How to Coil a Garden Hose

A brand new garden hose and a garden hose that you are pulling out of winter storage share something in common; each can be difficult to use. The new hose will be tightly coiled while the garden hose pulled from storage will quite likely be tangled. Tangled garden hoses are not limited to those being brought out of storage. Retrieving a loaned hose can present a tangled mess. There is a systematic way to coil a hose, making it easier to stretch out the next time you want to use it. These tips are directed to those who are not using a garden hose reel to wind up their garden hose.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. It is easier to work with a garden hose that is warm, either from inside temperature or heated by the sun, making it more flexible. Stretch the garden hose out completely, a task that can be challenging if it is tangled. If the hose is new, manipulate the hose by tugging it between your hands, to get it to lie flat.

2. Connect the hose to faucet. If you prefer not to connect the hose to the faucet at this time, place the female end of the hose (that’s the end that would connect to the faucet) on the ground at the location where you want to commence the coiling of the garden hose.

3. Grab the hose about 5 feet from the female end and commence the coil by looping it counterclockwise over the female end on the ground. Keep standing in the same location, pulling the stretched out hose toward you and looping it, counterclockwise, onto the ground. Using large loops, 2-3 feet across, will create fewer layers of the garden hose, which will make it easier to pickup and to unwind the next time you need to use the hose. This method of coiling a garden hose makes it easier to use a wall or pole mounted garden hose holder.