Keeping your garden a clean and fun place can take a lot of hard work and effort. Garden enthusiasts will spend hours mowing and trimming their gardens to keep them looking up to standard. This is bound to impact their garden equipment; often, even the best gardeners or garden lovers do not know how to properly clean their tools. So that is where we come in. In this article, we are looking to give you a quick and easy guide for cleaning gardening essentials like a leaf blower, a lawnmower, a hedge trimmer, and even a barbeque.

The BBQ is one of the must-haves in our garden equipment collection! Cleaning your bbq in a safe and effective way is the best way to ensure that nobody gets sick the next time you decide to have a little garden party. Here’s how we recommend you clean your bbq when you finish.

• The first and most important thing to do before starting the cleaning process is to disconnect the gas and ensure the BBQ has fully cooled. Failing to do this can be harmful to you and the bbq.
• Get your cleaning products ready. Just a bucket of warm water with added dish soap will do the job. There is often no need to use any chemicals.
• Using work gloves, remove the grates, the metal plates and all plates from the inside of the BBQ.
• Soak the plates/ grill in soapy, hot water. Scrub the excess fat from the parts. When you’re cleaning the grill, scrub both sides to make sure any fat underneath is cleaned off as well. 
• Place all hot plates, char grill plates, flame diffusers and warmer racks in the bucket of warm soapy water and use a sponge to clean them. You can also soak your stainless-steel items in a warm water and washing powder bath. This will keep them clean too.
• Give the barbecue itself a good clean again with hot soapy water and a soft scouring pad.  Make sure the bbq is dry.  Spray your stainless-steel pieces with oil to protect them from rusting.
• Re-assemble and reconnect.

Normally your lawnmower is the machine that makes things look clean and tidy, but good lawnmower care will ensure that your lawnmower stays healthy for longer, thus keeping your grass look like it is in tip-top shape. Here is the easiest and safest way to clean it:

Does your mower have a wash-out port?

Tip number one: Make sure that your lawnmower is plugged out!

• Move it to a flat area

  
  
  

• Lower the cutting height to the lowest setting so that the blades are as out-of-the-way as possible.

  
  
  

• Remove any grass bags and, using a hose, begin to clean the underside.

  
  
  

• Once the water is no longer green or grassy you can turn the mower and the water off.

  
  
  

• Turn the lawnmower back on to dry off the blades once you have removes the hose from the port.

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  Using a leaf blower, dry the underside off and get rid of any excess/small pieces of grass or leaves. 
  
  

• Put the mower on its side.

•  Using a brush, remove as much grass as you can from the underside.

• Spray it clean with a garden hose.

• Turn the mower back around and turn it on so that the blades can dry.

• Use a leaf blower to clean the top of the mower.

Many of the best gardeners have a leaf blower in their storage box or garden tools shed. They are a great tool to use if you want to clean your garden and get rid of unwanted leaves or dirt, but what about when you have a dirty leaf blower yourself? What do you do then? Here is how we would handle it:

• Have a workspace that is flat and not crowded.

  
  
  

• Remove any debris from the leaf blower.

  
  
  

• Check and clean out the air filter.

  
  
  

• Check/clean/change the spark plug.

  
  
  

• Check and clean the fuel filter if necessary.

  
  
  

• Change the oil.

  
  
  

• Check and clean the carburettor.

  
  
  

Now if you have an electric leaf blower, then things are a little more straightforward. All you need to do there is clean the debris, clean the outside, check that the extension cable is in good working condition, and check that the battery is still in good condition.

The hedge trimmer is a key piece of garden equipment if you have greenery in your garden. Whether you have a corded, or cordless hedge trimmer, a black and decker or a Stihl hedge trimmer sitting around in your shed, it is very important that you take good care of it. Why? Well, because it is a delicate and highly useful tool that, if used properly, can be hugely effective in making your garden hedges look tidy.

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   Clean the blades -be very careful doing this because the blades are sharp, but cleaning is as easy as using warm soapy water and a cloth. Try not to leave it too long between cleans; ideally, after every use is best. And finally, ensure that the blades are thoroughly dry before storing the tool away.

2. Clean the air filter in the trimmer – Cleaning the air filter is essential because your petrol hedge trimmer motor needs a constant flow of clean, cool air to function properly. When you use your hedge trimmer, debris and dust particles build up in the filter and reduce the airflow, resulting in a lack of engine power, poor performance and overheating. Typically, the air filter is released via a catch or button, and once you have removed the filter, gently blow through it and tap it on a solid surface. If it’s very dirty or soiled, it’s best to replace it with a new one. Never wash or submerge your filter unless your user manual specifically says to do so, as it may cause the fibres to swell, making it harder for air to pass through, and you will have to buy a new trimmer altogether.

3. Sharpen the blades – Like any cutting tool, a hedge trimmer will work best when its blades are sharp. Now, this can be time-consuming, but a cone-shaped filing stone will see the best results here. Upkeep of the blades of your trimmer will ensure that your trimmer is keeping your garden clean for years to come.