Did you recently bulk buy an oversize haul of cleaning supplies? If you aren't sure where to stash your sanitizing wipes, disinfectant spray, paper towels, and other household cleaners, take a look at the do's and don'ts of self storage.
Do Talk to the Storage Facility Staff
Even though there are products most storage facilities prohibit, some companies may have slightly different do-not-store regulations. If you're not sure whether the bulk cleaning products you need to store are allowed in a rental unit, talk to the facility's staff.
When you discuss allowable/not allowable items, ask about specific products, containers, and methods of storage. Some items may fall under a general category, such as cleaners, instead of a specific product listing. Request a written list of these products or look through your storage contract for a restricted materials list.
Chemicals are commonly prohibited. But chemical-containing products aren't the only cleaning options to ask about. Some types of natural products are flammable, combustible, or prohibited for other reasons. Natural cleaning sprays and solutions may contain essential oils. According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), essential oils are highly flammable.
Don't Store Prohibited Materials
Why should you follow the self-storage facility's rules about prohibited materials? Failure to follow the facility's regulations could result in eviction from your unit — especially if the contract specifies what you can/can't store.
Along with the possibility of losing your storage unit, prohibited materials can put the rest of your belongings and the entire facility at risk. Potentially hazardous cleaning materials that shouldn't go into your self-storage unit include aerosol sanitizing and disinfecting sprays, flammable cleaners, or anything that's potentially combustible.
Specific cleaning items you're likely to see on a prohibited storage list include ammonia, bleach, paint thinner, and canned aerosol disinfectants. Along with these items, sanitizing wipes soaked in flammable or highly scented solutions shouldn't go into the storage unit.
Do Store Some Paper Products
While you can't store the sprays, wipes, and bottles of bleach you bought in bulk in a rental unit, you can keep other cleaning products in this out-of-the-house option. Unlike chemicals, the mega-pack of paper towels, dry cleaning cloths, and other paper products won't pose a fire or combustion hazard.
To make the most out of your self-storage rental, organize bulk paper products in one area of the unit. This allows you to easily find and access the items when you need to remove them from storage. Stack packages of paper towels or napkins on top of each other. Never place heavier items on these paper products. The weight of books, bags of clothes, or furniture can cause damage.
Cover the stacks of paper towels or other similar products with a painter's tarp or moving quilt. These protective covers provide easy access and will keep dust and other debris away from your storage stash.
Don't Store Alcohol-Containing Products
Did you bulk-buy bottles of hand sanitizer or alcohol-containing wipes and cleansers? While these may not seem like chemical hazards, alcohol-based products shouldn't go into a self-storage unit. According to the National Library of Medicine, ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) is an easily ignitable substance. Water won't effectively control ethanol fires, making this a serious storage hazard.
Both the liquid and the alcohol's vapors are potential fire hazards. Not only is ethyl alcohol flammable on its own, excess containers of the chemical are combustible in a fire. If a fire should start somewhere else in the storage facility or in your unit, stored alcohol wipes, bottles, or other ethanol-containing products can explode.
Do you need to rent a storage unit for some of your bulk buys? Contact
Tysons Self Storage
for more information.
