Spring has sprung and you may now be ready to drag out your garden hose. From cleaning off outside furniture, to watering your lawn to gardening, a garden hose is one of those must have items that every homeowner needs. Unfortunately, too many of us will find that when we drag that hose out to use it in the spring or summer it will be useless.
Proper care of your garden hose is important to extend its useful life and save you money on replacing it. We’ve been guilty in the past of not caring properly for our garden hose, not out of neglect but from a lack of knowledge. Before home ownership, I grew up in apartment in New York City–not too much need for a garden hose there. After going through a couple of hoses, I learned a few tips on how to care for them.
First of all, never drag a hose by the nozzle. I used to do this all of the time. The problem is that it weakens the spot where the hose and nozzle connect, leading to leaks. Instead, grab the entire hose, if you can, or at least a good portion of it when you need to move it.
Before turning on your garden hose, always unravel it completely first. This will do two things: prevent the hose from degrading and prevent kinks in the hose that could lead to more damage later.
Keep your garden hose away from the sun. The sun can really cause some damage to your garden hose, breaking down the rubber of the hose quickly. Protecting your hose from the suns rays and its heat is probably one of the most important steps you can take in keeping your garden hose lasting for many seasons of use.
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