Fall can be a surprisingly busy time for homeowners. Once summer has ended, you might find that you’re busying yourself with exterior maintenance tasks like tidying up your garden or lawn. But there’s one outdoor task that a lot of us can easily forget about: cleaning out your home’s gutters.
Gutters divert rainwater away from roofs and prevent rainwater from pooling around and damaging your home’s foundation, and they can stop leaks and flooding inside your home. Gutters are often an afterthought, but they serve a crucial purpose.
That’s why this fall, as the leaves are dropping from the trees, your gutters deserve care and attention to keep them in tip-top shape. Well-maintained gutters make a huge difference to the overall health of your property year-round.
But where do you start, if you’ve never really given that level of care to your gutters? We asked a gutter pro to share steps for a “Gutters 101” crash course, along with tips that will keep you safe as you do this chore.
Gutter Care 101: Why You Must Clean Your Gutters
“Gutters are designed to direct the rainwater away from your home,” reiterates Aleks Krylov, Founder & President of Stern Gutters in South Orange, New Jersey. “If they’re clogged, there is a high risk of longer-term damage to the property: roof damage, rotting fascia, flooded basements and ruined landscaping.”
Other problems that may result from gutters that aren’t functioning correctly include mold in your walls, erosion around the home’s perimeter. Don’t underestimate the potential repair costs: “We’ve seen homes with five-figure damage simply because the gutter system wasn’t maintained,” warns Krylov. Regular gutter maintenance is always “heaper than the repair work that follows neglect.”
How to Clean Your Gutters Step by Step
Krylov lays out the exact steps to clean your gutters before they backfire on you:
Use a stable ladder with a stabilizer.
Wear gloves and safety glasses.
Scoop out leaves and debris by hand or use a blower to dislodge the leaves from the gutters.
Use a garden hose with a nozzle to flush the gutters.
Check elbows and downspouts for clogs (they are evident when the water does not drain from the gutters). Clear the clogs by using water pressure from the hose, a plumber’s snake or by disassembling the elbows/downspouts and cleaning individual components one by one.
Inspect for loose hangers, gaps at seams or leaks at joints.
Inspect the gutter pitch.
According to Krylov, the tools you’ll need include: a ladder, gloves, bucket/contractor bags, a hose, a blower, a drill/driver (for tightening brackets) and a plumber’s snake if needed.
When Should You Clean Your Gutters?
Whenever you get on a ladder anywhere around your home, it’s important to take safety measures into account—and of course, cleaning your gutters will require a ladder.
First of all, Krylov says that it’s essential to never lean your ladder on the gutter itself. Instead, you’ll place the ladder against the roof using a ladder stabilizer. Also, you can always call upon someone for help, especially if the ladder is very tall.
Krylov advises against cleaning your gutters during rain or high winds, and you should watch for any power lines near roof edges.
Then, there are those times when it simply isn’t a good idea to clean your gutters yourself, in the name of safety.
Krylov says, “Skip the DIY approach entirely if your roof is steep, the ground is uneven or you’re not comfortable with heights—hire a professional service.”
This story was originally reported by Dengarden on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Home Improvement section. Add Dengarden as a Preferred Source by clicking here.