How to Clean Your Lawn Mower Safely

!±8± How to Clean Your Lawn Mower Safely

Even though lawn mowers are very sturdy machines, you will still need to do some general cleaning if you want to prolong its working life. And not only will the mower last longer, it will work more efficiently for you, which simply means you will have an easier time while mowing your lawn.

But you need to clean your mower properly if you want to do it safely. Remember, your mower has very sharp blades that can cause severe injuries, and engines or electrical parts that may short-circuit if water gets into the wrong compartments.

Thankfully, it's not that difficult to clean your mower at all. All you have to do is to follow these tips below...

The most important tip is to remember to cover the air filters first before you start any cleaning with water. If water gets into the engine, it will probably damage the mower permanently, so taking the precaution to cover up the air intake vents is of critical importance.

Then to save time, you can use your garden hose to spray water all around the mower and try to get rid of as much accumulated dirt and grime as you can. Pay special attention to the underside of the mower as that's where most of the grass clippings and dirt can be found. You will also want to ensure that the joints and moving parts are cleaned, like the areas around the wheels.

Sometimes the grass and dirt is stuck so tightly to the underside or to the frame that you can't even spray it clean with a water hose. In that case, you will have to get a scrapper to work it off slowly. Scrape off the dirt from the blades, but be careful to stay away from the sharp edges while you are doing so. The connecting shaft between the engine and the blades is an important part of the mower, so take extra time to make sure it is cleared of any accumulated weeds or twines that tend to wind themselves around this shaft.

If this shaft is not cleaned, you may find that the performance of the mower is affected. The blades may not spin as smoothly, or the speed may be slowed down dramatically. This is due to the friction on the shaft, so cleaning the shaft goes a long way to improve the performance and effectiveness of the mower.

When you are done with all the cleaning, leave the mower aside to dry up completely. Once you are sure that all moving parts are 100% dry, it's a good idea to lubricate the mower with a suitable lubricating oil. Again, this helps to prolong the life of the mechanical parts by reducing the wear and tear caused when they rub against each other during the operation of the mower.

That's it! Use the tips above and you can have a nice and clean mower in no time at all. And you can save on your maintenance costs as your mower will last longer and break down less often.