You might be asking what can't you store in our self storage units.
Published on 9/29/2022
At Thornton's Self Storage here are items you can’t put in a storage unit.
This may be true regardless of who you’re renting from:
- Food
- Hazardous material
- Stolen and illegal goods
- Weapons and ammo
- Anything that's wet
- Priceless and irreplaceable items
- Money
- Furs
- Tires
- Plants or Animals that are either alive or dead
- Unregistered or uninsured vehicles
Why Can't You Store Some Items?
Perishable foods are magnets for attracting pests, mold, and mildew, and they’re not going to stay fresh for very long. Even shelf-stable items can be tricky, since some may bring in rodents and bugs while others, like canned foods, are at risk of combustion.
Along the lines of hazardous materials, don't store any of these in our units:
- Paint
- Paint Thinner
- Fertilizer
- Fireworks
- Oil
- Chlorine Bleach
- Acid
- Acetone
- Propane Tanks
- Compressed Gas
- Kerosene
- Gasoline
- Grease
- Turpentine
- Radioactive Materials
- Some industrial and household cleaners may fall on this list if they’re particularly toxic or dangerous.
Also, realize that moving companies won’t move these items in their vehicles either.
If you’re relocating, be sure to properly dispose of hazardous items on your own ahead of moving day.
Stolen Goods
If you’re in possession of stolen property or illegal goods, you’re not going to have any luck keeping it in your storage unit. Not only are self-storage facilities well-monitored, but our employees are also liable to call the police if they suspect that there’s something suspicious going on.
Weapons and Ammunition
Firearms, ammunition, and other weaponry—think hand grenades, flame throwers, and anything else you wouldn’t want going off accidentally—are almost always on the list of items you can’t put in a storage unit. That’s because there are liability issues involved on the part of the facility, plus the obvious safety issues. It can also create a number of issues for the facility if you don't pay your rent or abandon your unit and the unit contents are sold at auction.
Living and Dead Stuff
It probably goes without saying that, alive or dead, people and animals cannot be kept in storage units. This rule also extends to other living or dead things, including plants, flowers, and human ashes.
Wet Stuff
You can store items that are intended to get wet (kayaks, surfboards, scuba gear, and so on), and even if they're pretty rare here in Abilene they’re going to need to be dry before you close up your unit. Wet items tend to grow mold and mildew in dark, closed-off spaces, which is exactly what your storage unit is. You don't want your stuff ruined.
Priceless and Irreplaceable Items
If you can’t live without it, it shouldn’t go in your storage unit.
Money
If you have cash or other types of currency to store, please put them in a bank deposit box instead of stashing it away in a self-storage unit. You may have seen Breaking Bad where Walter and his wife had millions of dollars in a storage unit. Don't do that. This is for the same reasons as above, and you have more protection for these items in a bank than you would through a storage facility.
Furs
If you need to store fur, look for a specialty storage provider instead since they can ensure that the right conditions will be met to preserve the fur properly and protect your investment.
Tires
Two goods reasons:
- Tire fires are no joke, they are super dangerous
- And if we get stuck dealing with left-behind tires we face steep disposal fees.
If you’re not sure about whether or not you can store an item, please call us and ask! Thanks!