The following silliness has been bouncing around in my head for ten minutes, and to release it, I have to post it:

ISS should save space in their annual maintenance issue for an article which focuses on inexpensive ways to clean unit doors... the TITLE:


"DIRTY DOORS DONE DIRT CHEAP"

John - don't hold that stuff in - you head will explode!!!

I love it!!

__________________
Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

Not every company goes with the "inexpensive ways." I have worked as district manager and trained new managers. The cosmetics of a unit which on the outside is a door and panel. I would never rent from a facility that had a sloppy maintenance program. Chances are if they are cheap then they cut costs everywhere like security, hiring, contractors and bug spray. Having a clean door is important. When the same auction people come year after year it's nice to hear "you have a nice facility," year after year. Some facilities look like a scene out of Mad Max. Every company we have worked for pays a maid service to dust the doors once or twice a year. It helps when you have more than 800 doors to keep clean.

Try this... and see for yourself!

Go to Wal-Mart or an auto supply store and in the car section pick up a can of Son-of-A-Gun or similar spray on foam cleaner that is used for tires.

Do one door as an experiment and see how it works.

I just did 20 doors and this stuff is amazing! Just spray it over every inch of your door and watch it foam up. NO WIPING.

Wait about 20 minutes or so and... presto! You'll see!

Gary Vincent
Sensible Storage - Canton, OH
Dartmoor Storage - Belington, WV

Hi, was just wondering what size those doors were and how many cans of the cleaner you used.

I find that you can do three 8' doors per can. If you go heavy on the spray, probably two.

800 doors/3= 266 bottles.
Assume $5 per bottle = $1333
Add labor to that astronomical material cost....

That is very expensive, not to mention how difficult it would be to acquire and dispose of 266 bottles of Son of a Gun. Their website also states this "Do not use on or near clear plastic or plexiglass surfaces, glass (may cause smearing), fabric, woven materials, or paint."

Also, what I see advertised is a pump sprayer, that would be some task to pump spray 266 bottles, my hand hurts just thinking about it. I'll stick with the college kid with a strong shop vac for $110 per 200 doors. ($440 to do 800 doors as opposed to close to $2000?, and you get floors and other surfaces included for free)

Well Storman, you obviously have it all figured out - so folks, just ignore my tip.

I would like to point out, however, that I did not use the bottles or the pump sprayer, I used the one-step spray-on foam from the can.

And, by the way, the cans are $2.50 at Wal-Mart, not $5.00.

In closing, the doors that I used it on over a month ago STILL look clean and like new. So...again, don't take my word for it, as God forbid it should eat the paint off your doors or cause you an astronomical financial and labor-intensive hardship.

I was just trying to be helpful, so just ignore my posts.

Gary

...I was intrigued by your suggestion, and have a bottle of the stuff in my tool shed to use in my own experiment. Even insights on this forum that may not work for everyone have merit, in that they broaden our arsenal of information and help us make better decisions for the benefit of our facilities. Keep posting and don't sweat the input when it comes back a little less tactful.

Warm Regards,

John Roser

P.S.- I'll bet, like most chemical cleaners, that Son-Of-A-Gun is available in BULK at a substantial discount! (e.g.- I buy WD-40 by the gallon).

just an FYI - the July issue of ISS Magazine has a series of articles devoted to facility upkeep and maintenance, to include not just clearning of doors, buildings, and roofs, but also proper lubrication so that doors function smoothly. You might find some useful tips among the articles in that issue.