Tips for Storing Your Garden Hose During the Winter

Before winter hits and snow starts to fly, it’s essential to store garden hoses. Why? Well, unless you’re really lucky, you probably won’t be able to use any hose that is left out in the cold (literally) in the spring unless you do some repairs, and you might even have to buy a new one.

“Winterizing matters because any water left in the line can freeze, expand, and split the hose,” explains Tammy Sons is a seasoned plant expert and the CEO of TN Nursery, a family-owned business in Altamont, Tennessee. “Or worse, it can crack the sill inside your wall, turning spring into a pricey plumbing thriller.”

The good news is that winterizing your hose is simple and takes just a few minutes. To avoid starting the growing season repairing damage from a burst hose or having to buy a new one, here’s how to store garden hoses in five easy steps, plus expert advice on whether “freeze-proof” hoses can be trusted and what to do if you need to use your hose during the winter months.

How to Store a Garden Hose for Winter

In my experience as a landscaper, I’ve found expandable hoses to be the most vulnerable to winter damage because their rubber casings are particularly thin (which lets them expand). But ice and freezing temperatures can damage any kind of hose, so here’s what to do:

Shut Off the Water

This seems obvious, but you might forget. Many hoses — especially expandable ones — have a lever-style valve that allows you to shut off water to the nozzle without actually turning off the spigot. If that valve is closed, and there’s pressure in the hose, you’re in for a soaking when you unscrew the hose from the spigot.

If you have a main water shutoff for the lawn and garden in the house, turn that off. If not, just make sure to fully close all the outdoor spigots by turning the handles clockwise.

Pro tip: Besides damaging the hose, leaving the hose outside with the spigot open in freezing temperatures can also damage the spigot, and that’s harder to fix.

Disconnect the Hose

Start by squeezing the trigger on the spray nozzle to release the water pressure. When no more water flows, unscrew the nozzle and store it where you’ll find it next spring. Now, you can disconnect the hose from the spigot. You may need pliers for this, especially if it’s been a while since you disconnected the hose. Some of those connectors can be really difficult to turn with your fingers. Always separate multiple hoses.

If the cold weather has already arrived, the hose might already be frozen. If so, connect the two ends, bring the hose inside to thaw and drain and coil it later.

Drain the Hose

If you have a slope or a flight of stairs on your property, the easiest way to drain a hose is to leave one end at the bottom, carry the other end to the top and let gravity do the work. On flat ground, leave one end near a place where water can safely drain, stretch the hose out, and lift the other end to shoulder height. Start walking while you keep a high loop that forces water out of the end that’s draining.

Pro tip: Expandable hoses automatically expel water on their own, but it’s still a good idea to drain them this way to get all the water out.

Coil the Hose

Don’t just dump your hose in a pile in the basement or garage. That will produce kinks, and depending on the material from which the hose is made, some of these kinks could become permanent. Coil the hose properly instead.

To get a good coil, stretch the hose out straight. Make a circle on the ground about two or three feet in diameter at one end while you pull the hose toward you. Continue making more circles on top of the original one until you reach the other end. Finally, tie the hose with a piece of twine to prevent it from unraveling and to make it easier to transport and store.

Store the Hose Indoors

Bring the hose indoors to prevent it from getting brittle and cracking in the freezing temperatures. If you make a loop in the twine you wrapped around it, you can use that to hang the hose from a nail.

Pro tip: A hose hanger, which you can purchase at any hardware store, makes coiling and storing the hose much easier. If you have one, you don’t need to coil the hose outdoors. Just bring it inside, coil it on the hanger, and leave it there for the winter.

FAQ

When should I winterize my hose?

“The sweet spot is right after your first light frost but before hard freezes set in, usually late October or early November,” Sons says. “This is because daytime warmth lets you fully drain and coil a still-flexible hose instead of wrestling a stiff garden snake.”

Should I cover the outdoor spigot, too?

Yes! Take care of your spigot by shutting off the interior supply valve (if you have one), open the exterior tap to drain, then cap it with an inexpensive insulated faucet cover. “Two minutes now saves burst-pipe drama later,” Sons says.

Is there a hose that doesn’t freeze?

Hoses that are marketed and designed to be “freeze-proof” would be the only type of hose that could potentially withstand freezing temperatures without an issue — but experts warn there is no guarantee. “Freeze-proof hoses swap standard vinyl for layered rubber, UV-stable polymers, and sometimes a thermal-foam core,” Sons explains. “They stay bendy below 0°F, but I still drain and store mine. Why tempt fate?”

Is it okay to use a hose in winter?

Yes. “If you need a hose mid-January, haul it out only long enough to use, then slope it so gravity drains every drop before recoiling it in a garage or basement,” Sons says. A bonus trick? Keeping a quick-connect shut-off valve on the spigot year ’round lets you pop hoses on and off fast without constant wrenching, saving both threads and knuckles, Sons says.

About the Expert

Tammy Sons is a seasoned plant expert and the CEO of TN Nursery, a family-owned business in Altamont, Tennessee, with roots dating back to 1959. Over the years, Tammy has expanded TN Nursery to encompass nearly 400 acres of availability from other growers and her own farm.