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What are the Best Ways to Store a Garden Hose?

By R. Kayne
Updated Jan 22, 2024
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Lacking a better method to store a garden hose, many people choose to coil it up at the foot of the spigot. While neater than leaving it lying across the yard, coiling a garden hose is often tedious and messy. Moreover, that last coil always seems to succeed in whipping around to empty the last of the hose water onto your feet. Today, there are better storage methods.

Hose reels are made to store a garden hose without muss or fuss. There are many different models to meet all needs, all basically consist of a large spool encased in simple housing. Manual reels have a crank handle, while powered reels are also available. The garden hose connects to a hose tail in the housing that connects to the spigot. Just turn the crank handle to wind the hose onto the reel and you’re set.

A hose reel is a great place to store a hose, as it stays out of the way and is always available for use. Some reels are mounted, designed to install to studs on the house or building. This keeps the hose off the ground and the yard looking tidy. Of this type of hose reel there are parallel and horizontal models.

A horizontal hose reel can store a garden hose so that the hose pulls out away from, or perpendicular to, the wall, as is often required in a front yard. A parallel hose reel is made to store the hose along the side of a house or building. The hose extends off the reel parallel to the wall. This is handy for long driveways, watering the side yard or cleaning between buildings.

If you don’t like the idea of attaching a hose reel directly to the house, there is another type of hose reel in a plastic box-like encasement that simply sits by the spigot. Depending on which way you face this hose reel, the hose can pull out along the wall or away from it. This model has a lid that can support a potted plant to help blend it into the landscape.

Those with a single hose may want to consider a portable hose reel, also known as a cart reel. These models feature two wheels and a simple aluminum frame so that one can roll the hose from one spigot to another. This is a great storage solution when you need to move the hose from the front yard to the back yard.

Regardless of the model, a hose reel is an excellent way to store a garden hose. Manual crank models are less expensive than automatic models, and it takes little strength to turn the crank. A hose reel is a modest investment that will no doubt pay off with every use.

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Discussion Comments

By Mykol — On Jul 02, 2011

We have a lot of hot, dry days in the summer and I have hoses out all season long. I always have at least one garden hose soaker in my garden. This is much easier than watering by hand or standing there with a hose for several minutes a day.

I have a small garden shed outside where I always store my hoses, garden supplies and planting containers. I usually roll them up and stack them on top of each other in the corner of the shed.

By bagley79 — On Jul 02, 2011

We just roll our garden hoses up and store them on hooks in the garage for the winter. I am always a little sad when it comes time to put the hoses away. To me this means its the end of summer and a lot of happy memories.

When we were growing up, we would play outside almost all day long in the summer and instead of going inside when we were thirsty, we would use the garden hose for drinking water. Not only was the hose used for getting a drink, but also for hours of fun hooked to the sprinkler.

By myharley — On Jul 01, 2011

Wherever you store your garden hose, make sure all the water is out of it before winter. If your hose still has water and the weather freezes, you will have a hard time rolling it up for storage.

This happened to me one year when I was late getting this done and the weather turned cold early and stayed that way for a long time. It is not fun trying to wrestle with a frozen garden hose that needs to be put away for several months.

By mendocino — On May 20, 2009

I like to use water hose pots, or garden hose pots. There are simple and inexpensive ones made out of plastic, I have seen one for as little as $11, but there are also very fancy and expensive ones made out of copper and variety of other materials, costing close to $100.

You can match the color of the pot with the rest of your garden.

The pots are decorative and functional at the same time. You have to store your hose when it is warm, so the hose is more pliable.

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