Home LivingGarden5 mistakes everyone makes with garden hoses in a heatwaveUse your garden hose like a proWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Home LivingGarden5 mistakes everyone makes with garden hoses in a heatwaveUse your garden hose like a proWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Use your garden hose like a pro

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Garden hose being used by a woman looking glum

The summer heatwave continuing is great for so many things, from creating an opportunity to whip out one of thebest BBQsfor an outdoor feast, to dusting off one of thebest water blastersfor some cooling fun in the sun with friends and family.

But heatwaves also deliver opportunity for mistakes, and especially those involved in garden maintenance and making use of your outdoor tech, such asthe misuseofpressure washersandgarden hoses.

On the surface it makes perfect sense to reach for your garden hose in a heatwave, but I think that actually there’s plenty to consider before using one. I’ve made and seen numerous garden hose mistakes in my time, so here’s a heads-up on some of the most common so hopefully you can avoid them.

1. Leaving your hose in the direct sun

Ok, this is really important and a mistake I see over and over again – do not leave your hose in the direct sunlight during a heatwave. Anddefinitelydon’t leave it exposed on top of something like flagstones in the direct sun. This is because the sun’s UV rays degrade the rubber that hoses are made from and, worse, flagstones becomeveryhot when exposed to high level of sun, effectively turning them into baking stones. All this heat isreallyno good for rubber hose pipes and will lead to a degradation in longevity, especially when the hose is cooled where the degraded rubber can then become hard and split. If you get your hose out in the heatwave, be sure to store it away again after use, or cover it up to block those intense UV rays.

2. Using your hose in the heat of the day

3. Using the wrong hose head setting in heatwave conditions

This one is really common and can exacerbate the last mistake even more. Again, picture the scene. It’s heatwave red hot and decide to get out the hose and start spraying your lawn, plants and more as if it were any other time of year. This is a mistake, again, because the hose head setting you probably normally use might not be right for the heatwave conditions. Usually fine spray your delicate plants to avoid damage? Well, that spray is just going evaporate right now, so if yourmustwater your plants in the heat then consider switching to a natural unpressurised tap setting and focus on letting water pour out of the hose at ground level. This will at least mean some of that water gets to where it is needed most, the plant’s roots.

4. Using the hose when a watering can is better

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