Part of your fall cleanup efforts should be directed towards winterizing your equipment. This is a good time to check over everything for broken parts and get it prepped for the following year. You also want to help protect them from the impending weather where conditions can be wet and freezing.
Sprinkler System
First, you should drain out all of the water that you can as any that is left has the potential to freeze and break the pipes. The system needs to be blown out using an air compressor. This step is best done by professionals since it can be dangerous. A heavy-duty air compressor is used to force air throughout the system and push the water out. Follow the safety guidelines presented on this site if you decide to do it yourself, including wearing safety goggles and not standing near the section that is being cleared out.
Lawn Mower and Other Power Equipment
Take a moment to clean it all off. Remove any grass or other organic substances. Check to make sure that all parts are functioning and change them out as needed. As this article from Consumer Reports mentions, you will want to change out the oil and either take out all of the gas or add a stabilizer. Sharpen the edges of the blades since dull ones will hack and tear grass instead of cleanly cutting it. If there is a battery, take it out and store it somewhere cool and dry. Keep the mower itself in a location with a similar environment.
Pruning Tools
Clean off the blades thoroughly. Gummy substances can be removed with a bit of citrus oil. Look the tool over to see if any parts are broken and replace them as possible. Use a sharpening stone or tool to go over dull blades. Rub oil over any parts that are metal to help keep rust away.
Image by theCCLC via Flickr CreativeCommons Attribution-ShareAlike License
