How to Clean Out a Backpack Sprayer

You just finished using your backpack sprayer and it is time to clean it out. Cleaning your backpack liquid sprayer is a simple procedure and should not take you too long to complete.

One cleaning should take care of your needs, but if you have let your chemicals sit in your sprayer for a longer period of time it could take a few extra cleanings to remove the entire product.

Depending on what type of chemical is in your sprayer will depend on where it is safe to wash the sprayer. Do not dump harmful chemicals down ditches or public waterways without checking to see what the effects can be.

Step 1 - Dump Remaining Product

There is no sense in wasting unnecessary water, and time cleaning out extra products. Remove as much of the product as you can.

Step 2 - Add Soap

Add approximately 1/4 cup of dish soap to your tank. It is not recommended to use other cleaning products since they could have a bad reaction to whatever chemical you used in your sprayer.

Step 3 - Add Hot Water

Fill the tank with clean hot water and let sit for one hour. Using water as hot as you can get from the tap should work. If you want to make it hotter consider boiling some of it, but be very careful when adding this to your tank to avoid burns.

Step 4 - Remove Water

After your tank has been sitting at least an hour or longer it is time to dump the water. Have a place where you do this without killing any plant life since the water will have chemical residue. Lock the handle open and let the water run through the wand.

Step 5 - Cleaning The Wand

In order to clean out your wand, you will need to refill your tank with hot water. Let the clean water run through the hose and wand. You do not need to be concerned with your sprayer calibration since you are only cleaning out the hose and wand. If you want to turn your backpack sprayer on for this step that would be fine.

Step 6 - Cleaning Filter

Sometimes your filter screen may become clogged, scrub it lightly with a bristle brush or toothbrush.

Step 7 - Rinse Shut Off Valve

The shut-off valve of your sprayer could have chemicals on it, be sure to rinse it off. This is just a basic easy way to clean out your sprayer. Always remember to follow the instructions in your owner’s manual for cleaning your specific sprayer.

Some chemicals you use in the sprayer, such as carbolineum, will require the use of activated charcoal or soda lye to remove them.

If you let your sprayer sit for a long period of time with chemicals in it be sure to follow this process two or three times to remove all chemicals.

If it is only going to be a few hours until you use your sprayer again you do not need to clean it out.

Never store your backpack sprayer while it still contains chemicals as this can be corrosive and ruin your sprayer.