Looking for more Tips, Tricks & Ideas for using your Leaf blower? That’s great because today’s post will show you 10 Leaf Blower techniques – Nine of which have Nothing to do with leaves!
So, you’ve recently moved into a house with a large yard. Of course, the friendly homeowners association (and your neighbor’s) are going to expect you to keep the yard clean, and let’s face it – you’ve got leaves everywhere.
You already know the merits of using your Leaf Blower to manage those leaves; Now you need to figure out the other benefits of owning that amazingly powerful lawn tool.
Some of you have been using a handheld or backpack leaf blower for some time and are thinking, what else can I do with a leaf blower instead of just blowing leaves?
The Top 10 Things You Can Do With a Leaf Blower:
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Rake Leaves with Wind Power
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Blow Dirt Out of Vehicles
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Dry The Outside of Vehicles (Much easier than a shammy)
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Blow Dirt off Lawn & Outdoor equipment
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Blow Debris Out of Gutters
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Clean out Dryer Vents
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Snow Blowing (Light Dry Snow)
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Get rid of pollen
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Blow debris off of Patio, Deck, or Porch
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Clean out Shop Vac Filter
These are just some of the many ways you can use a leaf blower, and if any of them intrigue you, then read on for more detail. Trust me, you will love to know some of these leaf-blower tips.
1) Rake the Yard With Wind Power
Autumn months bring a lot of stuff we love. Crisp cool breezes, a break from scorching summer temperatures, football, the start of the NBA regular season, and epic tailgate parties.
But it also brings a little more yard work in the form of Falling Leaves. Naturally, you want to get those leaves out of the yard, and Leaf Blowers lets you do it with ease.
Use these 3 Steps To Clear Leaves off the Lawn:
Section off “Areas” of the Lawn
Have you ever wondered why they cut your pizza into slices? I mean, you know you’re going to eat the whole thing anyway, so why divide it? That’s when I realized; the slices make the pie easier to manage. It’s the same thing with leaf blowing.
Section off the lawn and clean it up a little at a time. Before you know it, there’s only one pile left. And you left wondering where all the pizza… err… I mean, leaves went!
Change Blower Speeds:
When using a leaf blower, you will likely be spanning an area with different types of ground surfaces. Some are hard with little friction, like concrete. And other surfaces aren’t hard, like grass or woodchips, and those have plenty of friction.
When you are blowing off paved surfaces, drop the speed down a bit. The leaves travel much more quickly on these surfaces, and the last thing you need is for your pile of leaves to fly everywhere except where they’re supposed to. The low speed will also save battery life on blowers.
Consequently, when you are blowing leaves on grass or wood chips – Crank it Up! Using the high-speed setting for leaf blowers is where this equipment shines the best.
Use the Wind:
You can use the wind to your advantage, you know. Think of the leaf blowing like a field goal; it’s better to kick with the wind – rather than against it. Leaf blowing against the wind is the textbook definition of working against yourself.
All your really doing is picking the leaves up and letting the wind put them back down where they were.
Instead, use your Blower to blow leaves in the same direction as the Wind. That way, you use the wind to assist you instead of fighting your efforts.
2) Clean Out Your Vehicle
There is one surefire way to get your car clean without ever having to touch it. Pay someone else 🙂
But seriously, if you don’t mind a little work, you can use your new leaf blower to power all that dust, dirt, and trash right out of the car with just the right amount of effort – ZERO!
Think about it, no dragging out the vacuum, and best of all, no vacuuming. Sounds too good to be true, correct, but it’s not.
Just open all the doors, put the leaf blower on full blast, and watch the car miraculously go from trash to class. Of course, now the driveway is a wreck. But you’ve got kids to clean that mess up. They’re the ones that left the fries under the seat anyway!
3) Dry Off Your Vehicles
After you wash your car, you have to dry it. Some people recommend using newspapers to dry your car. Others recommend microfiber cloths. Me, I recommend leaf blowers.
Turn it on, hit the max power setting, and scare those wet spots right off the car with 600 CFM of wind tunnel power. Those watermarks stand no chance. Sure, it may be overkill, but it’s also Fast!
4) Cleaning Lawn Equipment
What’s more exciting than cleaning lawn equipment? Everything!
But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean your lawn equipment the hard way. Spruce up your lawn equipment cleaning routine by taking your leaf blower, blasting all the dead grass, and dusting off your lawnmower.
5) Clean out the Debris in the Gutter
Everyone deals with leaves and pine needles getting lodged in their gutters. It looks bad, and even worse, it can cause severe damage to your house.
Rain Gutters, as you know, are designed to carry water away from your house and into a drainage area. But when your gutters are clogged, the water builds up and overflows down the house siding and down to the foundation.
Water is supposed to travel. Through the downspout, out through the drain tile – and away from the house.
Thankfully, there is a surefire way to get those gutters cleaned. Guess how… yep, a leaf blower. All you have to do is grab a ladder*, crank up the leaf blower’s power and watch all that debris fly!
*Use extreme caution; if you use a ladder or walk on your rooftop when using a leaf blower. The safest and most effective way to blow gutters with a leaf blower is by using a leaf blower extension kit. Check out this best-selling leaf blower extension kit on Amazon.
6) Clean Out Dryer Vents
Bet you never thought about this one! Did you know that thing in the front of the dryer opening is a lint filter? It’s also a great idea to clean this filter out to avoid a potential fire hazard risk.
But you can also use your leaf blower or, better yet, your Leaf Vacuum to clean out the dryer vents. It’s easier than you might think. Just remove the screen, Unhook the dryer vent in the back -usually one clamp – put the end of the leaf blower in the vent, and press the on button.
All the debris stuck in there will be jarred loose and, hopefully, fly out of the dryer to the outside rather than whirl around inside the dryer.
7) Blowing Snow
No, you grab your leaf blower and blow the snow with all the power it can muster up. Sure, it might take longer, but it might do in a pinch for these Light Snowfalls. You can clear a path to your Grille on the back deck, at the very least!
8) Getting Rid of Pollen
Springtime is great. It’s when bees begin to pollinate, and flowers start growing. The world around you is beautiful, both in vision and fragrance. Pollen is the life force of flowers.
But your issue may be less about the flowers. Pollen is a significant health issue for you…Your face swells up, you can’t breathe well, and your eyes continually water. Fight back with your Leaf Blower! Wage war on all the pollen in your driveway, sidewalk, and window sills.
9) Blow off the Patio, Deck, and Porch
Patios, balconies, and porches are meant for one thing. Fun, comfort, and barbecues. Okay, so that’s more than one. But they aren’t designed for a place to store all of your fallen leaves and other debris.
You’ve got to keep them clean of all that. How else can you expect to enjoy that cold beer on a beautiful autumn night?
10) Clean Out the Shop Vac Filter
Anyone who regularly uses a shop vac knows how quickly the paper filter inside will clog with dust and dirt. A simple fix is removing the shop vac filter – aiming the leaf blower at the center and blasting out the dirt and dust.
Fun Video: 5 More Ways to Use a Leaf Blower:
Conclusion
Today was a little more light-hearted article, but I hope I’ve given you more creative ideas for using your Leaf Blower. Leaf blowers are one of our garage’s all-time most valuable pieces of equipment. They can be used both indoors and outdoors. They’re called leaf blowers, but they do so much more than that!
But it is also one of the most underutilized tools in our arsenal. It’s right up there with the adjustable wrench that can never seem to get tight enough to work. All of that is about to change. Because now you have eight new ways to use them!
Additional Reading & Guides
- How do you use a leaf blower safely -Timberlandsupply.ca
- Simple Trick To Extend Reach of Leaf Blowers – Todayshomeowner.com
- How to prepare your leaf blower for storage– Searspartsdirect.com
- Learn how to connect rain barrels – at Besthomegear.com
