Forget Rakes: There's A Better (& Easier) Way To Clear Leaves Off The Patio

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Everyone loves autumn until you realize you're going to be spending the weekend removing soggy, fallen leaves from your patio instead of enjoying a hot cup of cocoa on it. And while raking your lawn can be a quick and easy job, raking leaves from your patio is a terrible chore. Plus, using a rake is tiring and made more difficult if you aren't using the right type or if you've left wet leaves for too long. Using a rake on a cement patio is a hassle of its own, as the gaps in the tines on such a hard surface mean that you'll end up leaving bits of this and that behind with every pass, so things never really look clean. But there's good news. You can (and should) switch your rake for something much faster and easier to use: the humble, yet mighty, leaf blower.

Switching to powerful, directed airflow not only makes you feel like an Airbender from "Avatar: The Last Airbender," it immediately cuts down on cleanup time (especially if you have too many fallen leaves in your yard). Sure, rakes are great for lifting bulky piles off the grass, but on a patio, they're nearly useless. It's pretty much a guarantee that they will struggle to get all of the fine debris scattered around, like pine needles, small leaves, and even other stuff like pebbles, acorns, or dust that's been blown onto your patio. You'll need to tag in a broom or a leaf blower at some point anyway, so why not just use one to begin with? Your patio will get cleaned off in no time and be ready for holiday parties or winter storage.

It's not hard to get behind the no-rake concept, but you'll still need to choose the best leaf blower for your needs so you can get those leaves cleared off quickly. It's a good idea to choose a cordless option, so you can easily move around your entire property without being tethered to an outlet. The Milwaukee M18 18-volt blower is one that's hard to beat for handling large yards and wet leaves alike. This blower is compatible with Milwaukee's M18 battery system, which works with over 200 other tools if you're already in that ecosystem. The WORX WG545 cordless blower is a more budget-friendly option that's better for small areas, plus it comes with attachments for cleaning out tricky nooks. Both are highly capable and easy to use.

Once you've successfully blown all the debris off your patio and into a pile, you have two options for final disposal. You can opt for a traditional broom and dustpan, or you can simplify the process by investing in a nifty tool that will change the way you clean up fallen leaves – a leaf blower/vacuum combo tool, like the Greenworks 40V cordless model. This will allow you to clear off your patio and collect the leaves into a bag, all with the same tool, for a tidy cleanup. All you have to do then is empty the bag into the trash, your flower beds, or your compost bin. By swapping out your rake for a lightweight leaf blower in your autumn toolset, you're not just cleaning up leaves, you're reclaiming hours of your weekend and enjoying a clear patio.