How To Store The Lawn Mower In The Garage?

If you have a nice lawnmower, you probably don’t want to leave it out on your lawn. Instead, you might be curious about how to store the lawnmower in the garage – and how to do so properly. We’ll give you some tips!

Where Should I Keep My Lawn Mower?

Although most people choose the garage as the ideal spot for lawnmower storage, it doesn’t have to be the only option. Before we take a deep dive into tips on storing your lawnmower in the garage, let’s look at some of these alternatives first.

Some people have dedicated sheds specifically for their lawnmowers. These might be freestanding tool sheds that existed when you bought the property or even DIY wooden sheds that you build specifically to stash your mower.

The benefit of this kind of structure is that you can protect your mower from the elements without taking up valuable real estate in the garage – space you might need for other tools or your car. You can also store other gardening implements and tools in this kind of shed, such as hoes, rakes, and shovels.

How Do You Store a Lawn Mower in the Garage?

Here are a few tips to follow to help you store your lawnmower in the garage.

Consider a Pulley and Shelf System

If you rarely need to use your lawnmower – or if you want a way to stash it for the winter – you might want to consider a pulley and shelf system.

This storage idea can be a pain if you’re using your lawnmower every week (or if you have a large riding lawnmower). However, for a simple push mower that you aren’t planning on using for a while, it’s perfect.

Check out this video for more information on how to build a pulley system in the garage:

Make the Most of Garage Space

If you have to store your lawnmower in the garage, do your best to make the most of the space you have available there. Push the mower into a corner, stash it under an overhang, or move existing objects around – anything you have to do so the mower doesn’t become a tripping hazard!

Build a Lawn Mower Rack

If you have several lawn mowers that need to be stored (or several tools or machines of similar sizes and dimensions), you can build a freestanding lawnmower rack in your garage to hold your gear, too. All you need is four pieces of thick treated wood and you can get this up and ready in no time.

And if a freestanding rack isn’t ideal for your situation, you can always mount shelves to the wall. If you use your mower often, you can place it under the first shelf, but if you only mow a few times a year, you can lift it up and onto the higher shelves.

You can also install hooks to hang your lawnmower. However, this obviously won’t work with larger lawnmowers or riding mowers. It’s also important that you don’t store your lawnmower facing sideways or upside down – it could leak gas. If you use a wall hanger, make sure it allows the lawnmower to hang in a horizontal, upright position.

Use a Floor Mat and Cover

You should try to avoid keeping your lawnmower directly on the floor. If you have a riding lawnmower, the wheels shouldn’t come into contact with the cold floor. Plus, a lawnmower can leak oil onto the floor, staining it and causing future problems.

Instead, put your lawnmower on a floor mat. Oil-absorbent mats are best, since they’ll cushion the mat while also taking care of any messes.

You may want to use a cover, too. This will prevent dust and debris from gathering on and damaging your lawnmower.

Sloping Shelves

For many people, storing the lawnmower in the garage is a pain for several reasons. It is a tripping hazard when left out on the floor – and gets in the way of where you want to park your car – but it’s too heavy to lift onto a shelf.

Enter – sloping shelves (aka – ramps).

You can build a simple shelving system to tackle your concerns. Build a low table, where the top will serve as a platform for your lawnmower. Attach a ramp going up one end. The lawnmower will glide up and down with ease, and you can stash other gear (like a weed trimmer or gas can) beneath the shelf.

Lawn Mower Maintenance – Before You Store

Before you store your lawnmower, regardless of how you do it, there are a few steps you need to take to make sure it is stored properly.

Start by draining the gasoline. Some people keep the gas in their machines between seasons but this isn’t a great idea. It can form a layer of varnish in the tank. Plus, you run the risk of gasoline leaking into your garage.

If you plan on storing your lawnmower for more than three weeks, drain the gas tank first.

You should also plan on draining and changing the engine oil. Storing the lawnmower with dirty engine oil is a bad idea because it can cause dirt to adhere to various parts of the lawnmower.

Cover the fuel cap to prevent leakage and remove any batteries. You can also remove spark plugs.

Last but not least, wipe the lawnmower down so that it is more or less clean going into storage. This will reduce the chances of rust forming and also prevent you from getting your garage dirty.

How Do You Store a Lawn Mower in the Garage for Winter?

If you plan on storing your lawnmower in the garage for the winter, you can do so by following any of the steps we’ve already detailed in this article.

Make sure it isn’t sitting directly on the ground so air can circulate. If you can, cover it with a heavy-duty tarp and check on it periodically.

Again, removing gas from the tank is key to preventing rust. Remove the lawnmower blade and sharpen it now – that way, it’s one less task you’ll have to tackle come spring.

Is it Safe to Store a Lawn Mower in the Garage?

Storing the lawnmower in the garage isn’t ideal, but for many homeowners, it’s the only option.

As long as you take steps to store your lawnmower safely, you shouldn’t have any problem keeping it there. Just make sure it’s stored properly to prevent a tripping hazard.

Also, inspect the lawn mower frequently to make sure there aren’t any pinholes in the fuel tank. This can cause gas to spill on the floor or can fill the air with unhealthy fumes.

Otherwise, store away! Keeping your lawnmower in the garage is a much better option than allowing it to remain outdoors.

A Healthy Lawn Starts With a Healthy Lawn Mower

You can’t grow an attractive, healthy lawn if you don’t have the right gear to do so.

You need a lawnmower that runs well and is properly maintained. Having the perfect storage area goes. hand in hand with lawn mower maintenance.

Follow these tips for storing your lawnmower in the garage and it should run well when you are ready to use it! Looking for more storage tips? Here are our guides to extension cords, piano storage, or cargo boxes in your garage.