Alright, so the other day I was out in the yard, ready to give my plants a good drink, and I took a proper look at my garden hose. Man, it was looking a bit worse for wear. You know how they get, all dusty and a bit grimy on the outside after being dragged around. That got me thinking about the inside. Probably not a pretty picture in there, I reckoned, especially after sitting coiled up for ages.

I just felt like it was time for a clean-out. Didn't fancy spraying who-knows-what onto my veggies or flowers. So, first thing I did was unhook it from the tap. Easy enough. Then, I headed over to the shed to grab my cleaning arsenal, which wasn't much, to be honest.

Here’s what I used, real simple stuff:

• A bottle of white vinegar. That’s my go-to for lots of cleaning jobs.
• A bucket, just in case, though I didn't really need it much for this.
• And the hose itself, of course!

So, this is how I got it done

I laid the hose out as straight as I could on the driveway. Made it easier to work with. I didn't bother too much with the outside, just a quick wipe with a damp cloth to get the worst of the loose dirt off. It was the inside I was really focused on.

This is where the vinegar came into play. I carefully poured a decent amount, maybe about two cups, of that white vinegar straight into one end of the hose. I kind of lifted and tilted the hose a bit, trying to get the vinegar to slosh around and coat the entire inside. No fancy funnels, just a steady hand.

Then, I just let it sit.

I left that vinegar in there to do its thing for about an hour, maybe a little more. Just gave it time to work on any gunk or buildup that might have been hiding inside. I sort of imagined it dissolving any slimy stuff. Probably not that dramatic, but hey, a fella can hope!

After the waiting period was up, I reconnected the hose to the outdoor tap. Made sure it was on there good and snug. Then, I turned the water on, full blast. I let it run like that for a good five, maybe even ten minutes. Really wanted to flush everything out – all the vinegar and whatever bits and pieces it had loosened up. At first, the water coming out the other end was a bit murky, which told me it was definitely doing some good!

Once the water was running crystal clear, I turned off the tap and disconnected the hose again. I then picked up one end and walked along its length, holding it up high to let as much water drain out as possible. Finally, I coiled it up – well, as neatly as I ever manage to coil a hose – and hung it over a hook in the garage to dry out completely.

And you know what? The next time I used it, the water just felt cleaner. Could be my imagination, but I felt better knowing it wasn't full of old gunk. Plus, the hose just looked a bit fresher. A pretty straightforward job, really, but definitely worth doing every so often to keep things flowing nicely. Simple but effective, that's what I like.