Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid makes the plastic that holds a Montana garage, a truck and a shop floor together: Roughneck storage totes and the 32-gallon Roughneck trash can, ActionPacker latching totes, Rubbermaid Commercial mop buckets and the orange 5-gallon water cooler that rides on every job site in summer. Pick by where it will live. Roughneck goes on the garage shelf, ActionPacker goes in anything that rides in the truck bed, and the commercial buckets go on a floor that gets mopped every day.

Rubbermaid started in 1920 in Wooster, Ohio, as the Wooster Rubber Company, took the Rubbermaid name in 1957 and is part of Newell Brands today. Most people know it for food storage containers and trash cans. Its commercial division, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, has built mop buckets, waste containers and cleaning tools for janitorial and industrial crews since it became its own operation in 1968, and it has been building resin mop buckets since 1974.

Roughneck storage totes

Roughneck totes come in 3, 14, 18 and 31 gallon sizes, black, with snap-down lids and molded handles made for heavy loads. What makes them the standard garage bin is the plastic. Roughneck is molded from polyethylene, the flexible resin, not the stiff, cheap polypropylene in most bargain bins. Polypropylene turns brittle when it freezes, which is why bargain totes crack on the first hard drop in January. Independent testers who put storage bins side by side found the Roughneck stays tough in cold storage and when dropped loaded, and rated it the best storage container on the market; one test put its cold limit at -100°F. That is the tote for a Montana garage that sits unheated from November to April with the ice-fishing gear, the chains and the Christmas lights in it.

Size them by weight, not by what you wish would fit: the 3-gallon for small parts and fasteners, the 14 for hand tools, the 18 for boots and blankets, and the 31 for light, bulky loads like coats and sleeping bags. The one thing polyethylene does not like is heat. It goes soft above 110°F, so in an attic that bakes all August, keep the heavy totes on the bottom of the stack and the light ones on top.

The 32-gallon Roughneck trash can

The Roughneck trash can is the same heavy black plastic as the totes, with a lid that keeps snow and the neighbor’s dog out of it between pickups. Line it with a contractor bag when it is taking yard waste or remodel scrap, because a full load of wet leaves or drywall splits a thin kitchen bag and the can has to be tipped and scraped. For the house, the 14-quart white wastebasket and the 6.4-gallon black wastebasket are the same idea at kitchen and bathroom size, and the 14-quart shop-bag wastebasket is built to take a reused grocery bag as a liner.

ActionPacker and latching totes

The ActionPacker is the tote built to travel. It is ruggedly built with lockable latches, and the lid can be secured with a bungee cord, so it stays shut bouncing down a washboard gravel road in a truck bed or strapped to a trailer on the way to hunting camp in October. The 8-gallon size holds a toolbox’s worth of gear or a weekend camp kitchen, and the 24-gallon takes the tent, the stove and the tarps. The smaller latching totes, a 16-quart shoebox size and a 71-quart, keep the lid clipped on for loose parts, fishing tackle and the kids’ craft supplies inside the house.

Rubbermaid Commercial mop buckets and cleaning tools

Rubbermaid Commercial’s resin buckets are what janitorial crews use on shop and store floors because resin will not dent, rust or chip the way a galvanized bucket does, and a bucket that gets dragged across concrete every day needs that. The 35-quart bucket with a side-press wringer squeezes the mop when you push down on the handle, and it is the right size for a shop floor or a store aisle. The 31-quart tandem commercial bucket with wringer is the compact version for a smaller floor or a quick clean-up of mud-season tracks at the door. The heavy-duty 11-quart gray bucket with two pour spouts is the one for mixing and hauling, because two spouts pour clean from either hand. The corn-fiber warehouse broom, 12 inches across on a 58-inch handle, is the broom for rough concrete and sawdust.

Water cooler, step stool and the small stuff

The orange 5-gallon water cooler is the jug that sits on the tailgate from June through September, and the cup dispenser and the 6-ounce paper cups are sized to fit it, so nobody drinks from the spigot. The two-step white stool is the one that lives in the kitchen for the top shelf, and the white sink dish pan rounds out the house.

Rubbermaid at a glance

Line	Sizes	Built for	The point
Roughneck tote	3, 14, 18 and 31 gal	Garage and basement shelf	Polyethylene that stays tough when frozen or dropped
Roughneck trash can	32 gal with lid	Garage, curb, shop scrap	Same heavy black plastic as the totes
ActionPacker	8 and 24 gal	Truck bed, trailer, camp	Lockable latches, takes a bungee
Latching tote	16 qt and 71 qt	Closet and shop parts	Lid clips on, contents stay put
Commercial mop bucket	35 qt side-press, 31 qt tandem	Shop and store floors	Resin will not dent or rust
Heavy-duty bucket	11 qt, two spouts	Mixing and hauling	Pours clean from either hand
Water cooler	5 gal, orange	Job site, tailgate	Cup dispenser and 6 oz cups fit it

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rubbermaid a good brand?

For the plastic that has to take abuse, yes. The Roughneck tote is the one independent testers keep rating the best storage container, because it is molded from polyethylene that flexes instead of shattering, and Rubbermaid Commercial has built resin mop buckets for janitorial crews since 1974. The food-storage containers people search for most are the same company’s kitchen line; the lines on this page are the garage, truck and shop-floor ones.

Roughneck or ActionPacker?

Roughneck for storage that sits on a shelf, ActionPacker for gear that moves. The ActionPacker’s latches lock and take a bungee, so it stays closed in a truck bed, while the Roughneck’s snap lid and stackable shape make it the better bin for a garage wall.

Are Roughneck totes good in a cold garage?

That is where they earn their keep. Roughneck is polyethylene, which does not turn brittle when it freezes the way the polypropylene in cheap totes does; the independent test that rated it best put its cold limit at -100°F, far past anything a Montana January delivers. The only care it needs is common sense: a lid on a frozen tote is stiff, so give it a minute inside before you pry it.

Which Rubbermaid storage container is the largest?

Of the Roughneck sizes on this page, the 31-gallon is the largest, and it is the one for bulky, light loads like coats, bedding and sleeping bags. For heavy gear, step down to the 18 or the 14, because the handles and your back are the limit before the tote is.

Is the Roughneck trash can tough enough for the curb?

Yes. The 32-gallon Roughneck can is the same heavy black plastic as the totes, and the lid keeps snow and dogs out of the trash. Line it with a contractor bag for wet leaves or remodel scrap so the load lifts out in one piece.

Does Rubbermaid make commercial trash cans?

Yes. Rubbermaid Commercial’s BRUTE line is the standard commercial waste container and carries its own 10-year limited warranty. The 32-gallon Roughneck can on this page is the garage and curb version of the same heavy plastic, and for most homes and small shops it is the one that gets bought.

Which Rubbermaid mop bucket is best for a shop floor?

The 35-quart side-press bucket. It holds enough water to do a shop floor without stopping to refill, and the wringer works with a push on the handle instead of a twist that wears out your wrist. For a small floor or the mud tracked in at the door, the 31-quart tandem bucket with wringer is lighter and quicker to dump.