The advice is being offered to help prevent damage at your property as well as problems such as flooding, mould and damp
People are being asked to use a vacuum cleaner in their gardens(Image: Getty Images/Moment RF)
Householders are being urged to use a vacuum cleaner in their gardens this month for a surprising reason. The advice comes as the weather changes and we head into autumn.
Much of the country has been hit with rain and strong winds recently, which has brought many changes to our houses and gardens. One of those changes involves fallen leaves.
While leaves can create a scenic and comforting golden effect in your outdoor space, they can also pose a threat, especially when they get wet. And experts are asking people to use their vacuums to clear their garden drains of any leaves to avoid excessive build-up. This comes as a gardening expert explained when you should stop mowing your lawn as the colder months approach, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Specialists at Drain Flow Ltd, a UK-based drain clearance service, have revealed that vacuuming up leaves from your drain is essential for reducing the damage they can cause. When leaves get in your drain and start to build up, they can block the flow of water that your drainpipes are designed for.
In turn, this can cause flooding as well as mould and damp, which can be detrimental to your health. Meanwhile, the moist conditions can create the optimum breeding ground for certain pests, which can be difficult to get rid of once you find them, reports the Express.
To avoid this, the experts advise using a vacuum to suck up any build-up of leaves in your garden drains before they start to cause problems. If the build-up hasn’t become too bad, this will help to prevent further issues.
It is important to keep an eye on your drains, as leaves are continuously blowing into your garden. Try to check your drains daily, and if you notice a pile of leaves on top of drain covers, take a few seconds to sweep them away.
You should also rake up fallen leaves in your garden to prevent similar issues. Leaves will likely gather in your garden throughout autumn, so now is the time to get on top of this.
Explaining why it’s important to rake up fallen leaves, the Drain Flow Ltd website says: “There’s no way around it, this is an ongoing job! Autumn winds will constantly create new piles of leaves that will – often unaccountably – find their way to the drain.
“Make it a daily job and it shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes. It could be that this the year you start a compost heap, so all your hard work will pay off in the Spring.”
They further say: “If there’s a build up of clogged leaves in your drain, you may not want to plunge your hands into the mess to remove it. One alternative is to scoop up what you can with a shovel, or trowel, and then deploy a ‘Wet and Dry Vacuum’. This should clear newer leaf fall, and prevent the build up of a potential blockage.”
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