Autumn cleaning, anyone? As the bookend season to spring, fall makes for a great time to weed out, clean out, rake up, and otherwise get your house in order. To help, we've got deals on the right yard and home improvement tools to get you clean and organized before the holidays arrive — and yes, they'll be here before you know it.

1. Black & Decker 20-Volt Lithium Outdoor Combo Kit
   Vendor: Black & Decker via eBay
   Price: $74.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $64

   Is It Worth It?: This Editors' Choice deal should prove just the ticket for outdoor cleanup: a cordless string trimmer and a sweeper, each powered by Lithium ion 20-volt batteries that boast a longer lifespan and more charging power than their NiCd counterparts. A 2-year Black & Decker warranty applies on this pair, though ready-made excuses for avoiding yard work are not included.

2. Gorilla Rack 5-Shelf Shelving Unit
   Vendor: Ace Hardware
   Price: $34.99 with free in-store pickup
   Lowest By: $65

   Is It Worth It?: It's time to get your garage in order; and now more space in the garage can also mean more cash in your wallet if you choose in-store pickup to avoid the $20.82 shipping charge on this Editors' Choice shelving unit. It features an L-beam steel frame, adjustable shelves, and more. Each shelf has a 200-lb. capacity, and the unit can be assembled as a shelf or a workbench.

3. Bow Rake with Fiberglass Handle
   Vendor: Sears
   Price: $5 with free in-store pickup EXPIRED
   Lowest By: $13

   Is It Worth It?: This Editors' Choice rake weighs in at 3 lbs., and features a 14-tine steel head, plastic end grip, and fiberglass handle. It also doubles as a teaching tool, wherein you instruct Junior how to rake the leaves while you sit back and supervise, equally expensive pumpkin spice latte in hand.

4. Sharper Image Floor Steam Mop
   Vendor: DB Roth via eBay
   Price: $39.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $36

   Is It Worth It?: It's easy to live cleanly with this Editors' Choice mop, which is electronic, and offers a quick, easy, environmentally friendly way to clean your floors. It works on hard surface floors and carpeted areas, and kills more than 99% of H1N1 virus, E. coli, and salmonella with plain tap water.

5. Sun Joe Mow Joe 14" Electric Mower
   Vendor: Walmart
   Price: $110 with free in-store pickup
   Lowest By: $9

   Is It Worth It?: Be sure to opt for free Site-to-Store pickup of this mower. You'll save a backbreaking $29.97 in shipping. Speaking of avoiding backbreaking: this mower features a 12-amp motor, electric start, 14" cut path, grass bag, steel blades, and more.

Front page photo credit: Irving Park Garden Club

Lou Carlozo is a dealnews contributing writer. He covers personal finance for Reuters Wealth. Prior to that he was the managing editor of WalletPop.com, and is a veteran columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

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