Do I need to clean the deck of my lawnmower?

Question: Do I need to clean the deck of my lawnmower?

Answer: Yes. Clean lawnmower decks at least twice during mowing season. Cleaning will not only help lawnmower performance, but also minimize the spread of lawn diseases (remember, when you cut blades of grass, you are essentially opening up wounds that make the grass susceptible to disease).

To clean a lawnmower, first empty the gas tank and disconnect the spark plug wire. Stand the lawnmower up on its side. Take a garden hose and spray the lawnmower's deck (the housing for the cutting blade, on the underside of the mower) at full blast. This will loosen some of the dirt and caked-on grass clippings. Scrub off the rest using a brush, soap and hot water. Rinse, then dry.

Tip: To reduce future incidence of grass clippings sticking to the lawnmower's underside, lightly spray some vegetable oil after cleaning.

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