Mr. Fix-It: How to Repair That Old Garden Hose

Meet The Coop, aka Doug Cooper, aka our new Mr. Fix-It. Doug is renowned on Martha’s Vineyard for his ability to fix…well…pretty much anything. And as we all know, fixing our stuff keeps it in use, saves us money, and reduces landfill.

It’s a piece of equipment that most households have lying around — a beat-up, neglected garden hose. Quality hoses can be expensive, and discarding wrecked hoses improperly can mess things up, so please keep them out of the recycling bin. After arriving at recycling centers, hoses often get wrapped around gears in pelletizers and shredders, and tangled in conveyor belts.

Instead, let’s make that old garden hose like new again. Mr. Fix-It shows us how.

What you’ll need: A plastic or metal hose fitting/hose repair kit, a pair of sharp scissors or pruning shears (anything that’s sharp enough to safely cut the hose). Note: there are several different kinds of hose repair kits available, including kits made for female and male hose fittings. Make sure to purchase the appropriate one for your project.

Optional: Five gallon bucket, environmentally friendly cleaning solution, water, sponge or rag. 

Before you get to work: It’s your prerogative whether you want to replace your hose fitting or not. In The Coop’s case, his hose had been sitting outside all winter, and the fitting had become so rusted that he could hardly unscrew the spray nozzle.

Step 1: Cut the hose as close to the rusted, corroded, or leaky end fitting as possible.

Step 2: Slide the plastic hose repair clamp onto the hose. You will eventually tighten the clamp over the female replacement fitting and the end of the hose.

Step 3: Put a little bit of dishwashing liquid or some kind of lubricant onto the new female replacement fitting, then insert the fitting into the hose end. Adjust the hose repair clamp so it is in contact with the new fitting, then tighten the clamp to secure the fitting.

Step 4: Screw the nozzle (male) piece of the new fitting onto the (female) piece you just inserted into the hose, and voila!

Mr. Fix-It Tips and Tricks:

• For a hose that looks like new, mix a small amount of sustainable cleaning solution with water in a five gallon bucket, then scrub your hose with the solution over the bucket with a sponge or rag. Continue along the length of the hose to remove mildew and dirt stains.

• Use this same repair technique in concert with a hose repair junction (that utilizes two male fittings that replace the damaged area) to fix cracks or splits in your hose.

• Most hoses are made of vinyl or rubber, and can degrade over time if exposed to the elements. Generally, rubber hoses are more durable and more easily repaired than vinyl. Store your hoses indoors to best preserve them. Hoses should be rolled up and drained of any water when not in use  — water expands/contracts depending on temperature, which puts more wear on the hose. 

Have something you want fixed? Ask Mr. Fix-it — he’s here to help. Email our editors with your repair questions: