How To Effectively Clean Your Lawn Mower's Air Filter For Optimal Results

Cleaning your lawn mower from top to bottom is the best way to ensure a long lifespan and the best possible performance. If excellent mowing performance is your aim, washing the machine to dislodge grass clippings is important, as is changing the oil regularly and sharpening the blades. Cleaning the air filter is the next vital step. Working out why your lawnmower won't start and what to do about it might be as simple as checking the condition of the air filter. If it's dirty, the machine may not start. A well-maintained air filter also helps with fuel efficiency by cleaning the air as it enters the engine.

Gasoline powered engines pull in air and mix it with fuel in the carburetor to create combustion. This air gets dusty and debris-filled as you push or ride the lawn mower across your yard. The air filter blocks these particles, preventing them from clogging and damaging the engine. Eventually, an aging, grimy filter will develop holes, allowing large particles to reach the engine parts and prematurely wear them out. You don't need to replace the filter if it's in good shape; you can clean it instead. How depends on whether your machine is fitted with a paper, foam, or dual-element air filter. Regardless of type, mower owners should check and clean the air filter after every 25 hours of use or, if you cut your grass often, before each mowing season.

Before removing the air filter, turn off the lawn mower and wait at least 20 minutes for it to cool down. Then, pull the spark plug wire loose to prevent any accidents while you're working on the engine. Look for a (probably plastic) cover held in place with a screw, bolt, or clip on the side of the engine; the cover protects the filter and holds it in place. After removing the cover, use your phone camera to take a photo of the filter alignment. This makes it easier to put the filter back in the same position when reassembling your lawn mower.

A paper filter has microscopic holes that allow air to flow into the carburetor. The pleated folds in the paper catch dirt, dust, and other particles, keeping them out of this delicate engine part. Cleaning the debris from the paper frees up those tiny perforations. Start by tapping the filter a few times on a sturdy, flat surface, like your concrete driveway or the garden shed floor, to loosen any bits. Then, hold it up to a bright light. If you can see light shining through the filter, it's ready to be reinserted into the mower engine. If the filter looks dark or shadowy, go through the cleaning steps once more. Still no luck? Throw it away and buy a replacement.

A foam air filter for a lawn mower has a porous structure that allows air to move through it into the carburetor. As with a paper air filter, the foam version is protected by a plastic cover, which can usually be found on one side of the motor. Remove the screw, bolt, or clip to open the casing and pull out the filter. Clean it using a mix of dish soap and water, then rinse it in fresh water until the water runs clear. Squeeze as much water out of the filter as you can and let it air dry. If you leave the filter in the sun, it should be dry in about an hour.

Pour 1 to 3 teaspoons of clean engine oil over the dry filter and massage it into the material. After spreading the oil throughout the foam, you can replace the lawn mower's air filter in its housing and snap the cover back on. If you don't add motor oil to the foam filter, small-sized particles can still reach carburetor. The motor oil makes the foam stickier, helping it to trap even the most minute debris. Dual-element air filters consist of foam wrapped around a paper filter. To clean this type of filter, remove and replace or clean the foam section as detailed above. Then follow the steps we outlined earlier to clean a paper filter. After each part is dry, reassemble the filter and put it back into its casing in the mower's engine.