Clean Mower, Happy Mower

If there’s one piece of outdoor power gear that really leads a hard life, it’s your mower. Thanks to our friends at Popular Mechanics, here’s how to help it stay in top form:

Scrape under the deck with a putty knife to remove dried clippings.

Wipe Clean the area around the fuel nozzle and the oil fill

Use an old paintbrush or an air nozzle on your compressor and dust off engine fins.
Vacuum-clean the engine shroud.

Give a tune-up to include fresh oil, a clean air filter, fresh gas and a new spark plug.

Clean and sharpen the mower blade. Check it for knicks and dings from rocks and such. If it shows excessive signs of wear, replace it.

Fill the tank with fresh gas that’s rated at 87 octane or higher. Stale gas is prone to a build-up of moisture and a loss of octane, which can lead to gum deposits in the engine’s fuel line and carburetor. If you think you have stale gas in your tank, drain it and use one of the engine re-start additives available at home stores.