Time to Remove Leaves? Ditch Your Rake for a Cardboard Box

Raking fall leaves can be a major time suck. Even the best rakes can only pick up so many leaves at once. And often, the tines just skewer the leaves and slow you down.

This autumn, TikToker Virginia H. Lane (@virginiahlane) has a solution: using a cardboard box. Seriously. Here’s how she does it, how effective her method is, and other alternatives to consider.

How Can I Rake Leaves with a Cardboard Box?

In Lane’s video, she holds the edge of the cardboard box at a 45-degree angle, then runs it along her lawn in sweeps to gather the fallen leaves on top. Check out her method for yourself below.

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Does Raking Leaves with a Cardboard Box Actually Work?

Yes. Lane promises viewers the hack will help them “clear [their] yard in seconds,” and it certainly appears to!

However, many commenters raise concerns that raking your yard this way could hurt you and your grass in the long run. One commenter writes, “[m]y back hurt just watching” the video, while another pointed out the hack works best for “anyone under the age of 35.”

Additionally, commenters note removing the leaves instead of mowing them and creating natural mulch deprives the lawn of effective — and free — nutrients. Here are a few more things you shouldn’t do with your fallen leaves.

How Should I Rake the Leaves Off my Lawn?

In an ideal world, you really shouldn’t remove the leaves at all! As one commenter writes, “mowing [the yard] is better,” as it “mulches up” the leaves and “makes fertilizer for your lawn.” Other commenters concur.

However, if you really can’t stand leaves in your yard and want to avoid back pain from raking, you can always use other leaf-removing tools like a blower, broom or even a snow shovel.