How to Clean a Lawn Mower

You have just finished mowing, and the underside of the deck is likely covered in a thick layer of packed clippings. This is normal, whether you're using a push mower on a small yard or a robot mower for a larger area.

When cleaning a lawn mower, the most important habit is to clear the underside regularly. People either avoid water entirely and never clean it, or they hose the whole machine and damage something.

This guide explains how to clean your lawn mower, including how often to clean it, what materials to use, how to safely access the underside, and adjustments for push mowers, riding mowers, and robot mowers.

How Often Should You Clean a Lawn Mower?

How often you clean your mower depends on three levels of maintenance.

• First, perform a quick clean after every few uses.
• Second, conduct a thorough cleaning two to three times throughout the mowing season.
• Lastly, do a final clean before storing it for winter.

Cleaning matters not just for appearance; grass clippings can trap moisture against the metal and cause rust. Missing one cleaning session won't cause immediate harm, but neglecting maintenance for about six weeks can cause significant damage.

Aim to clean the mower soon after mowing, while the clippings are still soft. If you wait until they dry, you'll have to spend more time scraping them off instead of easily wiping them away.

Lawn Mower Cleaning Essentials

There isn't a single best way to clean a lawn mower, but you don't need special tools. A stiff brush, scraper, and water are usually sufficient, with mild dish soap or detergent for tougher residue.

Here's what to keep on hand:

• A stiff-bristled brush for loose, dry debris
• A scraper or putty knife for the packed layer underneath
• A garden hose with a spray attachment
• A bucket of water with a small amount of mild detergent
• A cloth for wiping down the top and controls
• Work gloves

Avoid using solvents and degreasers on painted surfaces, as they can damage the finish.

Also, refrain from using compressed air, which pushes debris into hard-to-reach areas instead of removing it.

Always wear gloves when your hands are near the deck, as dried clippings can obscure sharp blade edges.

How to Clean Under a Lawn Mower

Cleaning under a lawn mower is where the real work happens, and scraping removes most debris before using water.

1. Turn off the mower. Unplug the spark plug wire on gas mowers, remove the battery pack on battery mowers, and properly shut down robot mowers using the app. Always wear gloves before reaching near the deck.

2. Tip the push mower with the air filter and carburetor facing upward to ensure that fuel and oil remain in place. For riding mowers, use a ramp or lift instead of tipping it over. You can turn a robot mower over.
3. Remove loose debris before scraping. Use the stiff brush from your supplies to quickly knock off any dry material before scraping. This saves time and prevents the scraper from struggling with debris that could have easily been brushed away.
4. Scrape the edges of the underside, where buildup is thickest. Clippings that have been there for a while often come off in sheets rather than crumbling.
5. Check around the blade shaft too. Grass tends to wrap around, which can throw the blade slightly off balance if you leave it uncleared.
6. Work toward the center and rinse away the debris. If you're not sure how to clean lawn mower deck, the answer is to simply scrape and rinse.

A clean underside is essential for performance. Clippings need space to move as the blade spins, and a clogged deck results in uneven cutting.

However, this step doesn't address the blade itself. If it looks dull or nicked, refer to our guide on how to sharpen a lawn mower blade. Sometimes sharpening isn't enough, and our guide on how often to replace mower blades helps you decide.

Can You Hose a Lawn Mower Down?

When you're considering how to wash a lawn mower without causing damage, hose only the underside, not the top.

Gas mowers have an air filter, oil filter, and spark plug housing on top, all of which should stay dry. This is why cleaning guides advise against hosing down the mower as a whole. However, a machine without an engine doesn't have that limitation.

After scraping, rinse the underside thoroughly. Use a damp cloth for the engine's top instead of spraying water, and keep moisture away from controls and exposed electrical components.

Avoid pressure washing any mower, as it forces water past seals into bearings and wiring with a pressure that a hose cannot match. The damage may not be immediate but can show up weeks later as a mower that won't start.

Which parts must stay dry depends on the machine's internal components, which is where mower types differ.

Note: This section refers to water applied intentionally. For concerns about rain, storage, or leaving a mower outside, our guide on whether a lawn mower can get wet covers that.

After Cleaning A Lawn Mower: Drying and Putting It Away

Allow the mower to dry completely before storing it, as standing moisture can lead to rust. Air-dry the underside, as toweling merely moves the water around.

If you're putting the mower in a shed or garage, let it sit outside for an hour or two first. A wet mower stored in a closed space will remain damp longer, undermining the purpose of cleaning.

If this is your final cleaning before winter, remember that proper storage involves more than just drying. Read our guide on how to winterize a lawn mower for more tips on fuel, battery maintenance, and the mower's placement for the season.

Cleaning Different Types of Lawn Mowers

The cleaning method stays consistent across all mowers. However, the parts that must stay dry and how to access the underside vary by mower type.

Push mowers

Position the mower with the air filter and carburetor facing up to prevent fuel and oil spillage. Ensure the top stays dry, then scrape and rinse the underside.

Riding mowers

Avoid tipping a riding mower. Instead, use a ramp or lift. When figuring out how to clean a riding lawn mower, expect a larger deck area and more scraping, but the water rule stays the same. Rinse underneath while keeping the engine components dry on top.

Electric and cordless mowers

If you're wondering how to clean an electric lawn mower, remove the battery before starting. While there's no fuel or oil to manage, the motor housing and exposed controls still need to stay dry.

Robot lawn mowers

Robot lawn mower maintenance is the simplest of the four. A robot mower has more sensitive electronics than a gas mower, but they are sealed inside a water-resistant body, so you can rinse the whole thing and let it drive back to its charging station.

The Dreame A3 AWD Pro has an IPX6 Waterproof & Easy Clean rating, so you can rinse the body directly instead of wiping it down. It also navigates to a designated cleaning point in the app, eliminating the need to move it manually.

However, the underside requires the same care as any mower. Turn off the mower, clear the area around the blade discs, and rinse thoroughly. Let it dry fully before returning it to the charging station.

[product handle="a3-awd-pro-robot-lawn-mower"]

Keeping Your Lawn Mower Clean Year-Round

Regularly cleaning your mower after each mow reduces the need for extensive cleaning. The goal is to prevent moisture from accumulating on metal parts, not just to keep things tidy. By keeping this routine throughout the season, cleaning a lawn mower becomes effortless and almost automatic.

If you'd rather rinse your mower with a hose than drain fuel or sharpen a blade, check out our range of robot lawn mowers. Every model carries the same IPX6 body you can wash down after a run. Set the cutting height and mowing days once, and the mower will follow them from its charging station for the rest of the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you clean the bottom of your lawn mower?

Yes, and it's even more crucial than the top. Clippings accumulate here and retain moisture against bare metal, posing a significant corrosion risk. For detailed cleaning instructions, refer to the section on How to Clean Under a Lawn Mower above.

Which way do you tip a lawn mower to clean underneath?

Tip the mower with the air filter and carburetor facing up to prevent fuel and oil from leaking into sensitive parts. This applies only to push mowers. Do not tip riding mowers, and battery or robot mowers don't have these components.

Can you use a pressure washer on a lawn mower?

No, you should not use a pressure washer on any mower, even those rated IPX6. The pressure can force water past seals into bearings and wiring, causing damage that may not be visible for weeks. A water-jet rating is meant for rinsing, not for high-pressure cleaning.

What happens if you never clean your lawn mower?

Mowing quality declines initially as clippings accumulate. Next, the deck begins to corrode internally. Eventually, starting or running the mower becomes increasingly difficult.