Not WD-40, Not Oil: A Smarter Way To Help Keep Grass From Clumping On Your Mower

If you find yourself constantly cleaning clumps of grass from your mower deck and blades, there may be a better solution than WD-40 or oil. Products like WD-40 lubricate the blades to help the grass slide off, and similar sprays will also keep grass from sticking to your lawn mower. But changing the way you cut your lawn helps, too. Only cutting one-third of the leaves' height makes the grass less likely to clump. When your lawn is very tall and you cut it short in one mow, the grass clippings will be larger. Following the one-third rule keeps the cut pieces shorter, smaller, and easier for your mower to process. Being cautious of how tall your grass is and how much you cut at once will help you avoid annoying bunches of grass clippings clinging to your mower.

Grass clumps often form inside the mower when there isn't sufficient airflow to move the leaves around. Instead of the clippings moving through the mower and being collected or spread back onto the lawn, they'll get stuck inside of the machine. When the grass clippings are too big, your mower won't be able to keep up as well. Cutting more than one-third of the lawn height is also a common lawn mowing mistake to avoid if you want a lush green yard. Mowing grass too short can affect the health of your lawn as well as the efficiency of your mower.

Rather than oiling the mower to stop grass clumps from sticking, try to prevent the clippings from clumping in the first place. Before mowing, make note of how tall the grass is in addition to the height of your mower deck. Adjust your mower to cut only a third of the current length. If your grass is particularly tall or overgrown, it will likely take a few sessions before your grass is as short as you'd like. Mow using the one-third rule, and then wait a couple of days before mowing again to a slightly lower height.

One easy way to implement this practice is to make note of the height you want for your grass and wait to cut it. For example, if you like to keep your grass at 3 inches tall, only mow once it reaches 4 ½ inches. With smaller clippings, your mower will have a much easier time spreading or collecting the grass.

Besides being better for your machine, following the one-third rule prevents your grass from being scalped. When too much of the grass leaves are removed at once, the plant goes into shock and turns brown. Plus, these smaller clippings will break down faster than larger clumps of grass. Leaving these short clippings on your lawn will add nutrients into the soil and is a cheaper way to enrich your grass than fertilizer.