Leaf Blower & Yard Cleanup
Fall in America is a money season for people who own a leaf blower and a rake. Every house on every block has leaves it doesn't want. One Saturday with the right tool = a college book fund.
Earn up to 130 coins
🎖️ Leaf Blower Badge
Force for Health
Yard cleanup gets you outside in autumn — best season for movement and fresh air. Mood booster guaranteed.
Force for Wealth
$50-$120 per house for fall cleanup. Multiply by every house on your block. That's real seasonal money.
Force for Community
Elders can't safely rake or bag anymore. You can clear a whole yard in an hour. Pure community service.
0 coins
Goal: 130
Quick Check-In, Before We Begin
Right now, how confident are you running a leaf blower or doing yard cleanup?
How likely are you to clean up someone's yard or help with seasonal yard work?
One Quick Knowledge Question
Best practice when neighbors are home during leaf-blower work?
Meet the Leaf Blower
A leaf blower is exactly what it sounds like — a fan in a tube that blows air at 150-200 mph. Modern blowers come in three forms: HANDHELD (small jobs, $80-$200), BACKPACK (big yards, all day comfort, $300-$500), and BATTERY (quiet, no fumes, $150-$400). The job is simple: move leaves and debris from where they are to where you want them. Add a rake and tarps for the bagging part, and you've got the full fall cleanup kit.
The Yard Cleanup Toolkit
Fall yard work was the bread and butter of every kid I knew growing up. October to Thanksgiving, the leaves come down, and somebody's got to move them. That somebody can be you. And every elder on the block needs it done.
The Three Cleanup Jobs
Leaf Removal
Blow into rows, blow into piles, tarp-haul to bags or compost. Fall classic.
Driveway / Sidewalk Sweep
Year-round add-on. After mowing, after pruning, after any project.
Light Snow / Debris
Some blowers handle 1-2" of dry powder. Saves cold hands when there's no snowblower.
Watch It Done Right
How to Use It — The Five Moves
- Plan the destination. Where are leaves GOING? A pile at the curb? A compost area? Onto a tarp? Decide BEFORE you start blowing or you'll move the same leaves twice.
- Work WITH the wind. If there's a breeze, blow IN the same direction. Fighting the wind doubles your work.
- Start at the far edge, work toward your pile. Don't randomly blow. Sweep in lines from the FARTHEST point toward your destination. Cover each pass, slight overlap.
- Tarp method for big piles. Spread a tarp on the grass. Blow leaves onto it. Fold corners up. Drag the whole load to bags or compost. Saves 30 minutes vs raking into bags.
- Final sweep — driveways, sidewalks, patios. Pro finish. Get every leaf off concrete and onto grass or in bags. Driveway should be EMPTY of leaves when you leave.
Tarps are the secret weapon. Bagging leaves into yard waste bags one armful at a time takes forever. Tarp-and-drag? Same yard, half the time. Buy a 6x8 contractor tarp for $15 and you'll wonder how anyone does it differently.
Fall Cleanup Pricing
Typical leaf-removal job (residential yard, mid-fall):
- Small yard (no trees): $40-$60, 30-45 minutes
- Medium yard (1-3 trees): $80-$120, 1-2 hours
- Big yard (lots of trees): $150-$300, half-day
Multiply: 4 medium yards on a Saturday = $400. Repeat for 6 weekends through November = $2,400 in seasonal income. Plus the regular mowing rounds.
Safe & Unsafe
✅ Safe
- Eye protection (debris flies)
- Ear protection (gas blowers are LOUD)
- Closed-toe shoes
- Dust mask in dry/dusty conditions
- Watch for the cord (corded electric) under the leaves
- Respect city noise ordinance hours
⚠️ Unsafe
- Pointing the nozzle at people, pets, or open windows
- Running gas blowers indoors or in closed garages (CO poisoning)
- Blowing toward streets where leaves block storm drains
- Working on a slope barefoot or in sandals
- Wet leaves + electrical blower = serious risk
- Blowing into a neighbor's yard (instant complaint)
Why This Is a Force for Health, Wealth & Community
Health: Yard cleanup is workout disguised as work. Heart, lungs, legs. Outside, in autumn light, alongside elders who need company too. Wealth: Seasonal cleanup is some of the best-paid yard work — high effort, high value to the customer, and most kids don't offer it. $50-$300 per yard. Real money. Community: Every elder on every block needs leaves moved. Every year. You can be the person who shows up.
Put It to Work
Do at least one. Snap a photo of your work to earn the coins. A grown-up can supervise younger learners.
Don't think about it. Next leaf-fall day, go to ONE yard — yours, family's, a neighbor's. Blow leaves into one pile. Tarp them. Bag them. Get the feel. Next Saturday, do two yards. Two weeks later, a route.
Clean up one full yard of leaves
Plan destination, blow into piles, tarp and bag. Photo: before, during piles, after.
+50 coins
Clean off a driveway, sidewalk, and patio
After-mowing or general cleanup. Concrete surfaces should be debris-free.
+30 coins
Run a complete yard cleanup as a paid job
Mow + trim + blow + bag. Full service. Negotiate, do the work, get paid. Real customer.
+50 coins
Be a Force for Others
Sharing what you learned — and helping someone with it — earns bonus coins and your badge.
Look down your block in fall. Every yard with leaves on the lawn belongs to somebody who can't or won't deal with it. The elder ones especially. Two hours of your time clears an entire yard. Free or for tips, doesn't matter — you're the neighborhood angel.
🤝 Do a full leaf cleanup for an elder or struggling neighbor
Full yard. Bags or compost. Sweep the walkway. Take whatever they offer with grace.
+40 coins (Force for Community)If you liked this, you might love a career as a Landscape Pro or Arborist.
Landscape and grounds crews keep parks, schools, country clubs, and college campuses running — careers with benefits, pensions, and growth. Arborists earn $42k-$78k year-round. Lawn care business owners scale from one mower to a full crew.
Leaf Blower & Yard Cleanup — Unlocked!
All 17 skills complete. You've earned every badge in Rocky's Repair Shop — and your sponsored toolbox is on its way.
0 coins earned