A cleaning company can be started with relatively little space.
A vehicle.
Some equipment.
A few customers.
Perhaps a desk at home for handling invoices and bookings.
But once the business begins winning larger contracts, the amount of equipment required can grow surprisingly quickly.
Vacuum cleaners need somewhere to go.
Replacement equipment accumulates.
Boxes of suitable non-hazardous supplies take over the garage.
Uniforms need organising.
New equipment arrives before a contract starts.
And if several teams are working across different customer sites, finding the right equipment each morning can become a logistical challenge.
Eventually, the family garage or spare room stops being a practical business base.
But taking a warehouse purely for storage may be more space — and commitment — than the business actually needs.
Flexible business self storage can provide a useful middle ground.
SecureStore provides business storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth, Salford and the wider Greater Manchester area, helping growing companies create additional space without immediately committing to larger permanent premises.
Limited-Time Offer: First Month’s Storage for Just £1
If your cleaning or facilities business needs more room, SecureStore is currently running a limited-time promotion.
Eligible new customers can get:
THEIR FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE FOR JUST £1
Subject to offer terms, eligibility and availability.
That could make now a good opportunity to reorganise suitable equipment and supplies before taking on additional customers or contracts.
Call 0161 470 0288 to check current availability and offer conditions.
When the Garage Stops Being Enough
Many service businesses begin at home.
At first, that’s perfectly manageable.
But imagine the company grows from one team to four.
Suddenly you may have:
- Multiple vacuum cleaners
- Floor-cleaning equipment
- Buckets and accessories
- Cloths and suitable cleaning equipment
- Uniforms
- Replacement parts
- Packaging
- Marketing materials
- Office supplies
- Spare equipment
You also have employees or contractors who need the right equipment for the right job.
What worked for a one-person business can become inefficient once several people are involved.
Separate Home from Business
Running a business from home doesn’t necessarily mean the business needs to occupy the home.
When commercial equipment begins spreading through:
- The garage
- Hallway
- Utility room
- Spare bedroom
- Garden shed
it may be time to create some separation.
Suitable business storage can provide a dedicated place for appropriate equipment and supplies while allowing your home to return to being a home.
Build a Central Equipment Base
Cleaning and facilities companies often operate at customer premises rather than their own.
That means you may not need a traditional office or warehouse.
What you may need is a central place for suitable equipment.
Instead of keeping different items in several vehicles or employees’ homes, an organised storage unit can help centralise appropriate business belongings.
You could create sections such as:
VACUUMS & EQUIPMENT
UNIFORMS
NEW CONTRACT EQUIPMENT
MARKETING MATERIALS
SPARE EQUIPMENT
GENERAL SUPPLIES
The exact setup will depend on your business and what can safely and appropriately be stored.
Know What Is in Every Vehicle
A growing cleaning company can lose money through poor equipment management.
One van has four of something.
Another has none.
A replacement is purchased because nobody knows there are already two spares elsewhere.
Create a standard equipment checklist for each vehicle or team.
Record:
- What was issued
- Which team has it
- When it was issued
- Its condition
- When it is returned
This becomes increasingly important as the workforce grows.
Create Equipment Kits for Different Jobs
Not every cleaning contract requires the same setup.
A small office may need one collection of suitable equipment.
A larger commercial site may require another.
End-of-tenancy work may require a different selection again.
Rather than preparing from scratch every morning, create clearly organised equipment groups where practical.
For example:
OFFICE CONTRACT KIT
END-OF-TENANCY EQUIPMENT
COMMUNAL AREA EQUIPMENT
NEW CONTRACT STARTER KIT
This can reduce preparation time and forgotten equipment.
Be Careful with Cleaning Chemicals
This is particularly important.
Self storage facilities have restrictions on what can be stored.
Hazardous, flammable, corrosive, toxic and other prohibited substances must not be placed into storage.
Many professional cleaning products can fall into categories requiring particular handling or storage arrangements.
Always check the product’s safety information and SecureStore’s storage requirements before bringing any chemical product to the facility.
The Health and Safety Executive provides official UK workplace health and safety guidance, including information relating to hazardous substances.
If in doubt, ask before storing.
Understand COSHH
Businesses using cleaning products may have responsibilities under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations.
This can include assessing risks and controlling exposure to substances that may cause harm.
The Health and Safety Executive provides dedicated COSHH guidance for employers.
Self storage should never be treated as a way of bypassing workplace or product-storage requirements.
Suitable equipment and permitted supplies may be stored, but prohibited or hazardous substances require appropriate arrangements elsewhere.
Focus Storage on Equipment and Permitted Supplies
A cleaning business can still have plenty of appropriate items requiring space.
Depending on suitability, these might include:
- Vacuum cleaners
- Empty buckets
- Cleaning tools
- Dry equipment
- Uniforms
- Protective clothing where appropriate
- Marketing materials
- Signage
- Empty storage containers
- Office supplies
- Suitable replacement parts
- Non-hazardous permitted consumables
Speak to SecureStore about your particular inventory if you’re uncertain.
Winning a New Contract Can Create a Sudden Space Requirement
Imagine you’ve just won a major commercial cleaning contract.
That’s excellent news.
But the contract starts in four weeks.
You now need to prepare:
- Equipment
- Uniforms
- Staff
- Site documentation
- Suitable supplies
- Replacement equipment
Everything may arrive before the contract begins.
Temporary storage can provide additional capacity during that mobilisation period.
Create a New-Contract Zone
If you’re preparing for a new customer, keep the equipment separate.
Label an area:
NEW CONTRACT – DO NOT REMOVE
This prevents existing teams accidentally taking equipment intended for the new site.
Once the contract begins, the appropriate equipment can be deployed.
Keep Spare Equipment Available
Equipment eventually fails.
If a vacuum cleaner stops working halfway through a commercial contract, waiting several days for a replacement may create operational problems.
Larger cleaning companies may therefore choose to hold suitable backup equipment.
But spare equipment doesn’t necessarily need to occupy everyday office space.
An organised storage area can provide somewhere for suitable backup items until required.
Maintain an Equipment Register
As the business grows, consider creating an equipment register.
For each significant item, record:
- Description
- Make and model
- Purchase date
- Serial number where applicable
- Assigned team or location
- Condition
- Maintenance information
This can help you understand what the business owns and reduce unnecessary duplicate purchasing.
Don’t Keep Broken Equipment Forever
There is a danger with having additional storage space.
Broken equipment can accumulate.
Something stops working.
It gets placed in a corner because somebody intends to repair it.
Six months later, nobody remembers why it’s there.
Create a simple rule.
Equipment should be:
In use
Ready as backup
Awaiting repair
For disposal
Review the repair section regularly.
Uniforms Need Organisation Too
If your company provides branded uniforms, you may hold different:
- Sizes
- Garments
- Seasonal clothing
- Replacement items
Keep clean, dry suitable uniforms organised by type and size.
For example:
POLO – SMALL
POLO – MEDIUM
POLO – LARGE
JACKET – MEDIUM
This is far more efficient than searching through miscellaneous boxes whenever somebody joins.
Prepare New-Starter Packs
Growing businesses frequently recruit.
Consider preparing appropriate starter packs containing items such as:
- Uniform
- ID-related materials where applicable
- Company information
- Appropriate equipment
- Training documentation
Keep them clearly organised so onboarding a new employee doesn’t involve searching several locations for what they need.
Official information about employing people is available through GOV.UK – Employing Staff.
Use Storage to Support Multiple Teams
As the business expands, several teams may leave for different jobs each morning.
Organisation becomes increasingly important.
A central equipment system can help answer:
What does Team A need today?
What does Team B already have?
What needs returning?
Which equipment is being repaired?
What is available as backup?
Good storage is really an extension of good operations.
Don’t Let Vans Become Permanent Storerooms
Commercial vehicles naturally carry equipment.
But there is a difference between carrying what’s required for today’s jobs and using the van as permanent storage.
Leaving unnecessary equipment inside vehicles can:
- Reduce usable load space
- Make organisation harder
- Increase the amount of equipment being transported unnecessarily
Keep each vehicle focused on what its team actually requires.
Suitable surplus equipment can remain at the business’s storage base until needed.
Facilities Management Businesses Can Benefit Too
The same principles can apply to broader facilities-management companies.
A facilities business might coordinate:
- Cleaning
- Property inspections
- Grounds work
- Minor maintenance
- Site supplies
- Contractor equipment
As contracts increase, so does the amount of suitable equipment and materials requiring organisation.
Flexible storage can provide additional capacity without every item needing to remain at the main office.
Organise Equipment by Client or Site
For larger contracts, you may prefer client-specific zones.
For example:
CLIENT A – OFFICE
CLIENT B – COMMUNAL AREAS
CLIENT C – NEW SITE
This can reduce the chance of equipment being sent to the wrong location.
Avoid including sensitive customer information unnecessarily on visible labels.
Internal job codes can be used where appropriate.
Plan for Seasonal Demand
Cleaning companies can experience demand spikes.
Examples may include:
- End-of-tenancy periods
- Office moves
- Student accommodation changeovers
- Post-event cleaning
- Pre-Christmas commercial cleaning
- January deep-clean demand
Temporary additional storage capacity can help businesses prepare suitable equipment before these busy periods.
Self Storage Can Help During an Office Move
If the cleaning business eventually takes an office, workshop or operational base, self storage can still be useful during the transition.
Suitable equipment can be moved temporarily while:
- Premises are decorated
- Shelving is installed
- Offices are fitted out
- Equipment areas are organised
Once the new premises are ready, bring back what needs to be there.
Keep an Eye on Your Costs
Growth doesn’t automatically equal profit.
Winning larger contracts may require investment before the first invoice is paid.
You could face costs for:
- Recruitment
- Uniforms
- Equipment
- Vehicles
- Insurance
- Training
- Supplies
- Storage
Monitor cash flow carefully.
The British Business Bank provides information and resources for UK businesses considering growth and finance.
A Professional Mailbox for Home-Based Cleaning Companies
If you’re still running the administration side of the business from home, SecureStore also provides a professional mailbox service from £5 per week.
A dedicated correspondence address can help separate suitable everyday business mail from your residential address.
This can be useful for cleaning businesses, contractors, consultants and other mobile service companies.
A correspondence mailbox and statutory registered office aren’t automatically the same thing, so limited companies should check current Companies House requirements where applicable.
Removal + Storage
If your business has larger suitable equipment that needs moving, SecureStore also provides Removal + Storage solutions.
Speak to our team about what you need transporting and whether we can assist with moving appropriate business belongings into storage.
Business Storage Insurance
Suitable business belongings placed into storage require appropriate insurance.
Calculate replacement value carefully.
A collection of equipment may be worth significantly more than expected when considered together.
SecureStore can provide storage insurance at a very competitive price.
Speak to our team about your requirements and ensure the declared value accurately reflects what is being stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a cleaning company use self storage?
Yes. Self storage can be useful for many types of suitable equipment, uniforms, marketing materials and permitted business supplies. Storage restrictions apply.
Can cleaning chemicals be stored?
Hazardous, flammable, corrosive, toxic and other prohibited substances cannot be stored. Cleaning businesses should check individual products, relevant safety requirements and SecureStore’s rules before bringing any chemical product into storage.
Can I store vacuum cleaners and cleaning equipment?
Many types of suitable clean and dry equipment can be stored. Speak to SecureStore about your particular requirements.
Is self storage useful when winning a new cleaning contract?
It can provide temporary additional space for suitable equipment and permitted supplies while preparing for a new contract or additional team.
What is SecureStore’s current £1 offer?
Eligible new customers can currently get their first month’s storage for just £1, subject to offer terms, eligibility and availability.
Call 0161 470 0288 to check the current promotion.
Does SecureStore provide insurance?
Yes. SecureStore can provide storage insurance at a very competitive price.
First Month’s Storage for Just £1
If your cleaning or facilities business is expanding, now could be a good time to reorganise your equipment.
Eligible new SecureStore customers can currently get:
FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE FOR JUST £1
Use suitable business storage for appropriate:
- Cleaning equipment
- Vacuum cleaners
- Uniforms
- Spare equipment
- Marketing materials
- Signage
- Office supplies
- Permitted non-hazardous business items
Hazardous, flammable, corrosive, toxic and other prohibited substances cannot be stored.
Offer terms, eligibility and availability apply.
How to Arrange Storage for Your Cleaning Business
- List the equipment your company currently owns.
- Identify what each team or vehicle actually needs.
- Remove broken or obsolete equipment.
- Separate backup equipment from everyday equipment.
- Check whether each item is permitted for storage.
- Do not bring prohibited or hazardous substances into the facility.
- Contact SecureStore.
- Ask about the first-month-for-£1 offer.
- We’ll help you consider an appropriate storage option.
- Arrange suitable storage insurance.
- Create an equipment register and keep it updated.
Grow the Cleaning Business Without Filling the Garage
A growing cleaning company needs organisation just as much as it needs customers.
The more contracts you win, the more important it becomes to know:
What equipment you own.
Where it is.
Who has it.
What needs replacing.
And what is available for the next job.
Instead of allowing suitable business equipment to spread across garages, spare rooms, offices and vehicles, create an organised central system.
Flexible self storage can provide the additional space needed as the business grows without immediately requiring a traditional warehouse.
SecureStore provides business storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth, Salford and the wider Greater Manchester area.
Eligible new customers can also currently get their first month’s storage for just £1, subject to terms and availability.
Telephone: 0161 470 0288
Email: info@securestoreselfstorage.co.uk
Visit: 574 Manchester Road, Bury, BL9 9SW
LIMITED-TIME OFFER: FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE FOR £1.
SecureStore provides flexible personal and business self storage, Removal + Storage and professional mailbox services across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth, Salford and the wider Greater Manchester area.
