An Real Easy Way To Wrap A Really Long Garden Hose
Without A Hose Reel... Really!

This is a short but sweet article to solve a problem I had wrapping a long garden hose.  I hope your find it useful.

I'm one of those not-so-neat people who leaves one of his garden hoses laying on the ground all summer, hidden in the back yard in a seldom-visited corner. Every fall when the leaves change, it's time to bring the hoses inside.

The problem??  Unlike in previous years, I did not have the huge side mirror on my old handyman van on which to wrap the 100' hose.  (Yes, I sold my infamous van last winter to a local window washer who will probably keep it another 12 years!  But that's another story...)

If you've ever tried to wrap a cold, stiff garden hose on the ground, you know how frustrating it can be.  Short hoses can be wrapped over the arm, but a 100 footer?  Get real!

So what's a handyman to do?  Thoughtfully, I went into my garage and said to myself, "Self, what can I use as a frame to help wrap the hose?"  I looked first at our new lawn spreader, but in my heart I knew that my wife would have my head if I used it.  Then I saw it, hanging in a corner... my 5' folding ladder.

The pictures that follow show how I used the ladder to wrap and ornery, stiff 100' hose with nary a whimper.  First, unfold the ladder and put down the paint shelf.  Stick either end of the hose into the ladder as shown and wrap once around the ladder above the shelf to keep it in place.  The rest is easy... just loop the garden hose around the ladder until the entire hose is wrapped.

To prevent the hose from unwrapping when you remove it from the ladder, tie a length of rope around the ladder. If you want to be really neat, you can tie two lengths of rope on opposite sides!

As a final touch, screw the two threaded ends of the hose together so they stay put! Enjoy.