Regarding grit...
Firstly the issue is two fold. One, we are not used to using a 22' (in my case but possibly 25+ in others )as a downstairs pole, with far longer pole hose trailing on the floor when the pole is compact. And secondly the tolerances between sections are smaller to aid rigidity, so any dirt or grit that does get in causes problems.
The simplest solution...
With the pole collapsed coil the pole hose around your left hand and elbow.You should leave about two foot free from the tap and about four foot from the pole base.Holding the coil wrap the hose three times around it's middle.Then using some remaining free hose pull a loop through the top half of the coil.Place this loop around your neck and the pole house will stay in place and crucially off the floor and tangle free for the duration of your task. To release pole hose to extend the pole, remove loop from neck, pass loop back through coil, unwind the three middle retaining wraps, and allow the hose to go free.
A hose tidy does a similar job, but with the hose tidy you are carrying the weight of the hose on the pole which defeats the object of a lighter pole.