The humble garden hose, also known as a hosepipe or simply “the hose,” is a truly indispensable tool in landscaping, gardening, and lawn care. Some even transform their hose into a pressure washer. Sadly, garden hoses often end up strewn haphazardly across our lawns, tangled and prone to kinks. In more frustrating scenarios, you might even find yourself dealing with a mini fountain, sprouting from a tiny hole in the hose.
Many homeowners find it frustrating to neatly coil a garden hose without it becoming kinked or tangled during use. Fortunately, there are several effective techniques for coiling your hose. The most common methods include looping, the figure-eight, and the over-under technique. Among these, the figure-eight method is particularly efficient for storage, transport, and use, offering a practical solution to this common problem.
However, good coiling technique is just one part of proper garden hose care. It also involves proper handling, use, and storage to keep it pristine, kink-free, crack-free, and tangle-free.
Coil your garden hose using figure eight
Before you coil the garden hose, it’s imperative to keep it dry to avoid mold and mildew buildup. Next, aim for a larger coil 2 to 3 feet in diameter to keep the hose loose, making it harder for kinks to form.
Begin by disconnecting it from the water faucet and then drain the remaining water from it after shutting it off. Do this by holding the hose vertically with the end open and giving it a good shake. Pull the hose near the house so you don’t have to pull on it from wherever it is when you’re already coiling. Begin coiling from the section attached to the water source so they end up at the bottom, with subsequent coils layered on top. This arrangement ensures that the first coils come off when you pull the hose from the nozzle end.
Begin coiling the hose in a loose figure-eight pattern until the part of the hose with the nozzle or sprinkler lays at the top of the figure-eight coil. You can store it this way or fold one side over the other before tying it with a rope. If you have a budget, you can also buy a hose reel. Alternatively, you can also DIY a garden hose reel to maximize your yard space.
Benefits of coiling your garden hose
The most significant benefit of coiling your garden hose properly is that it prevents it from kinking and tangling. The next time you use your garden hose, you can easily pull it without the hose kinking or tangling.
Coiling your garden hose is also a good storage solution. Not only does it look neater compared to letting it stay across your lawn, but it also makes the garden hose easy to carry and store. Leaving your garden hose outdoors and exposed to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures can make it prone to cracking, often leading to the formation of holes. Furthermore, if left outside, your hose becomes an easy target for rodents and pests, who can chew through it, causing additional damage.
For long-term storage of your garden hose, it’s crucial to ensure that it is completely drained of water. This is particularly important when storing it away for the season, as any remaining water could freeze, expand, and potentially cause the hose to burst during winter.
