Safety comes first whether you're operating heavy machinery or just a handheld leaf blower! While operating your leaf blower, always wear eye protection like safety glasses or goggles to prevent debris from getting into your eyes. If you experience some especially bothersome detritus, you should consider a face mask to reduce particulate inhalation. Also, wear a pair of sturdy work gloves with enough padding to protect your hands. Similarly, durable close-toed boots are good too, especially when they have amble tread to give you traction and balance on damp and slippery leaves.

Unless you approach your leaf blowing task with a bit of strategy, you might end up moving a lot of leaves around without gaining ground. Blow leaves with the wind so you don't have to work against the most powerful blower of all: Mother Nature! Don't worry about getting every single leaf with your blower. Instead, work leaves into large piles and take care of what's leftover with a rake.

One technique is to split up your lawn into different sections and clear them one at a time. This can be just to make the job more manageable, but it can also help to keep you focused on several piles of leaves rather than trying to get everything in the same spot for bagging and cleanup. Also be aware of when you do your leaf blowing, as your neighbors probably won't appreciate an early morning or late night go with your blower.