seasonal cleanings, or simply whenever you feel it needs some TLC. The goal when organizing is to maximize your space and keep needed items closest to the front. Start by loading your biggest pieces, whether they’re boxes or furniture items. Keep the items you’re least likely to use or need in the back of the unit. Be sure to leave a walkway in between all organized storage unit items; even if it’s in storage for the long-term, you never know when you may need to access something.
Yearly or seasonal cleanings will help you preserve your important possessions. First, arrive at the storage unit with cleaning supplies. You may also want to bring a tarp. You’ll want to take everything inside your storage unit out and place items on the tarp if necessary to prevent contact with the ground’s dirt and debris. Clean the inside well, but you don’t have to be overly thorough because your initial cleaning should have left everything in relatively good condition. The only exception is if excessive dust or dirt has accumulated, or the traps you set previously caught critters. Then, wipe and dust each item as you re-set them.
During this process, remove any unwanted items. You’ll likely come across a few things you realize you don’t want or need anymore, and it’s best to donate or recycle them now rather than when you move out in the future. Doing so will help reduce clutter and mess and allow for more functional space in your unit.
Starting with a storage facility that prioritizes cleanliness and pristine storage unit is the best way to ensure your storage unit (and all that’s inside) always stays in top condition. At Storage Locker, we offer immaculate storage units for every storage need with regular pest control to keep your items pristine. Schedule a tour today and see how our immaculate storage units can benefit you!