Extend the Life of your Garden Hose: 3 handy hints!

Whether you’re in the market for a new garden hose, or whether you’d simply like to show your trusty old hose a bit of love, we’ve put together our top 3 tips for extending the life of your most-used garden accessory: the faithful kiwi garden hose!

1. Invest in a Hose Storage System

Yes, we know. You’ve just bought a hose – now we’re saying you need to spend MORE money? Surely not! Unfortunately, that is indeed the case. Unless you’ve decided to invest in a self-retracting hose such as the Pro-Series Helix Ultra Coil (in which case, hats off to you, that’s one fantastic purchase!) you will certainly be needing some form of hose reel or caddy system to manage those unruly coils. While we understand that many people simply loop their hose coils over the outdoor tap, or are more than happy to push their hose under the deck, the reality is that this can significantly increase the risk of damage to the hose integrity.

Lawn mowers, dogs, children playing, cars, garden shears and even the thoughtless placement of outdoor furniture – there are many ways your humble hose can be damaged in the average kiwi backyard.

2. Keep your Hose in the Shade

This might seem like common sense, however many people seem to forget that the sun moves… and what may seem like a shady resting spot for your watering buddy will in fact become a blistering oven in the afternoon! You may never even notice, however your hose’s longevity will be severely affected by repeated and prolonged exposure to our harsh southern hemisphere sunlight.

Of course, even hoses nicely stored on a reel can be weathered by the sun, so be sure to place any free-standing or uncovered reel storage systems as far in the shade as possible. Rubber hoses are more resistant to our strong UV rays than the cheaper vinyl ones, but the trade-off is that rubber is more expensive, and a lot heavier!

A good middle option is a vinyl-rubber mix, combining the lightness of the vinyl with the more durable aspects of the rubber. You’ll also find them easier on your wallet – always welcome news!

3. A Kink-Free Hose is a Happy Hose

It’s so easy to unknowingly kink your garden hose – whether through poor storage, mishandling, or accident, a kink here and there is sure to occur. It’s not the worst thing that can happen to your hose, however it can reduce the lifespan significantly should it become a regular occurrence!

One of the most common kinking moments is when water flow needs to be stopped urgently – for this reason, we strongly suggest investing in a good quality hose nozzle, allowing you to stop your water flow immediately, without resorting to the hose-damaging kink! We also suggest coiling your hose while full of water, as this can help to avoid kinks forming while stored.

For more handy hose hints, and for all your gardening accessories, ask the friendly team at Arnold Franks – ready to help and always on hand!