Keeping up with lawn maintenance requires a garden sprayer.Garden sprayers spray pesticides and weed killers from a tank through a wand and spray nozzle onto the lawn.Cleaning your garden sprayer with a solution of water and ammonia will allow the tool to be used for several years and will also keep plants and flowers healthy.
Step 1: On an empty tank.
If you plan ahead, you will be able to fill the tank with as much liquid as you need.If you need to use up excess herbicide, spray plants a second time.
Step 2: Liquid left in the sprayer should be thrown away.
To find a safe way to dispose of this liquid, contact your local health department or environmental agency.Don't put the chemicals on the grass, down a drain or into a water source.Local plants and animals can be harmed by doing so.If you need to empty your sprayer quickly, find an empty plastic or glass container that you can pour the leftover chemicals into, then seal and dispose of it later.If absolutely necessary, a gravel parking lot can be used to store the last bit of product for transfer to a proper disposal site.It's a good idea to avoid spraying it in the busiest part of the gravel lot.Near a fence is an out-of-the-way location.
Step 3: The sprayer should be cleaned immediately after each use.
Don't allow the sprayer to sit with a pesticide in it.Residues from the chemicals you use can build up over time and make your sprayer more difficult to clean.
Step 4: You can check the label to see if it was used recently.
Depending on the chemical, there may be instructions for how to clean the sprayer.Cleaning instructions can be found on the product's container.
Step 5: Proper safety gear is required.
Since you'll be working with harsh chemicals, make sure you wear rubber gloves and safety goggles.You should wear a face shield if you have one.
Step 6: The garden sprayer should be flushed.
The hot water should be squirted through the garden sprayer until all the water in the reservoir has been used.Don't spray the water near water sources or accessible areas for children and pets.You should consider spraying next to or near where you used the pesticide since the chemical will be the same.If you will be using the same type of chemical the next day, you can stop after a thorough flush with water and skip any further cleaning until you are completely finished with that product.
Step 7: An ammonia-based cleaning solution is needed.
Ammonia should be in the cleaning solution at a rate of about 1 ounce of ammonia per gallon of water.The cleaning solution should be filled about halfway and sprayed through the garden sprayer at least three times to flush the wand and nozzle.Ammonia is not always effective.To find out if a bleach solution, powdered detergent, or kerosene solution would be better, research your particular herbicide.De-greasing liquid dish soap can be used.You can buy a commercial tank cleaner at a hardware store.Follow the directions on the packaging and look for one tailored to the type of chemical you are using.
Step 8: The garden sprayer can be left to rest overnight.
Let it sit for several hours, ideally overnight, with the half full of cleaning solution.This will allow the solution to get into the sprayer and break it down.
Step 9: The garden sprayer is the best way to spray the solution.
The next day, spray until you have emptied the cleaning solution.It is best to spray the sprayer in a safe area away from water sources and accessible areas for children and pets.
Step 10: The garden sprayer should be flushed with hot water.
You can empty the remaining water in the reservoir by filling it halfway and spraying the hose.
Step 11: The parts should be given a deeper clean.
To give them a more thorough cleaning, take the hose, wand, and nozzle apart.Try using an old toothbrush to scrub the small crevices after rinsing them with warm, soapy water.When handling sprayer parts, be sure to wear protective clothing and gloves.