DIY Network

Cleaning and Caring for the Lawnmower Cleaning and Caring for the Lawnmower From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" episode DQOC-103

Figure A

One of the most economical things you can do to keep the outside of your home looking good is to cut the grass on a regular basis. Mowing makes the yard look manicured, even if you have more weeds than grass. Mowers are expensive machines, but if you keep them in good working order, they will last for years (figure A).

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	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• After use, hose the mower off, but keep water away from a vented gas cap and the air filter. Always pull the sparkplug wire to prevent an accidental start of the mower.

• Remove built-up grass under the mower with a putty knife (figure B). Remember to keep the gas cap angled up to prevent gas from escaping while cleaning. Cleaning the undercarriage will allow the mower to bag more efficiently and prevent chunks of grass from dropping on the freshly mowed grass. Do not move the blade during the cleaning to prevent oil from pumping out of the engine.

• To change the oil, remove the cap and the dipstick. Tip the mower up and pour the old oil into an oil pan (do this while the engine is warm since the oil will be thinner and will thus pour out faster). Refill with clean oil and dispose of the old oil according to the environmental protection guidelines for your community. For mowers with a foam air filter, the oil should be changed after approximately 25 hours of use (for most people, that's about once a year). If your mower has a paper filter, change it after every 50 hours of mower use.

• Foam filters clog up easily if they encounter dust (figure C). Remove and clean by dipping the filter in soapy dishwater and squeezing it like a sponge to dislodge the dust. It doesn't have to be rinsed -- just use a towel or rag to squeeze the water out. Then pour regular oil on the filter and squeeze to work it in (figure D). The oil helps trap and hold the dust as enters the filter.

• Remove gas from the mower before storing at the end of the season, since gas goes bad in about a month. And if allowed to sit in the tank for a long period of time, the alcohol in the gas becomes destructive to the rubber pieces inside the gas tank. Alcohol in the gas will also absorb water from the air, and if gas remains in the mower it turns into a type of varnish that destroys carburetor parts and has a clogging effect on mower parts. To drain the gas, just let the mower run dry. Any remaining gas can be wicked out with a rag, but remember: never put gas-soaked rags in a washer or dryer.

• When the mower is in use, the blades should be sharpened every two months to keep the blades cutting smoothly. Dull blades tear the grass, creating ragged edges; these ragged edges can make the grass susceptible to disease.
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Gardening Q&A; Maintaining Garden Tools
  	Cleaning and Caring for the Lawnmower
  	Road Trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  	Watering Windowboxes and Hanging Baskets