Seeing donut patterns or brown spots on your lawn? Well, they are a clear sign that your garden sprinkler heads need cleaning.
You knew How To Clean Garden Sprinkler Heads, but maybe you forgot the whole procedure!
A sprinkler system is used to water your lawn or any area. But due to dirt, mud, or debris, your sprinkler head may get clogged. This may result in bad water flow and decreased efficiency. In the worst case, you might have to buy a new expensive one. We can understand that you don’t want the last thing to happen. So the best alternative is to clean the existing one.
Cleaning a garden sprinkler head can be difficult sometimes. And without proper knowledge, you can even damage it while cleaning.
But the good news is, we’re here to help you.
And in this article, we’ll be guiding you on how to clean garden sprinkler heads. So let’s start…..!!
How To Clean a Garden Sprinkler Head
Let’s start cleaning your lawn sprinkler heads. Firstly, you’ll need some sprinkler head cleaning tools. For the entire cleaning process, you’ll be needing some common and available tools. And taking safety precautions is a must.
The Tools Needed to Clean a Sprinkler Head
SAFETY CHECKS
- Googles: It can protect your eyes from any harmful objects.
- Hand Gloves: A pair of hand gloves can help to grip the objects easily.
Now coming to the next part. The cleaning part. Here’s how to clean a garden sprinkler heads,
1. Detach the Sprinkler Head and Sprinkler Cap
The first step is simple. You need to remove the sprinkler head.
For this, grab your hex key or screwdriver. Detach the garden sprinkler head with a hex key or screwdriver.
Next, place the key on the head of the sprinkler and make a clockwise turn. This will help to detach the sprinkler head. And you’ll be able to get access to the nozzle and the inside of the sprinkler.
Detaching the sprinkler cap is very easy. After taking off the sprinkler head, you can see the nozzle. Grab the nozzle body with your fingers and detach the cap from the nozzle.
To remove it, keep unscrewing the nozzle cap in the anti-clockwise direction. After unscrewing, your job is done. You’ll see the cap is coming off from the nozzle.
2. Taking-Off the Nozzle and Detaching Screen
Grab the nozzle’s body again and pull straight upwards until it is removed.
The filter is at the bottom of the nozzle.
Here’s a pro tip for you. If you’re cleaning several sprinkler heads at once, make a note of which nozzle belongs to which sprinkler head.
This means you won’t have to change or reset your sprinkler settings the next time you use the device.
Until cleaning, each nozzle will have a screen part that must be removed.
A simple paper clip can be used to execute this. To make a long thin piece of wire, grab the paper clip and unfold it.
Run one end of the wire under one of the screen’s lines and pull the screen out using the cable as a lever.
3. Make the Cleaning Solution
To ensure that all of the screens are clean and free of dirt and debris, you’ll need a cleaning solution.
Fill a bowl with warm water. Then add a little amount of detergent. You can use liquid soaps as well.
Mix the solvent thoroughly to ensure that the soap is evenly dispersed throughout. You don’t need a lot of dish detergent to get a good clean, so avoid using more detergents or soaps.

4. Cleaning the Screen
Put the screen in the bowl containing the solution. As the solution contains warm water and soap, so the solution will help to soften the dirt or debris on the screen.
Keep the screen soaked for a couple of minutes. As it softens the dirt, so the dirt will come off easily from the screen.
All the screens are the same and interchangeable. You can interchange the screen and use them on different sprinklers.
It would be much easier to sweep away the residue after the liquid has worked on the dirt and dust.
Now, take out each screen from the solution one by one.
Wash away any remaining grime with an old toothbrush, and the projector will be ready to use again.
If you still see any dirt or dust marks on the screen, go for another wash! So we hope now you are clear about how to clean dusty sprinkler heads.
5. Cleanse the Nozzle and Clear the Lines
The nozzle does not need to be soaked because the part’s shape makes debris trapping more difficult.
Instead, wash the nozzle with a strong stream from a faucet or a garden hose. You must remember which nozzle is of which part’s because they are not interchangeable.
Again, you must clear the lines of any dirt or debris that could have been stuck inside. Turn on the water supply. Then let it pass through the system. A filthy stream of water should begin to emerge from each sprinkler.
6. Reattaching Everything
Reattach the screens to the nozzles after they’ve been cleaned. Replace the specific nozzle in its sprinkler head.
Keep turning the cap with your hands until all of the components are safe. Grab the hex key or the tool and reattach the sprinkler heads. And the sprinkler heads are ready to be used again.
Conclusion:
Regular maintaining and cleaning of your garden sprinkler heads can save you from buying a new one.
The cleaning process is easy and simple. All you need is some Sprinkler head cleaning tool. We tried to help you with a guideline on how to clean garden sprinkler heads. Do share how it went with you with us in the comment box.
Good luck and Thank You.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you unblock sprinkler heads?
Follow these steps,
- Detach the sprinkler heads,
- Take off the nozzle,
- Clean the screen,
- Cleanse the nozzle and line.
How do you clean greasy fire sprinkler heads?
Use a warm water stream to clean and a dry cloth to dry it. If it doesn’t remove the grease, repeat the process a couple of times.
How do I remove dirt from my sprinkler system?
Remove the sprinkler’s nozzle and inspect the filter to see whether it’s dirty. Any dirt can be removed by running cold water through the filter.