There’s no sign of the hoarders trend slowing down, which is a good thing for your self-storage business. No matter how many units you manage at your site, the one thing that’s probably the biggest slow down in turnover is getting each spot revamped for its new renter. Get ready to “clean up” in the self-storage race with these cleaning tips.
Big Bulk Bonanza
It’s just an assumed overhead that you’ll need to at least have a cursory cleaning done in between unit renters. Some will leave the place in worse shape than others (hopefully you got that security deposit!). Whether you’ve got one or one hundred units to rehab, hitting a bulk warehouse center may put savings back in your pocket. The bastions of the thirty-gallon ketchup and two-ton-toothpaste-tubes really can help you clean, and clean up. Instead of buying four boxes of wipes at a grocery store – where you pay for all that extra useless packaging – you can buy one bigger unit. Warehouse centers usually charge an annual fee, so consider going in with family members or other storage businesses nearby. You can even amortize the yearly fee over 12 months to see whether the fee would be worth it.
All-Mighty Dollar
Does a dolla make you holla? It may, if you pay a visit to your local dollar shop. Where else can you go in with a $20 bill and come out with 20 items? Dollar stores have entire aisles dedicated to cleaning equipment, such as gloves, wipes, baggies, bleach, and deodorizer. Almost anything you can find in a big box store, you can get at a dollar shop. Note that it may be the store’s own brand or an off brand, but even some of the big brand names are making appearances in dollar store aisles, and some even take coupons. But beware – certain dollar stores, such as Dollar General, actually sell items for higher than a dollar. You may still find rock-bottom prices on items such as brooms and mops, just don’t plan on getting five for an Andrew Jackson.
Be Your Own Bartender
Want to go green, avoid pointless packaging, use up leftover materials, or just save a few bucks? How about mixing up a couple of cocktails? Cleaning cocktails, that is. You can actually make your own cleaning supplies using items you probably already have. Keene State College offers a recipe for furniture cleaner that requires only vinegar, lemon juice, and linseed oil. According to Niagara University, you only need white vinegar and warm water to make glass cleaner, and baking soda plus borax to make scouring powder. You can even add scented oils to give the unit an extra-special scent for its new renters.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This slogan has been around forever, but here we’re talking about all the stuff that gets left behind in the unit. In a perfect world, your self-storage customers would move themselves – and everything they packed into their units – out. But often, they leave you little presents. Their old stuff that they didn’t want to take with them. This isn’t an episode of Storage Wars, where people are going to compete to buy what’s in the unit. Instead, get to know your neighborhood. Know where you can recycle plastic, aluminum, cardboard, metal, and glass – in some states, for money! You don’t have to star on reality television to know when something left behind may be worth money. Create yourself profiles on eBay, Craigslist, and other sites and start selling. You know the saying – what’s one man’s self-storage trash is another man’s treasure!
After all that cleaning, reward yourself. Indulge in a little cooking with our Office Manager Cookbook, with lots of recipes in “store.” Grab your copy free, here!
