- Cleaning your mower is an important part of your lawn maintenance routine
- Grass build-up can affect the performance of your mower
- Cleaning 2 to 3 times a year will keep your mower in tip-top condition
Did you know that cleaning your lawn mower is an important maintenance routine that will make sure you get the best outcome for your lawn? Over time, grass clippings can build up on the underside of the mower deck (the case that houses the mower blades) and above the blades. This can create performance issues with your mower and in some cases spread lawn disease.
What Can Cause a Buildup of Grass on My Lawn Mower?
If you have a side-discharge mower; the build-up can impede the discharge hole. This can cause clumps of grass to gather instead of being spread evenly. These clumps will begin to compost and can burn the lawn underneath. For mowers with a catcher; the build-up can limit the amount of grass that can be pulled up to the catcher, causing more trips to the bin. If you happen to have a mulching mower, a build-up of clippings will reduce the space that the blades have to circulate. This means that the grass may not be cut as fine. Even slightly wet grass will trap moisture against your mower deck, blade, and blade shaft. This can create conditions that are ripe for rust build-up. If you discover rust, you’ll want to remove all of the flakes immediately. Then paint and seal the area to prevent the rust from spreading.
How Do You Clean a Lawn Mower?
If you’ve got a build-up, break out the wire brush and screw driver and start scraping away. Make sure to remove the spark plug first to prevent accidental starting. If needed, gently hose down the mowing deck. However, please note, it is not recommended to use a high pressure washer.
If you have time cleaning your mower deck after every use will prevent build-up over the long run. However if you are cleaning your mower 2 or 3 times throughout the mowing season, you’ll keep it in good shape.
Why Should I Wash My Mower When Mowing 2 Different Grass Types?
If your home as 2 different grass types, we generally recommend washing down the mower between each grass type. This is recommended to help reduce the risk of one grass type being carried to the other lawn type. This is particularly important when mowing between invasive turf types like kikuyu or couch grasses. However, if you do have a less invasive turf type like buffalo and another lawn with more invasive grass like kikuyu, we recommend mowing the buffalo lawn first, then mowing the kikuyu lawn. By mowing the less invasive grass, then mowing the more invasive lawn, you will generally only need to wash down the mower after you have finished mowing both lawns.
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.
