Here's How to Keep Your Side Mount Tool Box Clean

Here's How to Keep Your Side Mount Tool Box Clean

How to Keep Your Side Mount Tool Box Clean

A side mount tool box is an important accessory for your truck, whether you are looking for a way to store your tools safely or you are working professionally in the field. However, if you are not meticulous in cleaning and organizing your things, then most likely you will end up having a mess on your truck bed liner.

More often than not, your pick-up truck will likely have some tools and materials in the back, which is why a side mount tool box with drawers would be the easy way of storing them so you can keep them out of the way. Surprisingly, they are also handy for your day-to-day activities such as buying groceries. Nevertheless, there are various types of toolboxes to choose from and each of these will require a unique way of cleaning and organizing. The type of side mount tool box for truck you choose will likely depend on the type of truck accessories that your truck has such as a truck bed extender.

Depending on the side mount truck tool box that you have, whether you choose to have a small one with a lot of compartments or a large one, it is important that you get into the habit of cleaning and organizing them regularly to make life easier for you. With proper organization habits, you can assure that the lifespan of your tools and gear will be extended.

Man arranging tools in the truck tool box.

Here, we are going to give you some tips on how to keep a well-organized and highly cleaned truck toolbox at all times. In this way, you won’t have any trouble finding the exact tool that you need.

How To Properly Organize Yo ur Side Mount Tool Box

The most obvious reason why you need to organize the tools in your low profile side mount tool box is to free up some space in your truck. This can save you a lot of time from ravaging in the back of your truck just to find the tool that you can never seem to find. Some toolboxes have large drawers while others have small drawers, which is ideal for different sized tools and items. It is best to match the tools to their appropriate drawer to guarantee that the tool that you put inside won’t cause any damage or breakage.

If you are using a truck bed tool box side mount, then it will allow you to have some space in your truck bed. A 36-inch side mount tool box can be easily mounted on the side rails of your truck bed. Incorporating additional drawers into your toolbox permits you to easily organize everything, however, depending on your toolbox, this could mean an additional cost.

What Type Of Truck Tool Box Are You Using?

If your black side mount tool box features sliding trays, then you must be very careful in deciding which tools to place in every tray. The best thing to do is to arrange the tools outside the toolbox first. Try to match them according to size and purpose. If you have been using these tools for quite some time, then most probably you are already familiar with them, making this job easier to acco mplish.

Tools are neatly arranged inside the tool box.

Organizing The Tools

After you are done gathering all your tools and classifying them, you can now start putting them into the tray. Those tools which you frequently use must be placed in the most convenient area so it will be easier for you to access. Be sure to choos e a truck side mount tool box that is more applicable to your needs. Avoid making decisions based on its looks, yet make sure that it is functional.

Securing The Toolbox

The best feature of these toolboxes is the security that they provide. Avoid choosing a toolbox that a thief can easily break into. Always ensure that the handles and lid are tightly secured and for additional security, it should be padlock ready.

Saving More Space

Obviously, you don’t want your toolbox to take up a lot of space on your truck bed. Hence, it is best that you should organize your toolbox in such a way that you still have some free space. Trailer tongue and hitch mount toolboxes are excellent for saving some space in your truck bed.

How to Clean Truck Tool Boxes According to Material

Although cleaning might seem easy and simple, different materials will require different ways of cleaning. The following are the most common materials for truck toolboxes and how you can properly clean them.

Man arranging the toolboxes.

Cleaning Aluminum Truck Tool Boxes

To effectively clean aluminum truck tool boxes , you will need phosphoric acid. Before you start the cleaning process, water your 36 inch side mount tool box and keep it dry. Also, you must wear protective clothing for your safety. When you are ready, you can start pouring the phosphoric acid into the aluminum toolbox. At the start, you will notice a white-colored substance, but don’t panic. After wiping them away, your toolbox will look like newly polished metal. When you are done wiping them down, get a clean piece of cloth and water to clean the box.

Cleaning Steel Truck Tool Boxes

Steel is an excellent choice when it comes to durability and affordability. It is a popular choice for those who require an extremely rugged toolbox that can withstand heavy-duty usage. Nevertheless, it is important that you should know how to clean them properly. Fortunately, it is even much easier to clean a steel toolbox than an aluminum flush mount side tool box .

All you need is water and vinegar. Simply scrub this to your top side mount truck tool box to eliminate the tough dirt and scratches. There are branded cleaners that are specially designed for steel. Hence, if you want your toolbox to have a shiny glossy finish, then you might consider using one of these branded cleaners. In case, your 36 side mount tool box is still a bit dirtier, for instance, it might be covered with clogged or sticky dirt, then you could apply the steam heating method to eliminate this particular type of stain. You just need to set them up, then heat them up and leave them to dry. Once it is dried up already, clean them up using clean clothing materials.

Tools are places in appropriate drawers.

Cleaning Plastic Truck Tool Boxes

Plastic tool boxes are always a great choice for your truck. They are extremely affordable and lightweight too. However, you should avoid thinking that just because they are plastic, they are weak. Although they are not as durable as aluminum and steel, they are still strong enough for daily use. Plastic toolboxes are a great choice and best of all, you can simply use Coca-Cola rather than a cleaner in cleaning them. Just put a few drops of Coca-Cola and leave it for at least 15 minutes. Afterward, rinse them with water and wipe them with a piece of cloth.

Why Organizing Your Tools is Important

Although it might not be fun, organizing and cleanin g your truck tool box side mount is important. Cleaning your toolbox can help in extending its lifespan, hence, you should avoid skipping this. Organization can also make your life easier and more convenient. Aside from this, it can even make you feel good when everything is clean.  

The relevance of tool organization should not be considered an exaggeration. In fact, you should consider the time and energy that you have to spend searching for a tool in a disorganized truck bed. This time should have been spent doing other tasks. To avoid this, you should get your own DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox .

Truck tool box in the truck bed.

A Disorganized Toolbox Costs Money

At the start of the day, it will probably take you about 30 minutes to load up all the tools that you need for th at particular day on the best side mount truck tool box. Consequently, at the end of the day, you will have to spend another 30 minutes unloading all the to ols since on the next day, you will be doing a different task. Overall, you have spent one hour being unproductive. The worst thing is, what if you have forgotten an important tool in your house?

To avoid all of these, you should get a DECKED Storage System. It was in 2013 when DECKED was established and they spent almost three years in research and development to give you the DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox System that fits perfectly on your vehicle. It has two pull-out drawers which are ideal for storing your tools as well as for your camping, fishing, or hunting gear. It is durably built out of high-density polyethylene material with a steel frame. Impossible to dent, but easy to love. The DECKED system is entirely made in the USA.

The DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox Is Easy To Install

After making an order, the DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox system will arrive at your house in a secured package. Upon opening the package, you will find that everything is well organized and includes proper labels for easy identification. After unpacking, you can start the installation right away.

Man packing DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox system.

According to the DECKED instructions, you can easily install it by yourself, however, asking for help from someone might be a good idea. This is because there are some parts that require heavy lifting. The instructions are very easy to understand, in fact, it will only take you about 2 to 2-1/2 hours to install. Before installing, the shims must be placed accurately on the liner. DECKED specifically instructed that you should start at the driver’s side.  

Additionall y, setting up the drawers was quite simple and won’t take too much time just like installing a better built side mount tool box. After setting up the drawers, perhaps the most challenging task is installing the front wheels. When you are done adding the finishing touches such as the locking mechanisms, the dividers, the chrome ruler, and the DECKED bottle opener, you are now ready to set up the D-Boxes. The D-Boxes are very easy to assemble. They are rugged and include a thick rubber gasket to keep them water-tight. The latches and handles will automatically snap into place. And that’s it! You can now load them up.

If you decide to install your DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox system  or 72 inch side mount tool box on your own, then be sure that you have the right tools and you read the instructions carefully.

Using the DECKED Truck Bed Toolbox

When using the DECKED system, you will be extremely pleased with it. If you are concerned if your tools will get wet, then no need to worry since the DECKED Truck Toolbox system can keep all your tools completely dry!

Truck tool box in the back of a pickup.

Just like th e truck tool box side mount, you can also customize the DECKED Toolbox. The D-Boxes can be used for added protection. The D-Boxes are a must if you want to add another layer of protection to some special tools such as batteries. You can easily take this box in and out each day if you want to charge your batteries. It offers you more space for your delicate tools.

With the DECKED storage system , you can be assured of structural integrity. In fact, you can even load the top of the DECKED with 30 pieces of 3/4″ plywood and you won’t experience any issues at all. So rugged!

Do you love having accessories on your low profile side mount truck tool box? Well, who doesn’t? The DECKED system offers some add ons for some additional costs. This includes Dividers, Locks, D-Boxes (D-Box and Cross Box), T-Track Rack Mount, and Core Trax 1000. The DECKED Core Trax 1000 is a cool feature since you can tie down your equipment on top of the DECKED system. The tie-down can hel p in preventing your items from falling out of the truck. Since they run along with a track system, then you can move them freely to any desired position that you want.

Different Types of D-Boxes

DECKED D-Boxes have two types, t he D-Box and the Cross Box. The D-Box is much larger and would take up more space on your 60 inch side mount tool box. Its weight is about 8.56 lbs. and its dimension is 20.5″ W x 17.5″ D  x 8″ H. While the Cross Box is much smaller and fits perfectly across the DECKED system. It weighs about 5.5 lbs. and its dimension is 10.75″ W x 17.5″ D x 8″ H.

Both of these boxes must be assembled and include a rubber gasket, making the boxes entirely waterproof. The latches are very easy to install and the handles are beautifully etched with the DECKED logo.

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