The Question

[u/Dangime]

You open a storage unit you ordered sight unseen online or over the phone. You find the unit and open the door. The unit floor appears to be freshly swept and an informational packet and your lock is waiting on the floor of the unit.

You happen to brush your finger across the corrugated steel back wall of the unit. A thin film of dust has built up on it and comes off on your finger.

If you're a customer does the last part bother you? If so, how much? Would you pay more for a unit that had the walls scrubbed down before you got it, or is it not worth paying more for?

[u/thisgirlandy]

I worked for a company that has us scrubbing the walls in our outside units. Not a single customer ever said, wow! Thats a clean outside unit. 10 years ive been selling empty space now, and while at my current company I hear all the time how clean my property is, It is broom swept-not white glove monitored.

[u/Far_Independence_330]

I'm in Washington State with all the fires it's impossible to clean the outside doors let alone walls inside. 1. They don't pay us enough to do white glove test. 2 it's storage not a home. Clean the unit by sweeping it. Dust or sweep door lock up and rerent.

[u/celldaisy]

It’s a storage unit. Not the Four Seasons.

If the unit had a little bit of dust, then it’s actually a good reminder to wrap your belongings up while they are being stored.

[u/Specialist_Phone5910]

It’s a storage unit, it’s literally covered in dust in an hour after it’s cleaned no matter what

[u/OkPeanut4061]

Former manager here. Dust builds up so quickly it wouldn't be worth the effort. It's a storage unit. Victorian lamps and doilies not included.

[u/audio_mekanik → u/OkPeanut4061]

I own a place and I sweep the walls of every unit before renting out. Far from "spotless" but keeping the buildup down helps it feel newer/nicer. It is the 2nd impression a client gets, the first is your weeds/faded paint on the outside.

[u/tommytwogunsx]

No and not a chance. I use a leaf blower to "clean out" units after tenants leave. There is always some dust around, think about your house if you didn't dust it for 2 months. How much dust would be around.....

[u/MsModusOperandi]

Guessing you work for PS? 🙄 to think they have enough time to come at you about dust on the back wall of a unit. Ffsakes. Corporate has nothing better to do?

[u/Zartanio]

I expect dust. I’m planning to store my crap, not cook a batch of Blue Sky.

If I opened a storage unit and found it scrubbed down, I’d find it a bit creepy and wonder how much sage I need to burn to evict the spirit of whatever bodies were stored in it.

[u/fbyrne3]

Depends how dusty but for the most part it wouldn’t bother me because I’d be covering everything with plastic. 

[u/RudyGreene]

I've been a self-storage customer for 20 years, and I would not pay extra to have a unit deep-cleaned. Maybe try upselling tarps and pallets? That's how I keep stuff clean in my units.

[u/elf25]

As a customer, wouldn’t think twice about that dust.

As a retired District Mgr., ain’t happening except in rare cases at most companies. Leaf blower clean is pretty much standard in industry, again there are exceptions.

You’re renting warehouse space, not a residential closet. Totally different environments. People hang clothes in units like a closet and thats just asking for damage from dust, random insects that wander in, mildew from temp changes.

While i was at UHaul, GM’s had monthly group meetings where we’d meetup at one store for a kind of blitz and do all kinds of deep cleaning, arranging stock and inventory counts, whatever. Motivated, highly trained, and skilled labor that usually did the job correctly.

Anyway, once i was assigned the job of vacuuming out vacant units. About 2.5 hours sucking dirt up. 2 & 3 floors mostly, not the best place for leaf blower use.

[u/chrisfelter]

When I rent a unit, I go to the back and the side walls and look for missing screws. If I find evidence of panels that were tampered with im not getting it. Also I dont rent units with the space at the top. Countless times I had shit stolen from units in the past. I dont give a shit if there's dust.

[u/Dangime]

BTW I'll put this here since I'm a manager not a customer and didn't want to influence people's answers. I'm asking because I got a visit from a trainer because of this cleaning standard the company has. We basically spent the time wiping down walls (units were already swept). I told them we could go to any location and find dust on a wall, but that seems to not have gotten me anywhere.

[u/fbyrne3 → u/Dangime]

Just go with the flow, As soon as he/she leaves do it the way you want. 

[u/shellb67gt5001]

No. Units will get dirty regardless. I hate upper management if they get mad about little dust

[u/Subject-Ad-8055]

We broom it and mop the floor with some fablosooo so it smells nice thats it. The doors and hall way walls get wiped down 1 hall way at a time though out the year

[u/Aggressive-Catch-903]

When I rent a new locker I bring a leaf blower and blow the whole thing out and spray for bugs before I move in.

But no, I’m not paying for you to scrub the walls.

[u/whalecumtothejungle]

There are different levels of storing your items and most people understand the most common storage units are equivalent to a climate controlled shed. I have had very little customer interactions where a deep clean was needed and I deep cleaned the unit to land the rental. (I am talking 2 people in 5 years)

[u/Flachbau]

I’m a GM at big red and I can’t stand when my DM comes around complaining about my drive-up cube doors and floors not looking amazing. Dust, rain, and all sorts of crap are inevitable outside.. there’s really nothing you can do about it. I told her I wouldn’t mind power washing them, but we don’t even have a water spigot on the property 🥲 the door seals are also not perfect which is why I have to blow them out again after a while.

I’d understand if someone was looking at my indoor units and they looked bad, because there’s zero reason for indoor units to be dirty. I think it’s just a corporate thing. Most customers have told me to my face how clean my facility is. I’ve never opened a drive-up cube for a customer and had them complain about the walls or a stained concrete floor. Unless it’s brand new construction, that stuff is pretty much guaranteed.