Fall is a beautiful and colorful time of the year. Unfortunately, those gorgeous colors inevitably clog up our gutters in the spring. We know no one wants to do it, but you have to eventually. Clearing debris from your gutters prevents water buildup and damage to your roof and gutters. Below, read several different gutter cleanup methods, choose what best suits you, and learn how to clean your gutters correctly and safely. It is also important to note that you should try to clean your gutters at least twice a year.
Gutter Cleaning Safety & Prep
First, we will cover the most crucial topic: safety. Cleaning your gutters can lead to many injuries, so proper safety equipment is essential. This job can get dirty, so we recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt and work pants to cover yourself. Next, have safety glasses and gloves to protect you from debris getting into your eyes and cutting yourself during the process. To ensure security, consider buying fall protection, such as a harness, anchor, etc.
When working with ladders, falling can cause serious injuries. Ensure you have a sturdy extendable ladder on a sturdy surface and a helper to hold the ladder. When standing on a ladder, set it up so that when you are standing with your feet at the ladder’s base and reach out to grab it, your arms are at a right angle with your legs. Capping the ends with rubber prevents the metal feet from gouging into your exterior wall and increases friction, making the ladder less likely to slide.
Gutter Cleaning Methods
There are three different methods for cleaning your gutters. Depending on what materials you have, safety concerns or preferences can help you decide which option you want. The three methods listed below are cleaning your gutters on a ladder, sitting or standing on your roof, and cleaning from the ground.
Gutter Cleaning From a Ladder
The first method for cleaning your gutters is with a ladder. For this method, you will need a garden hose, a high-pressure nozzle, and a ladder. Once you have the required materials, place your ladder in a secure spot. Then, climb the ladder with your hose and go down the gutter. You may be required to manually remove some debris throughout the job.
Gutter Cleaning Sitting or Standing on Roof
The following method for cleaning your gutters is sitting or standing on the roof. Like the previous method, you will start by securely placing your ladder and climbing it safely. You will want a bucket, a pole, and a gutter scoop for this method. Start by gathering debris and creating piles every few feet or so. Once you have gathered all the debris, start placing your debris in your bucket. When doing this, sit down placing the debris in the bucket. When filling up your bucket, ensure you do not fill it up too much, or you may become uncomfortable with how heavy it can be, especially if the debris is wet and risks injury.
Another option when on the roof is using a leaf blower or pressure washer. Start by working your way down the gutter, blowing out all the debris. This way is a bit messier as you must clean your driveway or lawn, but you can also put a tarp on the ground to make it easier.
Gutter Cleaning From the Ground
The final method for cleaning your gutter is staying on the ground. This option is excellent for those uncomfortable climbing onto their roofs. For this method, you will need a gutter cleaning wand to extend your reach to your gutters. Once you have the necessary materials, you can attach them to your hose and place them into your gutter. Then, slowly work your way down the gutter as the water pressure removes the debris from the downspout. This option can be as messy as the previous method.
Check Elbows & Downspouts
After you have cleaned out your gutters, you will want to ensure that there are not any blockages. To start this, remove the elbow connecting the gutter to the downspout. Once the elbow is out, spray water into it with a hose. If the water flows out quickly, your gutter is clean.
You must remove a clog if the water is not flowing out fast or backed up. To do this, use a plumber’s snake into the downspout to loosen up the debris. Then try your hose again. If the problem continues, repeat the previous step until water begins to flow out quickly. Reattach the elbow when ready.
Clean Up
Now that your gutters are cleaned, you have a few final steps to ensure the job is done. It is essential to do one final water test with your gutters. It never hurts to make sure the job is 100 percent complete. With high pressure, use your hose and ensure water runs smoothly through your gutters. Once you have made your final run, the last thing to do is clean up your workspace.
Check out our other blog on the best gutter cleaners to learn about the best tools for cleaning your gutters.
10 Comments
James
October 24, 2017 at 3:41 pmLadder standoffs/stabilizers should always be used on extension ladders when getting up on a roof and/or cleaning out gutters. Why risk marring up & denting gutters w/o one?!
Acme Tools
October 24, 2017 at 3:44 pmHello, Thank you for your comment. That is a great point, they also increase the safety when working on a ladder because of their increased width.
Thank you,
Acme Tools
David Rich of DMR Gutters
October 27, 2017 at 11:47 amI have been installing gutter for 24 years and use ladder standoffs/stabilizers on all my ladders. I would feel unsafe without it. I usually brace the ladder standoffs/stabilizer on the roof above the gutter. I even tell my clients that they should buy a ladder standoffs/stabilizer even if they do not own a ladder. If they have someone working on their roof who does not have this on their ladder to insist they use it. They will often ask ‘what if they do not give it back to me?’ i remind them that they would have suffered more than $30 damage to their gutters if they did not use it, so not really a loss, and they can still call them to ask for it back.
Also, I bring up a 5 gallon bucket to put the debris into and hook it onto the ladder, or the stabilizer. I will often slide one leg into the ladder rung above the one I am standing on to hook my leg in for better stability if I need to use both my hands. It puts extra weight on that one foot, but better to be safe. a Rung Step device can also be used to help give a larger platform to stand on, so the arch of your foot will not hurt so badly.
Acme Tools
October 27, 2017 at 12:56 pmHi David, Thank you for your comment and we appreciate hearing from a 24yr veteran gutter installer.
Thank you,
Acme Tools
Azoay Boni
December 24, 2017 at 1:03 amHistorically, I am the guy that goes to clean objects around my home and I end up wrecking them because I didn’t fully know what I was doing. Are there any cleaning agents for gutters that could wreck the weather protective coating and other elements of the gutter’s physical integrity? It wouldn’t do well to wreck my gutters right before winter kicks in.
Acme Tools
December 26, 2017 at 9:15 amHello, Thank you for your comment. If you are using a chemical to clean your gutters we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the gutter system to see if the cleaning agent could harm the integrity of the gutter.
Thank you,
Acme Tools
Easton Memmott
July 26, 2018 at 9:05 amI found it very interesting when it was mentioned that you can use a leaf blower to clean out your gutters. I have never thought of that before. My wife and I are looking to buy a home and we want to be sure that we know the ins and outs of cleaning and taking care of our new home. If we buy a home soon, I will seriously consider using a leaf blower to clean out the gutters.
Ridley Fitzgerald
February 5, 2019 at 12:53 pmI appreciate your tips for cleaning gutters. Like you said, using a rubber-capped ladder would help me avoid slipping and falling like my neighbor did not too long ago. To be honest, I’d rather hire a professional to clean all our gutters, so I think I’ll do that.
Mark Murphy
February 20, 2019 at 10:54 amI really appreciate your tip to spray all of the waste in your gutter into one central location so you can get rid of it easier. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new house with a lot of tall trees on the property, and we are concerned that the trees are causing a lot of leaves to fall into the gutter. I will be sure to tell my wife that we should try and clean it by spraying it all into one pile!
Ben Stout
March 12, 2022 at 5:35 pmThis was definitely a great article. I wished I had this the first time I was thinking I was man enough to know everything. I eventually fell and learned a valuable lesson.