Today, gardening has become a popular hobby and a common practice among young people. Therefore, maintaining a garden requires a garden sprayer. A sprayer is mostly used to spray chemicals for controlling weeds and insects to prevent damage to plants. Furthermore, it is used to deliver nutrients that a garden needs to remain healthy.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean the work is done just because you have a sprayer. As with the garden, sprayers must also be maintained and cleaned. However, cleaning a sprayer is a tough job since it contains dangerous chemical residues and is of delicate nature. Therefore, the use of the gardener sprayer, as well as its cleaning, must be performed with proper care. Here is a guide to cleaning your garden sprayer in the easiest and most effective way possible.
Table of Contents
Is it Necessary to Clean the Garden Sprayer?
As we all know, garden sprayers use different types of chemicals that can be highly basic and acidic. Due to these chemicals, sprayers become harmful to living organisms and the children living around. Therefore, it is crucial to clean the garden sprayer thoroughly so there will be no chemical residue left. The major reasons for cleaning gardens are:
- People who come into contact with them may develop skin allergies.
- Mixing two chemicals can create a harmful chemical combination.
- It can be harmful to children who play in the garden.
- Nutrients and chemicals are dispersed with the same sprayers, and chemical residues can damage nutrients.
- It is possible for house animals to come into contact with the sprayer and then spread the chemical in the house, food items, or kitchens.
- It is possible for residual chemicals to damage the sprayer’s parts and cause rust and cracks.
- Adding chemicals to the sprayer’s residual chemicals can cause harmful chemical reactions.
How Often Should Garden Sprayers be Cleaned?
It is common for gardeners to wonder how often they should clean their sprayers to keep them in good condition for as long as possible. The answer to this question depends on how often and what kind of chemicals you use to spray with your garden sprayer. Depending on the chemicals and spraying schedule, cleaning the sprayer before every repeat may not be possible because chemicals are applied repeatedly. In this case, it is recommended to clean the gardener sprayer before applying a new chemical if no more application of the current chemical is planned any time soon.
There are other practices that recommend cleaning the sprayer immediately after use to prevent residual chemicals from sticking around the components and it is also easier to clean the sprayer parts immediately after use rather than later. Since many chemicals are acidic, it is a good practice to clean the garden sprayer immediately after use to ensure its longer life without it losing its functionality.
For those who don’t have time to clean their sprayer regularly, it would be a good practice to do it once a week or before using it, to prevent chemical residue from building up. Additionally, it is a good idea to clean the garden sprayer before applying nutrients to prevent residual chemicals from affecting the nutrients.
In order to plan the sprayer cleaning, it is important to consider where it is kept. If you don’t have a separate place for the chemicals and sprayers, then you need to clean them immediately and keep them out of reach of house animals and children.
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How to Clean a Garden Sprayer?
There are many methods of cleaning a garden sprayer available on the market, including chemicals. If you don’t know the exact type of cleaner to use, you can use simple water and ammonia solution to clean your garden sprayers. However, in case you are using the sprayer on a commercial scale, you will need a dedicated cleaner to clean all parts of the sprayer. Alternatively, if you are using the garden sprayer for a small to medium-sized garden, a simple ammonia and water solution would do the trick to clean it.
Best Picks for You
In recent years, tank cleaners have proved extremely effective in cleaning and removing chemical residues from sprayers. Therefore, in order to make it easy for you to choose one that meets your needs, we have listed below some ideal garden sprayer cleaners.
- Blazer 16 oz spray tank cleaner for commercial & farm use. Without a proper cleanse, the fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides that remain in the tank and can cause cross contamination, killing the plants that you worked so hard to grow. Using Blazer is the solution!
- Blazer minimizes metal corrosion. Blazer will ensure protection for both your vegetation and for your tank sprayer itself. Cleaning will protect the more vulnerable parts of your equipment from deterioration and corrosion.
- The pink color of Blazer helps you visually see what has been cleaned and does not leave behind any staining once rinsed.
- For 100-300 gallon tanks use 16 ounces of Blazer with 50 gallons of water.
- THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN SPRAY TANKS AND SYSTEMS – Gempler’s Spray Tank Cleaner effectively cleans your spray tank and spray system and eliminates any pesticide carryover.
- ADVANCED FORMULA – This best-selling spray tank cleaner removes pesticide and adjuvant residues left behind on the inner tank walls and holds them in its own solution to allow for total rinsing and system purging.
- FAST AND EASY TO USE - This cleaner is completely soluble and counteracts the harmful effects of minerals commonly found in hard water conditions that can clog your spray system. GEMPLER'S Spray Tank Cleaner disperses readily in water and requires no dissolving.
- GRANULE-FREE SOLUTION - There are no granules to clog nozzles or disrupt effective spraying, making this an easy and effective cleaning solution with superb results.
- Blazer gallon spray tank cleaner for commercial & farm use. Without a proper cleanse, the fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides that remain in the tank and can cause cross contamination, killing the plants that you worked so hard to grow. Using Blazer is the solution!
- Blazer minimizes metal corrosion. Blazer will ensure protection for both your vegetation and for your tank sprayer itself. Cleaning will protect the more vulnerable parts of your equipment from deterioration and corrosion.
- The pink color of Blazer helps you visually see what has been cleaned and does not leave behind any staining once rinsed.
- For 100-300 gallon tanks use 16 ounces of Blazer with 50 gallons of water.
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Step-by-Step Guide to Clean the Garden Sprayer
Keeping your sprayer clean with a cleaner or solution of water and ammonia will ensure that it lasts for many years. Additionally, it will promote the growth of your garden and improve the health and well-being of plants. The following steps will help you clean your sprayer with either a cleaner or an ammonia-water solution.
Wear Safety Gear
It is important to wear proper safety gear like rubber gloves and safety goggles when working with harsh chemicals. Furthermore, if you have a face shield, wear it to protect yourself from splashes.
Empty the Tank
Before using herbicides or pesticides, ensure that the tank is only filled with the amount needed because overfilling results in residue buildup. Therefore, once you have finished spraying, be sure to empty the tank. However, most herbicides can be sprayed more than once, so overfilling is fine in that case, since a second spray can use up excess herbicide.
Dispose of Remaining Liquid
It is important to dispose of any remaining liquid in the sprayer before beginning the cleaning process.
For this purpose, you can get help finding a safe way to dispose of this liquid by contacting your local health department, or environmental agency, or by following the guidelines mentioned in the sprayer manual.
We recommend that you do not empty these chemicals directly onto grass, plants, or flowers or into drains or water sources. If you do so, you may harm local plants and animals. However, if you need to empty your sprayer quickly, place leftover chemicals in a glass or plastic container, seal it, and dispose of it later.
- Food Grade | BPA Free | HDPE Plastic | Made in the USA
- 5 Gallon Capacity, 11.75" Diameter x 14.5" Height (without lid); carton contains 3 buckets and 3 gamma seal lids
- Our Gamma Seal lids turn any standard utility bucket into an airtight storage container. Great for storing pet food, livestock feed, charcoal, smoke chips and more. Fits 3.5 - 7 gallon buckets.
- Polished surface provides attractive appearance, Reinforcing ribs maintain container shape, tapered design allows for container nesting
Rinse with Water to Clean Garden Sprayer
Immediately after disposing of chemicals, sprayers should be rinsed with clean water (hot water can also be used) 2 to 3 times to ensure that chemical residues are not left behind. In addition, check the label of herbicides and pesticides recently used to see if any cleaning or washing instructions are provided and make sure you follow them. Once the sprayer has been rinsed with water, spray the water away from water sources and pet areas
Following a thorough flush with water, you can skip further cleaning if you plan to use the same chemical the next day.
Use a Commercial Tank Cleaner or Ammonia Solution
For an ammonia-based cleaning solution, one ounce (30 mL) of ammonia must be added to one gallon (3.8 L) of water. Fill half of the sprayer with this solution, then spray it through the nozzle and wand at least three times. It is important to note that not all herbicides can be effectively cleaned with ammonia. Therefore, a commercial tank cleaner can also be used instead of an ammonia-based solution. Keep it in mind that, commercial cleaners can be used in different ways depending on the brand, so it’s important to read the instructions before using.
It is a good idea to keep the sprayer filled with the cleaning solution overnight or for several hours. This will allow the solution to better break down residue in your sprayer. Afterwards, spray until the sprayer is empty of cleaning solution. It is advised to spray away from water sources and pet and child-accessible areas since pesticide and herbicide residue may still remain on the sprayer.
- Multipurpose cleaner for laundry and general household chores like cleaning kitchens, sinks, garbage disposals and trash cans
- Use full strength, wait a few minute and rinse with clear water
- Can be used on cement floors
- Best for cleaning kitchens, sinks, garbage disposals, and trash cans
Rinse Again and Deep Clean the Small Parts
After emptying the sprayer of cleaner, fill it again with water and rinse it thoroughly. Repeat the process 2 or 3 times to clean the sprayer, wand and nozzle. You can, however, clean the hose, wand, and nozzle more thoroughly by disassembling them. Besides that, for proper cleaning of small parts, an old toothbrush and warm, soapy water would be helpful.
