Leaf Blowers for All Seasons

Because of the name, you might think that leaf blowers are good to use only for cleaning up fall leaves.

But wait! Autumn isn't the only time you find debris on your property, so why should it be the only time you use your leaf blower?

Don't put your blower away once the winter snow rolls in. Instead, get the most out of your investment, and put your leaf blower to use all throughout the year.

How to Use a Leaf Blower in Winter

Shoveling snow can be tedious and, for those with heart conditions, joint conditions, or elevated blood pressure, difficult or even risky. However, not every snowfall warrants the use of a snow blower.

For those days when a light, dusty snow has fallen over your property, you can use a leaf blower to clear the following spaces:

• Porches
• Stairs
• Sidewalks
• The top of your car
• The tops of your garbage cans

The warm air that a leaf blower produces can even melt some snow while also blowing away the finest snowflakes. However, when using your blower to clear snow, keep in mind the following tips:

• Use your leaf blower when there's 1" or less of snowfall; use a snow blower for higher amounts
• Don't use your leaf blower when the temperature is higher than 32 degrees Fahrenheit - the wet snow will be too heavy to move
• If using a corded leaf blower, plug your blower into a GCFI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet and use a GCFI-compatible plug to reduce the risk of electrocution
• Wear hearing protection, even if the sound seems muffled due to the snow
  
  

How to Use a Leaf Blower in Spring

After the winter winds have whipped through your property, you might find a ton of debris left on your lawn. Don't worry! Using a leaf blower to clear leaves, branches, and other bits of lightweight winter debris can have all sorts of springtime benefits:

• Allows more sunlight to reach your grass for healthy growth
• Removes damp leaves where mold and fungus might grow
• Provides you a clean garden space to plant your seeds

Toward the end of spring, any spring-flowering trees you have on your property will drop their blooms. These fallen flowers can also be cleaned using a leaf blower.

But don't think that your yard is the only space where you can use your blower to do some spring cleaning. Did your car accumulate some dirt on the floor during the winter? If you don't have a vacuum cleaner handy, a leaf blower can help you get it out of there!

How to Use a Leaf Blower in Summer

For many homeowners and landscaping professionals, summer marks the height of lawn care season. But with freshly mowed lawns come unsightly lawn clippings.

If you don't plan on leaving grass clippings on your lawn to decompose and serve as mulch, or you don't want them cluttering your driveway and sidewalk, use a leaf blower to push them into neat piles that you can vacuum or sweep into your green waste bin. 

Unless your clippings are wet, even a cordless leaf blower will provide all the power you need.

How to Use a Leaf Blower in Autumn

Leaf blowers can be useful all year around, but come fall, it's truly time for your blower to shine. If you can't afford to spend hours raking the leaves on your lawn or sweeping them from your driveway, a leaf blower is just the tool you need.

To use your leaf blower efficiently on autumn leaves, it helps to have a good working technique:

• Choose one area to aim your leaves and build your pile
• Work by walking sideways around the leaf-strewn area and gradually pushing the leaves inward into the pile
• Move the leaf blower's tube in a U-shaped pattern to corral the leaves

With your autumn landscaping now neat and tidy, you'll be ready to enjoy a safe, clean, well-maintained property for another year.

NEXT: How to Pick the Perfect Leaf Blower