How to Store Your Lawnmower in Winter

Proper storage ensures your lawn equipment will run well for years.

September 26, 2023

Winter is on the horizon and it’s time to store your lawnmower and other lawn and garden equipment through the colder months. The following tips will help you maximize the life and performance of your lawnmower and ensure it springs quickly to life when you’re ready to mow grass again.

Stabilize the gas

Without a stabilizer gasoline can break down in as few as 30 days. Oxygen, humidity, heat and other factors cause gas to change over time. Varnish, gums and other debris may form, which can clog the tiny passages in fuel lines and injectors or stick the floats in carburetors, preventing the engine from starting in the spring.

AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer disrupts the chemical chain reaction that causes gas to oxidize and form varnish and gums. It keeps fuel fresh up to 12 months. As shown, it also fights corrosion and improves stability better than Sea Foam Motor Treatment*.

Clean or replace the spark plugs

The spark plugs in a well-maintained lawnmower should last for years. Even so, check the condition for excessive deposits or wear to the electrodes. Clean on a wire brush (bench grinder is what I use) or replace any dirty plugs as needed. While you’re at it, check the gaps and set them to the proper size, as indicated in the owner’s manual.

Fog Spray the engine

With the spark plug removed, spray fogging oil into the engine. It protects the cylinder, piston and valves from rust and dry-start-induced damage in the spring. Slowly pull the starter cord a few times to distribute the oil, then replace the plug.

Remove the battery

You know, people don’t maintain batteries like they used to.. To prevent frigid temperatures from freezing and ruining the battery, remove it and store it in a safe, climate-controlled environment. Avoid placing it next to your furnace, water heater or other mechanicals in the basement. Put it on a shelf away from open flames. Clean any deposits on the terminals.

Damaged and corroded car battery danger

Clean and protect the mower deck

Use compressed air, a putty knife, water and AMSOIL Heavy Duty Degreaser to remove grass clippings, leaves, dirt and other caked-on debris from the engine and mower deck. Don’t forget to clean the underside of the deck, too.

Let me tell you something, If you prefer to ease the pain of doing this dirty work again next year, try coating the underside of the mower with AMSOIL Mudslinger. It forms a durable armor against the accumulation of grass clippings, making cleanup easier.

Change the oil and filter

Too many people let the mower go another year without changing the oil.. Don’t do that! Used oil contains acids that can slowly rust or corrode metal components. Once rust or corrosion start, they don’t stop. Contaminants can flake off and populate the oil. When the engine is running, they scour like sandpaper and wear out metal parts. Prior to storage, change the oil to remove acidic byproducts and ensure maximum protection against rust and corrosion throughout the winter.

Clean or change the air filter

A steady supply of clean air is just as important to engine operation and performance as high-quality fuel. Grass clippings, leaves, dirt and other contaminants can clog the air filter, causing the engine to start hard or run poorly.

Direct compressed air from the inside of the filter toward its outside to remove contaminants prior to storage. If it’s excessively dirty, replacing it is cheap insurance. The air filter is the only line of defense keeping contaminants from entering the intake and wearing out the cylinder and piston rings. It’s far less expensive to replace an air filter than an engine. Heck I always vacuum mine and it lasts for years. I used to buy them cheap at Kmart. Wish we still had our Kmart around..

Sharpen the blades

This isn’t required before lawnmower storage, but it’s more convenient to do it now, so nothing prevents a quick mow when that first sunny and dry spring day finally arrives. Remove the blades and sharpen them using an angle or bench grinder, but don’t hesitate to replace them if they’re in bad shape. I’ll tell you what, look for a good mower shop (dont tell him you use AMSOIL as he’ll know you never need repairs, lol) and see if they do blade sharpening. Proper sharpening in a jig makes a huge difference especially in a mulching mower.

Store in a dry, covered place

Once the mower is cleaned and prepared for storage, place it in a clean, dry place for the winter. Avoid storing it outside, but if you have no choice, secure a tarp over mechanical equipment to help protect sensitive components from the elements.

Following these simple lawnmower storage and maintenance tips will ensure your mower starts right up in the spring and continues to provide excellent service for many years.

We also have some advice for when your lawnmower won’t start, and if you prefer videos, we’ve got that too:

What’s the Minimum I Should Drive My Car? And Other Winter Car Storage Tips

Jamie Jarvi|Oct 01, 2018 8:30 AM

The roads are home to all kinds of vehicles. Daily drivers that clock thousands of miles each year. Seasonal vehicles that only clock hundreds. And then there are some whose odometers move only when being loaded or unloaded from a trailer.

In any instance, winter vehicle storage is sometimes inevitable.

What to consider when storing your vehicle for winter

There are several things to consider when storing a vehicle. Read on for some tips to ensure your vehicle is ready to answer the call when you awaken it from its storage-time slumber.

1) Seek shelter

There are plenty of good locations for storing your vehicle. Here are a few.

Garage – If you own a garage, it’s the obvious first choice to protect your vehicle from the elements, pests or thieves during storage. Ensure that all entries are secure, including windows or side doors.
Storage facility – If you live in an urban area or you don’t have access to an enclosed space, consider renting space at an indoor storage facility. There are businesses geared toward storing vehicles. Depending on your region’s weather, some offer both indoor and outdoor options.
Friends or family – If the above options don’t work, call in a favor with a family member or good friend who has space in his or her garage, shed, barn or other secure building.

Outdoor storage isn’t ideal, but if it’s your only option, buy a quality weatherproof cover that will protect your vehicle from the elements. There are tons out there ranging from low quality to virtually impenetrable, so do your research to find the best one capable of properly covering your ride.

Covers are effective at protecting the body of the car, but consider the underside of the vehicle. Parking on a concrete slab will help avoid moisture from the ground collecting under the cover and causing rust damage from the bottom up.

2) Clean your vehicle before storage

When you let your car sit for long periods of time you want to make sure it’s thoroughly clean. Even small amounts of the following can damage the paint.

Water droplets
Salt from the road or the air
Sand and dirt
Bird droppings

Show your vehicle some love by washing it well, completely drying it with a shammy and giving it a proper coating of wax. If you’re really feeling fancy, use a clay bar to remove dirt trapped inside the paint.

Inside the vehicle, vacuum all dirt, debris and crumbs. Even small crumbs will attract insects and rodents.

3) Keep out the undesirables

Speaking of which, mice and other rodents love finding a good stationary vehicle to hole up inside for the winter. They’ll build a nest in an inconvenient place, chew through wires and wreak general havoc during their uninvited stay.

Keep them out by closing off any entry points such as the exhaust and air intakes. Dryer sheets are an effective deterrent, so try placing those in and around the vehicle to deter them from considering your vehicle as a winter home.

4) Check fluids & fill ‘er up

Perform an oil change prior to storing a vehicle. This will keep the engine from holding harmful contaminants for a lengthy period of time.

Add a fuel stabilizer to prevent the gas from deteriorating, then fill up the gas tank to prevent moisture from accumulating. AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer is an excellent choice. It’ll inhibit the oxidation process in stored fuel, which will help prevent sludge and varnish from clogging injectors, fuel lines, carburetors and other components. Keep the fuel as fresh as possible since deteriorated fuel makes up the highest percentage of problems associated with vehicle storage.

5) Take it for an occasional spin

Start the vehicle every two weeks and take a short 10-minute drive if possible. A battery that is not used will soon lose its charge and lead to a headache later on.

If you’re looking at long-term vehicle storage, it’s not a bad idea to disconnect and remove the battery entirely. Or, purchase a battery tender and connect that instead. Doing so will deliver a regular charge to keep the battery from losing all power. Look for one with an automatic shut-off feature so it’s not overcharged.

Regular startups or a short drive will also keep the engine and all its components lubricated, which is another important area requiring regular TLC. Just be sure to remove any rodent-repelling measures you may have taken earlier, like the dryer sheets in the exhaust pipe.

If you aren’t in a position to conduct routine starts or short drives, you’ll need something to prevent surface rust from accumulating on engine components. A good coat of AMSOIL Engine Fogging Oil sprayed into the cylinders will do the trick.

6) Mind the Tires

This is another important area to consider, as they are what the vehicle rests on for the duration of the storage period. First, make sure the tires are properly inflated to the correct psi before storage. Sitting vehicles can create flat spots on tires that render them useless later on.

If you won’t be driving at all, roll the vehicle forward or backward a few inches from time to time.

You can do this when you conduct the occasional engine start to keep the battery alive and engine parts properly lubricated. For those who don’t mind a bit of extra work to ensure road-ready tires later on, you can also take them off entirely and replace them with jack stands.

Based on your environment you can pick a storage protocol and do the best you can. Just be aware that vehicles don’t like to sit for extended periods and need opportunities to “stretch their legs,” so to speak. They need to be started and moved at least once per year to keep seals from drying out and internals coated with oil. Follow our vehicle storage advice and your ride will be ready for the road when you are.

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