The Must-Try Trick That'll Make Picking Up Grass Clippings Easier

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Lawns require constant care. You don't want to let the grass grow too long, there are drawbacks. But you know picking up grass clippings is the least satisfying part. Bags blow away, clumps stick to the ground, and even a light breeze undoes your effort. Raking can gouge your turf, and bending down to scoop by hand is a backbreaker that takes forever. Leaf blowers are loud, imprecise, and tend to scatter the grass more than gather it. Plus, dragging a bin or wheelbarrow across the yard just to catch some blades seems like overkill.

Most folks try to rake everything on top of a plastic tarp or into a trash bag, but unless it's well held down, it's a wrinkly, uncooperative mess. The grass refuses to go in and just rolls over the edges. You end up chasing bits all over again. Even with help — one person holding and another sweeping — it's a coordination challenge. And if you try to sweep directly into a standing bag? Good luck with that collapsing target.

Grass clippings are light but clingy: They ball up, blow away, and somehow always find a way to smear across your sidewalk. A simple solution has been missing — something that doesn't require power tools, extra hands, or constant bending. The answer isn't a new product or fancy rake, it's a smarter way to use what you already have. The trick is to turn a basic large garbage bag into a stable, efficient collector by using your own body weight, and some strategic placement. 

Lay your bin bag flat on the ground and step onto its corners, hooking them over the toes of your boots. Your body weight anchors the bag in place and helps keep it open, instantly solving the common problem of bags sliding or flipping in the breeze. With the bag secured, you can use a standard broom or rake to sweep clippings directly into the bag. The pressure of your feet stretches the bag smooth and taut, making it easy to push clippings in with your hands, without them rolling off or sliding underneath.

Start sweeping from the outside in — try this adjustable rake from Tabor Tools — guiding the clippings into a pile in the center of the bag. The smooth plastic acts like a funnel. Once the bag is full, shift your weight to one foot, lift the other, and lift that corner of the bag up off your toe. Repeat on the other side to pick the bag up, and you've essentially moved the clippings into the bag with little fuss and minimal handling.

There's no dragging, scooping, or wrestling with limp bags. Because you never have to let go of your broom, the entire process stays fluid. The setup is so stable, you can even do it on a breezy day without everything blowing across the lawn. When done, just cinch the bag shut and move on. But make sure you don't throw the clippings away after mowing — you could use the snipped-off grass to protect seedlings.