How to Clean a Scotts EdgeGuard Spreader After Use

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Read the last product's handling directions

Before cleaning, identify exactly what was in the hopper: plain fertilizer, a weed-control mixture, seed, or ice melt. Keep the package nearby for its handling, personal-protection, and disposal directions. A spreader used for a pesticide-containing product may need precautions that do not apply to seed, so do not use one universal wash-water disposal rule. Work away from children, pets, drains, and water features. Release the operating trigger to close the gate and place the spreader securely before emptying it.

Step 2: Recover leftovers without making a concentrated spill

Scotts says not to store unused product in the hopper. Return clean, uncontaminated leftovers to their original labeled bag or container and reseal it as directed. Do not mix different products or pour damp, dirty sweepings into fresh material. Catch spilled granules and collect them dry rather than hosing them toward a storm drain. Avoid dumping the final hopper contents onto one patch of lawn: a concentrated application can damage grass. Keep collected waste separate when it cannot safely be returned to the original product.

Step 3: Brush out the hopper and inspect the gate

With the spreader empty, remove loose dust and granules from the hopper and the shut-off opening using a soft brush. Operate the handle gently to see whether the gate opens and closes without residue holding it apart, keeping fingers clear of pinch points. Wet clumps can bridge over the opening and look like a mechanical failure. Do not cut or file the opening to increase flow. On these broadcast spreaders, the two sides of the opening are intentionally unequal, so asymmetry alone is not evidence of damage.

Step 4: Clean the underside, rotor, and wheels

Inspect beneath the hopper, around the spinning broadcast plate, the gate linkage, and the wheel interiors. Scotts identifies granules accumulating in hollow wheels as one possible contributor to uneven spreading. Remove the trapped material before washing so it is not carried somewhere unintended. Turn the wheels only when the spreader is stable and your hands are clear of moving parts. Do not confuse the EdgeGuard shield with a blockage; it intentionally redirects the pattern on one side when engaged and should not be removed as a cleaning shortcut.

Step 5: Wash the empty spreader and control residue

Scotts permits thorough washing after use, including the underside and moving hopper parts. Use a controlled flow of water to rinse remaining residue, following the last product's label and local requirements for wash-water handling. Do not wash fertilizer or weed-control residue into street drains, ponds, or streams. Clean stubborn accessible deposits gently instead of blasting bearings or forcing a jammed gate. If a product label does not make the disposal route clear, ask its manufacturer before rinsing; recovering dry material first reduces the amount left to manage.

Step 6: Dry and check movement before adding lubricant

Allow the entire spreader to dry, including the underside, springs, pivot points, and wheel recesses. Wipe accessible moisture and leave it in a ventilated protected location rather than putting it away dripping. Recheck the gate and rotor after the residue is gone. Scotts notes that a light spray lubricant at the spring and pivot points may help a sticking flow mechanism; use a compatible product sparingly and follow its label. Do not coat the hopper or broadcast plate with oil that could hold granules or contaminate the next application.

Step 7: Store empty and leave calibration alone

For off-season storage, Scotts recommends a completely dry machine in a protected location with the flow gate lever fully open to relieve spring tension. Close and reset it correctly before the next filling. Use the application rate printed for your exact spreader and product at the next job, rather than assuming the previous dial setting still applies. EdgeGuard broadcast spreaders are factory calibrated and not designed for manual readjustment. If cleaning does not resolve sticking, broken movement, or inaccurate delivery, contact Scotts instead of bending linkages or following drop-spreader adjustment instructions.