Tame even the most unruly garden hose into a tidy bundle with this flip trick.
Introduction
Theoretically, coiling a garden hose into a neat circle should be easy. But many times that hose seems to have a mind of its own. More than once, it felt like I was wrestling a python and ended up with a jumbled mess.
Over the years, I've learned a trick to tame that hose. It can work in the middle of the summer when you just need to keep the hose out of the way; when there's a risk of freezing; or when you're putting the hose away for the season.
Though we may not need the hose for the garden during the cold months, there are many times when I've had to drag it out in the middle of winter to fill a horse trough or water trees during a midwinter warm spell. Regardless of how cold it is, you can always use a garden hose as long as you drain out the water when you're done.To drain the water, pick up one end and lift the hose above your head. Keeping the hose elevated, bring it, foot by foot, from one side of you to the other to force the water out of the other end.
Materials Required
- 24 to 30 inches of twine optional
- Standard garden hose
Project step-by-step (4)
Step 1
Stretch it out
- With the hose still attached to the spigot, eliminate kinks by stretching out the hose as straight as you can.
- If the weather is below 35 degrees and the hose is stiff, let it sit in the sun for roughly 30 minutes to warm it and make it more pliable.
Step 2
Begin the circle
- Place the end of the hose connected to the spigot on the ground and form a circle roughly 24 to 30 inches in diameter.
- Create a loop of the same size and set this over the first circle.
Step 3
Flip it
- Make a loop by bringing the hose underneath instead of simply setting another coil on top.
- Follow this pattern by placing one loop on top, then twisting the other one below to create a nice, neat coil.
- If you coil the hose uniformly, it doesn’t stay flat. If you twist the hose underneath and place it on top of the coil, it maintains that shape.
Step 4
Store the hose for the season
- Tie a piece of twine end-to-end, then loop it around the coiled hose. Keep it accessible by hanging it on a large hook on the wall of a storage shed. Even a large nail works.
- To keep everything really tidy, connect the two ends of the hose.
- If there’s no place to hang the hose, should be fine on the floor of the garage or storage shed.
Next, learn how to winterize and store garden hoses.
