They should be, and at ToteMove they are. Every tote and dolly is inspected and disinfected after every rental, no exceptions. Whether any other company does the same depends entirely on the company, which is why it is worth asking before you book.
It's the first question most people ask before they book a tote rental, and it's the right question. Someone else packed their life into that tote last week.
Here's what a proper cleaning process looks like, exactly what we do between rentals, and the questions worth asking any rental company before you hand over your move date.
Why the question matters
Moving supplies travel. They sit in basements, garages, and storage lockers. They get packed with pantry food, old clothes, and whatever was under the bed.
That's how pests move between homes. Bed bugs in particular are hitchhikers. They don't need a dirty house, they just need a ride.
A rental company that can't explain its cleaning process is asking you to take that risk on faith.
Hard plastic vs. cardboard: the structural difference
Before we get to cleaning, it helps to know why the material matters.
| Factor | Cardboard | Hard plastic tote |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Porous, absorbs moisture and odours | Non-porous, wipes clean |
| Hiding places | Corrugated layers and glued seams | Seams, corners, handle recesses, lid hinge |
| Can it be disinfected? | No | Yes, fully |
| Cleaning history | Unknown for used or free boxes | Logged per rental at ToteMove |
Cardboard absorbs moisture, odours, and residue. It has corrugated layers and glued seams where insects can hide and lay eggs. You can't wash it. Once it's contaminated, it stays contaminated.
That's the hidden risk with free boxes from grocery stores or online marketplaces. Those boxes have often sat on loading docks or in storage for weeks. You have no idea where they've been. The full comparison of plastic bins and cardboard boxes covers the durability and cost side of the same question.
Hard plastic isn't porous. There's no fabric or paper fibre for pests to burrow into, and the surface can be fully wiped down with disinfectant.
How ToteMove cleans every tote
We follow a written Tote and Dolly Sanitization procedure. Every tote and dolly goes through it after every rental, no matter how clean it looks when it comes back.
- Intake inspectionThe same day we pick up your totes, each one gets inspected inside and out under good light. We check seams, corners, and the underside of the lid, looking for live insects, shed skins, dark spotting (a common sign of bed bugs), egg casings, and musty odours. Dollies get checked for debris and wheel function.
- Flag and quarantineAnything that fails inspection is pulled immediately and moved to a separate quarantine area, physically apart from clean stock. A flagged tote never gets a quick wipe and goes back out. If pest activity is confirmed, that tote is retired and replaced. It doesn't get a second chance.
- Standard cleaningEvery tote that passes inspection still gets cleaned. All interior and exterior surfaces are wiped with a commercial-grade disinfectant safe for plastic, such as a diluted bleach solution or Virox. Seams, handle recesses, and the lid hinge get extra attention, since that's where residue collects. Totes air dry fully before they're stacked, because stacking wet totes traps moisture.
- Deep clean when something looks offIf inspection raises any concern about pests or heavy soiling, the tote sits in quarantine for at least 14 days, gets a second disinfectant pass, and is inspected again. If any doubt remains after that, we retire it. Replacing a tote is cheap. Sending a questionable one to your home isn't worth it.
Every cycle is logged. Each inspection and cleaning gets recorded by tote ID and date. If you ever ask where your totes have been and how they were cleaned, there's an answer on paper.
What you can do on your end
A clean tote only stays clean if what goes into it is clean too.
- Bag food and pantry items rather than packing them loose.
- If you've had a pest issue in your current home, tell your rental company before your move. It protects you, and it protects the next customer.
- Inspect your totes when they arrive. If anything looks off, call us right away.
Why we don't do peer-to-peer
You'll find used totes for rent or sale on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. Some are probably fine. The problem is that you can't know.
There's no inspection, no quarantine, no log. You're relying on a stranger's word that their garage was clean.
A rental company with a documented process is the difference between trusting a system and trusting a stranger.
Five questions to ask any tote rental company
Whether you book with us or someone else, these five tell you quickly whether a company takes hygiene seriously.
- Do you inspect every tote after every rental?Or only the ones that look dirty? "Only when they look dirty" means contamination you can't see goes straight to the next house.
- What disinfectant do you use, and is it safe for plastic?A specific product name is a good sign. "Soap and water" is not a disinfectant.
- What happens to a tote that shows signs of pests?The right answer involves quarantine or retirement, not a quick wipe.
- Do you clean the dollies too?The dolly touches every floor in both homes. It gets overlooked constantly.
- Do you keep a record of cleaning cycles?A log means the process is real and auditable rather than a line on a website.
A company with a real process will answer all five without hesitating. Vague answers like "we keep them clean" are worth pressing on. If you want to know what else happens between booking and pickup, we broke down how plastic bin rentals work step by step.
Where we deliver sanitized totes
Every tote that leaves our shop has been through the process above, whichever town it's heading to. We cover 10 towns across the GTA West corridor:
Still working out how many you need? The tote count guide by bedroom breaks it down room by room.
Frequently asked questions
Are rented moving totes cleaned between uses?
At ToteMove, yes. Every tote is inspected inside and out, then wiped with commercial-grade disinfectant after every rental, whether or not it looks dirty. Each inspection and cleaning is logged by tote ID and date.
Can bed bugs live in plastic moving boxes?
Hard plastic has no porous surface for bed bugs to burrow into, which makes it far less hospitable than cardboard. Insects can still hide in seams, handle recesses, and lid hinges, which is why per-rental inspection matters more than the material on its own.
What happens if a returned tote has pests?
It's quarantined immediately, physically separated from clean stock, and retired from rotation if pest activity is confirmed. It never goes back out to another customer.
Is cardboard cleaner than a rented tote?
New cardboard starts clean but can't be disinfected. Used or free cardboard has no cleaning history at all and can carry pests or mold from wherever it was stored.
What disinfectant do you use on the totes?
A commercial-grade disinfectant safe for plastic, such as a diluted bleach solution or Virox. Seams, handle recesses, and the lid hinge get extra attention, and totes air dry fully before they're stacked.