When spring comes, that means it’s time to put away your snowblower so it can take a well-deserved rest through the warm-weather months. To keep it running for as long as possible, make sure that you prepare your snowblower before you put it away for the off-season.

Items that our conscientious colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports recommend for snowblower care and maintenance are:

• Wash it. Yes, like a car, but you want to make sure to hose down the machinery to prevent corrosion from road salt and putting it away with general dirt. You can towel the machine off or dry it with a leaf blower, which sounds both efficient and hilarious.

Drain the fuel. You can run a little bit of ethanol-free fuel designed for small engines through the system if that isn’t what you were already using.

• If your snowblower is electric, obviously, you should ignore the previous item. Follow any recommendations in the owner’s manual about charging for cordless items, and for winter storage.
• Check it over. Even if you’re not a mechanic, you probably know how to take tire pressure and inflate the tires, and look it over for loose shear pins or frayed cables. Perhaps even do this while you’re drying it off.
• Keep a maintenance log. Just like you do for your car. Well, like you’re supposed to do for your car.

How to Properly Stow Your Snow Blower [Consumer Reports]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.