Picture of leaf blower

Off-Label Leaf Blower Uses

by Nick on July 13, 2010

I have one of those cheapy electric leaf blowers. It’s not very good for actually blowing leaves in the fall, but I use it for other things. Of course, it’s great for blowing off the deck, driveway, patio and inside of the garage. It tidies up very nicely after lawn mowing, and if you’ve got a mulching mower, the bits are small enough to be blown right back on the lawn where they should be. You can even use it on the lawn, to break up the bits of supposedly mulched grass so they can go enrich the lawn elsewhere instead of sitting in clumps.

Now I’m about to get heretical: if things are pretty well tied down, you can use the leaf blower inside to get a good rough in. For example, I have an entryway that’s all wood, and it’s stairs. Ordinarily each step traps dust and particulates in the corners. So I can point the leafblower at it and blow everything downstairs to catch it. This is easy for me because there aren’t really any furnishings to speak of here.

Killer app: my basement gets a lot of cobwebs. I can walk around with the leaf blower, point it in the corners and get everything good and clean. Now, of course it goes on the floor. So I have to detail clean it after. But as far as cobwebs go, it’s easy as pie. No ladders and no rags to wash afterwards. And fast!

If you have rugs that need to be shaken, go hang them up sturdily outside and use the blower to clear the dust off them. It does a really nice job.

For your car: once you’ve got all the big stuff out, open all the doors and point the leaf blower at it. You can also use during car-washing to get  a lot of the water off before the chamois comes out.

As far as that goes, anything you’ve washed off with a hose, you can use the leaf blower to get most of the water off before towel drying.

Any other uses you’ve come up with? Let me know.

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

twistedxtian July 13, 2010 at 7:47 am

I also have issues with my mulching lawn mower leaving clumps on my grass (particularly when I wait to long between mowing). I would look much less crazy using a blower to spread them out. A couple of weeks ago my neighbors watched as I swept my entire lawn with a broom to break them up.

I also like the idea of using it to clean out the inside of the car. :) Though I’m certain my wife would kill me if I used it to “dust” inside the house.

Nick July 13, 2010 at 8:46 am

Yes sometimes you have to try these things out when the spousal unit is out of town (like mine is now). But usually they are fine with it if it works!

Robert July 18, 2010 at 4:24 am

Hmmmm, my leaf blower is also a leaf vacuum, so you got me thinkin about the cobwebs in the basement

and the flower in question is a day lily I believe

Robert July 18, 2010 at 4:25 am

sorry, upon closer inspection, not a day lily but very interesting

Nick July 19, 2010 at 10:09 am

Yeah, believe it or not that thing is really common around these parts. I just have to go ask the nursery and they will know.

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