Do you want to ensure lawn mowers continue to work flawlessly? If yes, then you need to clean it from time to time. Ideally, you should clean the lawn mowers off after every use. This way, it would remove any grass accumulated in the critical parts.
While cleaning the lawn mower might sound like an easy task, there are various things to keep in mind. If you are wondering how to remove dried grass from a lawn mower deck, then this article is the right thing for you.
We’ll give you the expert tips and tricks that you need to keep in mind to clean lawn mower engines and other parts. So, without further ado, let’s learn how to wash a lawn mower properly.
Why Regular Cleaning of Your Lawn Mower Matters
Regularly cleaning your lawn mower is vital to ensure that it maintains its performance and longevity. Neglecting this aspect can lead to various problems that could affect your mower’s efficiency and lifespan. There are various advantages of regularly maintaining your lawnmower. Firstly, a clean lawn mower operates more efficiently.
When grass clippings and debris accumulate on the mower deck and blades, it can hinder their ability to cut grass effectively. This results in uneven cuts and may even damage the grass, leaving your lawn looking unkempt.
By regularly cleaning a lawn mower, you ensure it can do its job properly, leaving you with a beautifully manicured lawn. Additionally, a clean lawn mower is more fuel-efficient. Regular cleaning reduces this strain, helping you save on fuel costs and reducing your carbon footprint.
However, you need to know how to do maintenance on a lawn mower properly. Let’s learn more about the steps to follow for proper maintenance of the lawn mower.
Necessary Tools and Supplies You Need
Before starting with the cleaning process for your lawn mower, there are a few essential tools and supplies you need to get. These include:
- Wrenches
- Water hose
- Oil or water-repellent lubricant
- Cleaning brush
- High-pressure lance
- Lawnmower blade grinder
- Universal scraper
- Mower jack
A lot of people have this question in mind: can you pressure wash a lawn mower? The answer is yes as it plays a major role in removing the grass. If you don’t know how to clean a lawn mower blade, then it is best to watch a couple of videos online before proceeding with it. Furthermore, you can go for the blade grinder to bring back the shine of the blade.
It would allow you to restore the shine and remove rust from lawn mower blade. Using proper tools and supplies is vital when cleaning your lawn mower. Low-quality or incorrect tools can lead to subpar results and even cause damage to your equipment. Focusing on your lawn mower maintenance is as important as keeping your pool cleaned and maintained.
Safety Precautions
Before learning how to clean your lawn mower, there is also another important factor that you need to keep in mind — Safety. It should be your top priority when cleaning a lawn mower. You need to take the relevant safety precautions to ensure you and other people don’t sustain any injuries.
Therefore, make sure to wear the necessary safety gear — including gloves and eye protection. This will shield you from potential debris and chemicals that may be present during the cleaning process. Furthermore, you should also ensure that the cleaning supplies and equipment are stored in a safe and secure location.
If you have a proper lawn mower cleaner kit, then make sure to keep it somewhere safe. This prevents accidents and keeps these items out of reach of children and pets. Also, it would be easy for you to find that kit for the next time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Lawn Mower
Now that you have the tools, safety guidelines, and other things, you might wonder about how to clean a lawnmower. Let’s delve into the step-by-step process of cleaning your lawn mower:
Step 1 – Make Sure the Fuel Tank is Empty
First things first, you need to take all the steps for safety. This starts by removing the spark plug wire to ensure the engine cannot start accidentally. It is a highly important step that is crucial for your safety. Additionally, you need to keep all the relevant tools by your side that can be needed during cleaning.
Also, you must empty the fuel tank. If possible, try to run the engine until it runs out of fuel, or use a hand siphon pump to remove excess fuel. This reduces the risk of fuel spills during cleaning. All in all, you should take all the safety precautions and wear protective gear before you start to clean.
Step 2 – Brush off Debris and Hose down the Mower
The next thing that you need to do is remove all the debris and dirt in the lawnmower. Use a cleaning brush to remove grass clippings, dirt, and debris from the mower deck, blades, and other parts. Be thorough, and pay attention to hard-to-reach areas to ensure you clean everything.
Use a hose to wash off the remaining debris and dirt. A lot of you might wonder can you pressure wash a lawn mower? To answer that question, you can, but avoid using high-pressure water, as it can damage sensitive parts.
Step 3 – Clean the Air Filter
The air filter is an essential part of your lawn mower. Therefore, it is important to clean a lawn mower air filter from time to time as well. You can remove it and then properly clean the air filter. If you feel that the air filter is not in optimal condition, then you might consider replacing it.
With a clean air filter, the engine of the lawn mower would get sufficient airflow. As a result, it would be able to operate at the best efficiency level. In addition to cleaning the air filters, it is critical to lubricate the relevant parts of the lawnmowers. Simple oil would be more than enough to lubricate the parts.
However, you can also go for any other water-repellent lubricant according to your convenience. Apply oil and lubricate moving parts, such as the wheels and pivot points. This keeps your mower running smoothly and ensures that there is no excess pressure on different parts.
Step 4 – Check the Oil and Clean the Catcher
In case you own a four-stroke mower, then it is best to check the oil. You can take off the cap and check the oil level with the help of the dipstick. If you find the oil level to be low, then you should top it up. Additionally, you also need to check the color of the oil during this process.
Dark and dirty oil would mean that you need to drain and replace. Apart from that, you also need to clean the catcher by first removing it from the mover. If the catcher is way too dirty, then you might consider using a hose. Otherwise, you can just brush it to clear it up properly.
Step 5 – Reassemble and Start the Engine
Once everything is complete, it is time to check the lawnmower. Reconnect the spark plug wire, add fresh fuel, and start the engine to make sure everything is functioning correctly.
And there you have it! You now know how to do maintenance on a lawn mower. It would allow you to ensure your garden stays in top-notch condition. But there are some other things that you need to keep in mind for your lawnmower. Let’s learn more about how to clean under a lawn mower.
Mower Deck Cleaning Tips
The mower deck refers to the part that is inside an enclosed housing where the blade usually does its magic. This part is usually under the cover, and you might not consider cleaning it for aesthetic reasons. Nevertheless, cleaning the mower deck is vital to maintaining the efficiency of your unit.
Essentially, you need to know how to remove dried grass from the lawn mower deck properly. This is because it entails the blade, and you need to be careful around that particular part. If there are dried grass clippings, then it would lower the cutting efficiency.
Therefore, you should carefully scrub off the dried grass clippings. Apart from the lawn mower annual maintenance, you should clean the deck mower a couple of times. Ideally, it is best to clean it after the end of each mowing season. You can clean the mower deck without removing too many things. All you have to do is:
- Empty the gas tank
- Disconnect the spark plug wire
- Clean the parts with the help of a garden hose
- Wash off the residual dirt and debris using a brush with hot water and soap
- Dry all the pieces eventually
So, if you want to know how to keep the mower deck clean, well here it is. This entire process would take a short amount of time and would ensure there is no impact on the performance of the lawn mower. As mentioned earlier, it is best to carry out this cleaning process at least twice a year.
Sharpening the Blades is Also Important
Blade maintenance is vital as it is a critical component of the lawnmowers. By sharpening the blades, you would be able to ensure that there is a clean and precise cut. Dull blades tear grass, leaving your lawn looking ragged. Therefore, you should regularly check and sharpen the blades.
Consider making it part of your lawn mower maintenance routine. Also, it is important to have a robust lawnmower blade grinder by your side. It would help you get your blades sharpened without going through a lot of trouble.
Additional Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips
In addition to cleaning and sharpening your mower blades, there are several other maintenance tasks you should consider. Here are some additional lawn mower maintenance tips to help you out:
Lawn Mower Annual Maintenance
You must perform an annual check-up to make sure everything is working properly. You can find about the parts that are not in the optimal condition and get repaired or replaced. The spring lawn mower maintenance would help you get the lawn mower checked before the upcoming mowing season.
Remove Rust from Lawn Mower Blade
If you notice rust on your mower blade, remove it with a wire brush or a rust-removing solution. You should regularly inspect the oil, spark plug, and air filter. Also, replace any parts that show signs of wear and tear.
Electric Lawn Mower Maintenance
It is important to know that electric mowers also require maintenance. The electric lawn mower maintenance needs to properly check the power cord, clean the blade, and ensure all electrical connections are secure.
Check On the Carburetor
To maintain your lawn mower’s performance, it’s crucial to clean the carburetor. Corrosion or clogs can render it inoperable. If you notice corrosion, consider replacing the carburetor. However, if it’s simply dirty, you can clean it effectively. Disassemble the carburetor, soak its parts in carburetor cleaner for an hour, rinse with cold water, and thoroughly dry with compressed air. Ensure it’s entirely dry before reassembling to keep your mower running smoothly.
Summing up the Lawn Mower Maintenance for You
We hope you have a clear idea regarding how to wash a lawn mower. You have a comprehensive idea about the key things to keep in mind, such as checking oil levels, cleaning a lawn mower air filter, etc. This would ensure that your lawnmower is in proper working condition.,
Take good care of your lawn mower, and it will continue to provide you with a beautifully manicured lawn season after season. Plus, don’t forget to get the relevant tools and other important hardware for the cleaning of your lawnmower.
