There are several different ways that you can get rid of thatch problems in your lawn. The best way to get rid of it is to use a power rake or a dethatcher. Both of these machines are essentially the same thing. I think that they used to be called dethatcher, but not very many people knew what that was and they have changed the name to a power rake.
A dethatcher is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of the thatch. Most of the time, you are not justified in buying a new machine. They cost around $1200. (This is for a gas powered thatcher and it is the only one I recommend.) However, you can rent a power rake for about $35-$40 for a four hour period. A power rake will easily pull out thatch made up of dead grass, or moss from your lawn. It is kind of like using a rake to do it while walking faster. After you go over your lawn with a power rake, all you have left to do is to rake up the thatch and throw it in a yard waste container and will make your lawn looking neat and clean. If you want to keep your thatch problems from coming back, make sure that you have a healthy lawn. Make sure that you fertilize your lawn on a regular basis, and also that you recede if you need to. Another thing that you can do to help prevent thatch problems is to have your lawn aerated. When you aerate your lawn it allows kills aerobic bacteria to help break down the layer of thatch that is developing on your lawn. As long as you can break this layer down as fast as it can, you will never have any serious problems with thatch.