Upkeeping your gutters and gutter system is an essential part of regular home maintenance. Dirty, clogged, or damaged gutters could easily cause numerous problems affecting different parts of your home, including the roof and foundation.
As dirty gutters could lead to a series of problems in your home, it’s important to know how to clean gutters and maintain them in good condition.
In this article, we’ll go deeper into the topic of how to clean clogged gutters, keep the whole system functioning properly and prevent home damage.
Here’s what you need to know.
Why Should You Know How To Clean Gutters & Maintain Them?
Knowing how to clean your gutters and properly maintain them will allow you to keep your whole gutter system in good shape, prolong its longevity and prevent possible leaks and other gutter-related problems.
Clean gutters will ensure your home, roof, and foundation are safe from hazards and with adequate maintenance, they will keep you and your family safe for years to come.
How Often Should You Clean Your Gutters?
It’s best to clean your gutters twice a year to keep them in good shape. Preferably, do this in fall and spring, as those seasons bring the most rain and wind, contributing to leaf, dirt, and debris accumulation.
If you live in a particularly rainy area, you might need to consider a third cleaning to keep the whole gutter system running without issues,
Rain Gutter Cleaning Methods You Can Try Out
There are several rain gutter cleaning methods you can try for cleaning your gutters, depending on the tools and equipment you have available.
A major piece of equipment that will determine which roof gutter cleaning methods you can try out is a ladder. That’s why we can divide these gutter cleaning techniques into:
- Cleaning from the ground
- Cleaning from the ladder
Here’s what you need to know about them.
Cleaning Gutters From the Ground
If you don’t have a ladder, you’ll need to learn how to clean your gutters from the ground. It’s often harder to clean your gutters without using a ladder, but it’s still achievable with patience and a systematic approach.
Keep in mind — cleaning from the ground can be time-consuming, but it’s safer than cleaning from a ladder.
Below is a list of different ways on how to clean the gutter from the ground.
1. Use a Garden Hose
One of the easiest ways to clean gutters from the ground is by using a garden hose.
This practice is the most efficient with garden hose attachments that will allow you to reach the gutters from the ground. Keep in mind that this gutter cleaning technique can take a while and that it’s not suitable for overly clogged or dirty gutters.
2. Use a Vacuum
Another method for cleaning your gutters from the ground can be using either a wet or dry vacuum. Keep in mind you’ll also need to invest in curved attachments and special hoses that will allow you to reach the gutter with the vacuum and remove the dirt and debris collected inside.
3. Use a Power Washer
Using a power washer is another excellent way to get your gutters clean without needing to use a ladder. The nozzle of your power washer will blast any dirt, debris, and leaves from the gutters, helping you clean the area quickly and efficiently.
Although this cleaning technique is easy, keep in mind that things can get a bit messy and that it’s not the most suitable option for people living in tall properties.
4. Telescopic Gutter Cleaning Tools
There’s a bunch of different telescopic gutter cleaning tools you can use for cleaning your gutters without a ladder.
Typically, these tools feature an extended pole along with additional attachments, such as a cleaning pad or claw arms.
Cleaning Gutters With a Ladder
Climbing up a ladder to clean your gutters is not as safe and convenient as cleaning them from the ground. However, being up on the ladder will allow you to have a better overview of your gutters, helping you thoroughly clean the area and avoid missing any spots.
As climbing on a ladder can be dangerous, you should ensure your safety by using telescopic ladders with stabilizer arms for extra protection.
After you’ve got your ladder set up, it’s time to start cleaning; here’s a list of different ways you can clean your gutters.
1. Use a Leaf Blower
Leaf blowers can be a powerful tool when cleaning gutters with a ladder as they come with nozzle attachments that can release powerful air streams.
If using a leaf blower, you should first block your downspout to prevent more dirt and leaves coming inside of it. To start cleaning, all you need to do is position your ladder on one side of your home and use the air coming out to blow out the dirt and debris from your gutters.
After cleaning, you can flush out any leftover dirt with a garden hose.
2. Clean By Hand
Last but not least, if you have a ladder, you can clean your gutters by hand, more precisely by using a hand trowel.
This cleaning technique is quite simple. All you need to do is climb on the ladder, use the trowel to collect dirt, leaves, and other debris inside the gutter and collect them in a bucket so that you could throw them away.
Although easy, this is not the to-go cleaning method for people who want to know how to clean gutters fast, as it is time consuming and daunting.
Tips for Keeping Your Gutters in a Good Shape
While it’s necessary to clean your gutters at least once or twice per year, there are several things you can do to keep them in good shape.
By following the tips below, you can reduce the need for cleaning your gutters, as well as the possible damage they could experience because of the collected dirt.
Here’s what you should do to preserve the quality of your gutter system:
- Perform regular gutter inspections
- Repair any possible issues as soon as they appear
- Consider investing in gutter guards
- Trim branches on trees near your roof to prevent them from falling into your gutters
Get Clean Gutters by Contacting Experts
Gutter maintenance is not a chore everyone’s keen to do — if you don’t want to clean your gutters on your own, you can always contact a professional gutter cleaning and maintenance service to help you with the job.
Skilled professionals will do this sometimes daunting task in no time, while ensuring your gutters are clean and your gutter system is functioning properly.
Besides resolving your problem and making your gutters clean, experienced technicians can also inspect your gutters and offer additional advice to keep your gutters in optimal condition and protect your home from damage.