How to Clean Sprinkler Heads in 6 Super-Simple Steps

Keep your sprinkler heads clean and your lawn green

Automatic garden lawn sprinkler
Photo: Fahkamram / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Automatic garden lawn sprinkler
Photo: Fahkamram / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
SKILL LEVEL
Simple
COMPLETION TIME
1 hour
COST
$0–$10
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Adjustable vise-grip pliers
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Hand towel
  • Small plastic bin
SUPPLIES
  • Water
  • Distilled white vinegar

Keeping your sprinkler heads clean is an important step toward maintaining both your pristine landscaping and the irrigation system itself. If you need a little help, we can guide you through how to clean sprinkler heads in a flash. 

  1. Locate Your Sprinkler Heads

    First things first, you’ll want to make sure you have all your tools on hand and know where your sprinkler heads are located. (As you’ve likely gathered, we’re talking about lawn sprinklers—not home fire sprinklers. Just to make sure.)

  2. Pull Sprinkler Heads Up

    For each sprinkler head, you’ll first pull it up out of its line in the ground. If you can’t get a grip on the sprinkler head to pull it up, use a flathead screwdriver. Just be careful not to damage any components.

    Once you’ve pulled the sprinkler head up, you can place the adjustable vise-grip pliers at its base to ensure it won’t fall back into the ground if you let go of it.

  3. Remove Sprinkler Heads and Screens

    You should be able to unscrew the heads by hand, but the vise grips can help if the sprinkler head is stuck. Remove both the sprinkler head and the screen beneath it using the needle-nose pliers for the screen if necessary. 

    Use the towel to keep dirt off your hands and remove any obvious debris from the components. Keep an eye out for any components that seem damaged or defunct—you may need to replace them.

  4. Soak Sprinkler Components

    You can achieve a deeper clean by soaking the sprinkler heads in a 1-to-1 mixture of water and white vinegar. 

    Create your mixture in a plastic bin. Swirl the sprinkler components through the water to remove additional debris, and then allow them to soak for half an hour. Give them one more swirl before removing them from the tub to dislodge any remaining grit.

  5. Flush Out Sprinkler Lines

    While your sprinkler components are soaking, walk to your sprinkler control box and briefly flush out each sprinkler line individually to remove any remaining dirt or debris left behind. The stream of water that comes out could be quite powerful (and totally soak your landscaping), so be sure to only run the line for a few seconds.

  6. Reassemble Sprinkler Heads

    Garden sprinkler on the green lawn
    Photo: ImagineGolf / E+ / Getty Images

    Once your sprinkler heads and screens are clean and your lines have been flushed, go ahead and reassemble them in the opposite way from how you took them apart. Again, pliers may be useful (even if they’re not required). 

    Once the sprinkler heads are back together, check to ensure the spray pattern is correct and make sprinkler head adjustments accordingly. If you’re having further problems or simply want to keep your jeans clean this weekend, reach out to a sprinkler repair pro near you for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are tools known as “sprinkler donuts” that are specially designed to aid in cutting the grass around your sprinkler heads by protecting them from your mower or weed whacker. You can also use a pair of hand shears to do the job manually if you’re willing to get a little dirty.

If you suspect there’s dirt in your sprinkler lines, you can use a wet/dry vacuum at the site of (dry) sprinkler heads to see what you can pull out that way. You can also open sprinkler heads and valves and try to flush the dirt out. (Just be mindful of how much you’re soaking your plants in the meantime.) A sprinkler blow-out might also help remove dirt as well as remaining drops of water ahead of a freeze.

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