Gardener Prevents Grass From Sticking To His Lawn Mower's Bagging Chute With An Easy Solution

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If you love your lawn, you probably already know how to safely clean your lawn mower. But have you noticed the bagging chute constantly getting clogged up with grass clippings? This happens because even dry grass contains some moisture, which makes the clippings stick to the sides of the chute. If you don't clean this part of your mower out regularly, the grass clippings build up over time, eventually clogging the chute. Now, gardeners are an inventive bunch, and YouTuber How To with Doc is no exception. He's come up with an easy solution: coating the inside walls of the chute with car wax.

As you probably know, wax is hydrophobic and repels water. It's why you'll see water droplets bead on your car after you've waxed it. Coating the chute with wax is intended to prevent the grass clippings from sticking to the sides. There are other ways to keep your lawn mower bagger from clogging, including ways to prevent clogs in the chute itself. It's important to note that this particular idea is anecdotal. Applying car wax to the inside of your lawn mower's bagging chute is far from guaranteed to work and isn't a widely recommended practice. Manual clearing is the most common advice. Nevertheless, Doc, who jokingly describes himself as a lazy gardener, seems to swear by it.

Before you give YouTuber Doc's hack a try, check your lawn mower's instruction manual and warranty conditions. Spraying the inside of the bagging chute with wax may void the warranty, particularly if your machine is still quite new or the manufacturer explicitly advises against the practice. In his tutorial, Doc explains that it's important to clean the inside of the chute first to remove as much stuck-on debris as possible. He has a big John Deere riding mower, so the bagging chute is large enough for him to fit his hand into, making the process relatively easy. Then get yourself some Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax — it's the same product Doc uses and it comes in a handy spray bottle.

Once you've sprayed the wax inside the chute, grab a clean rag or an old towel and rub the inside walls. This will not only remove any leftover debris from inside the chute, but it will also spread the wax out so that it completely coats the walls. If you're not sure whether you want to give this hack a try just yet, you should still commit to periodically disassembling the chute (if you can) and soaking the sections in soapy water overnight to remove the grass clippings stuck to the sides. Let the tubes get bone-dry before reattaching them to your mower and mowing your lawn. In fact, this is a great task to add to your to-do list when preparing your lawn mower for winter.