Key Takeaway
- With regular usage, the lawn mower deck becomes dirty and clogged with grass clippings, dirt and debris. If not cleaned, they dull the blades and start to rust the deck which reduces the life of a mower drastically.
- The underside of the deck is the place where grime and debris stay enclosed for a long time and cause all deck-issues on a mower. Thus, it is essential to clean and wash the deck underside to ensure, it’s free from all the dirt.
- Follow the simple steps listed below, to clean the lawn mower deck:
- Step 1: Empty the fuel tank
( Drain all the fuel so that no fuel leaks when you will lift the mower upwards for cleaning.) - Step 2: Disconnect the spark plug and remove the cable
( This step is important to prevent any accidental start on the mower.) - Step 3: Use a lawn mower jack to lift the front side of the mower
- Step 4: Pressure wash the underside of the deck using a garden hosepipe
( Identify the spots of stubborn dried mud and caked grass and spray water with more consistent pressure there to loosen the dirt.) - Step 5: Now scrape off all the loosened dirt and grass.
( Use a scraping tool like an ice scraper or a putty knife, to scratch the damp debris) - Step 6: Give the deck one last rinse now and then, dry it using a towel.
- Step 7: Lastly, spray the dry mower deck with a long lasting lubricant like WD-40.
Now lower the jack to bring the mower back on ground, connect the spark plug and the mower is ready to use with a clean deck.
Often, users have different views about cleaning the lawn mower deck regularly. Some people with strong cleanliness genes prefer to clean the lawn mower deck after every mowing session, whereas some choose to just ignore it till the lawn mower literally shouts out for attention by showcasing various deck problems!
Honestly, even I don’t turn my lawn mower upside down each time to clean my mower, I still dust it off and remove the grass clippings on the deck! But I know, that certainly cannot be called a ‘complete lawn mower clean-up’!
Even when you make your lawn mower look shiny and spotless on the outside, it is the underside of the deck where all the debris, dirt and grime loves to hide !
I have often been asked, ‘why should I clean under the deck and wash it off?” It’s because accumulated debris reduces air-flow under the deck and restricts the movement of the blades. This causes your lawn mower to cut poorly and unevenly. Not just this, all kinds of lawn mowers and blades are easily vulnerable to corrosion if you don’t clean the dirt and grime settled over them.
Thus, it is of paramount importance that you clean the deck of your lawn mower regularly and hence, this quick guide! Here, you’ll learn how to clean the lawn mower deck in simple and easy steps!
With the deck-cleaning instructional guide, I have also shared some simple maintenance tips for your lawn mower which are easy to follow and will keep your deck in best shape!
7 Steps: How To Clean Mower Deck
To learn the best way to clean mower deck, collect all the tools and materials mentioned below and follow all the steps listed below in the given order.
| Tools Required | Material Required |
| A putty knife or a scraping tool A wired brush A pressure hosepipe A Jack to lift the mower deck | Gloves A microfibre cloth or some rags A Lubricant spray ( WD-40) |
Step 1: Empty the Fuel Tank
- The first step is to drain all the old fuel and empty the fuel tank of your lawn mower. It will prevent fuel from spilling and leaking fuel when you turn the mower to its side in the coming steps.
( Take this opportunity to clean the gas tank so that after the lawn mower is all-clean, you can add fresh gasoline, engine oil along with a fuel stabiliser. Also, feel free to pick up from my list of top fuel-stabilizers for every engine type.)
Step 2: Disconnect the Spark Plug and Remove the Cable
- Next step is to disconnect the spark plug and remove its cable as well, from the lawn mower. This step is very important to prevent any case of accidental starting on the mower.
- After disconnecting the spark plug, engage the parking brakes also.
Step 3: Use a Jack to Lift the Front Side of your Riding Mower
After all the above steps, the next question comes, ‘how to clean under mower deck?’
- To access the underside of the mower, use a lawn mower jack and lift the mower from the front side. ( refer to the image above)
- Once the lawn mower is lifted, secure the position of the jack to fix the mower.
- Now you can easily access and clean mower deck without removing the top hood.
- In this position, all the caked grass clippings, grime, mud and all the debris in the inner curves of the deck are exposed clearly.
Step 4: Use a garden hosepipe, or a pressure washer to blast off dirt under the deck
Now that the deck is all exposed from the underside-
- Grab a garden hose pipe or a pressure washer and spray on the underside of the deck.
- Wash the blades also and spray with more pressure on the corners where piles of mud have settled.
Step 5: Scrape off loosened dirt and caked grass under the deck
- After washing off the undercarriage with pressure water, if there’s still some dirt left, use a scraping tool like an ice scraper, to scratch off the remaining debris.
- After scraping, use a wired brush and scrub the undercarriage properly with warm water and soap.
Step 6: Give the deck one last rinse and dry the mower completely.
- It’s time for the last rinse! After scrubbing and scraping the deck from the underside, use the hosepipe again to wash off the deck.
- Then, use rags or a microfibre cloth to wipe the mower dry completely.
Step 7: Lubricate the deck with anti-rust spray
- After the deck is completely dry, spray a durable premium quality lubricant like WD-40, generously on the deck body. This step is crucial to protect the clean deck from corrosion and ensures its longevity.
- Lower the jack to bring it on the ground and connect the spark plug with the cable.
Now, the lawn mower is all-clean, dry, well-lubed and ready-to-use!
How To Maintain A Clean Lawn Mower Deck : Additional Tips
Although you should clean the lawn mower deck regularly as a part of the maintenance regime, it’s equally important to keep other parts of the mower like the blades, fuel system, engine fuel tank etc clean.
Check out some easy and simple maintenance tips to ensure that the deck of your lawn mower stays clean for a long time and the mower functions smoothly:
- While you clean the lawn mower deck, it’s the best time to inspect the blades. Examine the blades well and sharpen them.
- Along with the fuel, change the engine oil regularly. Old oil contains residual particles of fuel and dirt which are released in the form of vapours and deposit on the deck in the form of back soot. So, add the right engine oil as per the engine type of your mower but be careful of not overfilling the tank with oil to prevent smoking of engine and lawn mower sputtering.
- Do not mow a wet lawn. Trimming damp grass causes grass clippings to stick on the mower deck, dulls the blades and reduces the mower’s cutting efficiency. So, always mow a dry lawn.
- Lastly, use the right kind of blades on your mower, which are compatible with the deck size and the height of grass in your lawn. You can easily switch regular blades with high lift or low lift blades, or mulching blades if you like to mulch the leaves.
So, this is about how you can clean a clogged dirty mower deck and with these maintenance tips, you can prevent it from clogging and cutting poorly in future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I clean the lawn mower deck with vinegar?
Answer – Of Course yes! Vinegar combined with baking soda is a powerful natural cleaner. For cleaning the deck, combine 240ml vinegar with 3.8L of water. Now, sprinkle baking soda over the dirty mower deck body and scrub all the dirt away with this solution of vinegar and warm water.
Q2. How often should I clean my lawn mower deck thoroughly?
Answer – As a general thumb rule, you should clean the deck of your lawn mower at least twice every year i.e every spring and fall season. Take a pro tip: coat your lawn mower deck with some vegetable oil or a lubricant spray to let it resist dust for a long time and stay clean.
Q3. How long does a lawn mower deck last?
Answer – If maintained regularly, a lawn mower deck can easily last up to eight to ten years. However, it also varies on different kinds of varies according to the terrain the mower is used on, frequency of mowing, quality of fuel and oil used etc.
Q4. Which kind of lawn mower decks are more durable?
Answer – From the different kinds of materials today decks are built with, stamped decks are more durable, easy to manoeuvre and are lighter than fabricated decks. The selection between the two depends on the kind of lawn mower you require and your budget.
Q5. What type of deck is more durable on a lawn mower- plastic or metal?
Answer – Commonly, lawn mowers with plastic decks are lighter in weight and easier to push than mowers with heavy metallic deck bodies. However, irrespective of the material, both kinds of decks should be kept away from moisture. Both the plastic and metallic decks start to decay or rust if not maintained and kept clean.
Conclusion
At first, it looks tricky and a bit complicated to clean under the lawn mower deck but now you know, it’s not a difficult task at all! All you need is the right tools and guidance which I have elaborated in this article.
Clean your lawn mower deck with all the steps mentioned here but don’t forget to pat the deck dry and lubricate it with an anti-corrosion spray so that it stands strong against rust and dirt for as long as possible!
While cleaning the deck from the underside, remember to clean the blades also as the deck remains inefficient to mow neatly if the blades are dull and dirty. So, keep the deck and the blades clean to keep the lawn looking neat and pristine!