You don’t want to get your appliances out of the garden shed to find they don’t work anymore. But there’s a danger of this happening if you store them away over winter without maintaining them first.

Here are the quick and easy maintenance tips to carry out so that you can make sure your garden appliances roar into life again come spring.

Lawn Mower

If you have a petrol lawn mower, the petrol can spoil over winter as the flammable parts of it evaporate. If the petrol in your mower has spoilt, the mower won’t start when you next try to use it. Before storing your mower away, drain the petrol and add fresh when you next come to mow your lawn.

The end of the mowing season is a good time to sharpen your mower blades (or replace them if necessary.) A mower with blunt blades will rip grass out of your lawn leaving it looking patchy and unhealthy.

Remove grass build ups as they can obstruct air vents. Wet grass can even cause the mower to rust.

Store in a dry place – water and electrical appliances don’t mix!

Power Tools

Battery powered power tools should be fully charged before being stored away, to avoid damage to the battery. Take care not to overcharge rechargeable batteries though as this can also damage them.

If your garden shed or garage gets particularly cold, it’s a good idea to remove the batteries from your tools completely and store them indoors in your house instead. Just be sure to remember where you’ve put them, leave a note on your appliance if necessary.

Always store power tools clean. Dirty tools could get clogged with dirt and dust or get corroded.

Chainsaw

Leave the blade of your chainsaw oiled to prevent it from rusting and as per your lawnmower, drain the fuel if your chainsaw is a petrol model.

For electric chainsaws, check the cable is intact with no nicks. Damaged cables can cause shocks so replace your cable if necessary.

Plug casings on power tools can sometimes come loose. Check yours is secure and the clamp keeping the plug wiring in place is nice and tight.

Hedge Trimmer

If you owe your perfectly groomed topiary to a hedge trimmer you’ll want to look after it! Clean and lubricate the blades before putting your trimmer away for the winter.

As with your chainsaw, examine the appliance cable for any damages or cuts and replace if required.

Check for signs of wear and tear. This is good advice for all tools. If you know you’re likely to have an issue with your appliance soon, you can get the right replacement part in advance so that your machine is never out of action.

Pressure Washer

Keep pressure washer hose connections clean and lubricate if the seals have become dry. Petroleum jelly is a good grease to use as it’s cheap and water resistant.

Empty all water out of your appliance. You can get any water out of the pump by turning it on for half a second with no pipes connected. Water left in your pressure washer can freeze, expand and damage the internal parts.

3 Golden Rules of Appliance Storage

1.Put garden tools and appliances away dry and clean to prevent rust and corrosion.
2. Store your appliances according to the instructions in the manual.
3. If your shed or garage is dusty store your appliances in a carry case or durable plastic bag to protect them.

The above tips won’t take long to carry out. Just a few minutes of your time gives you the best chance of having tools that work just as well as they did when you left them. In our opinion, appliance maintenance is well worth doing, otherwise come spring you could have a whole host of costly repairs on your hands!

Tags: Gardening Appliance Storage, Gardening Appliance Tips