To clean gutters by hand, you'll need a ladder, bucket, gutter shovel (or garden trowel), and heavy-duty work gloves. Gradually, remove the leaves and debris, placing what you remove in the bucket. Finally, flush the gutters and downspouts with water until you are sure that both are working properly. To clean a section of gutter while standing on a ladder, work at chest level with your body facing the house.
You'll want to use a gutter post and a handy gutter shovel to pull debris toward you. Collect debris in piles, reaching only as far as you feel comfortable. You don't want to lean too far from the ladder; never place your left shoulder beyond the right column of the ladder rung (or your right shoulder beyond the left column). If you don't have the option of using a pole or if there is too much debris in the gutter, don't hesitate to wear gloves.
It will take longer, but nothing is more important than your safety. The best way to clean gutters is to climb a ladder, remove all dirt and sediment by hand, and wash gutters and downspouts with a hose. But should you hire someone or do the gutter cleaning yourself? Rain gutters become clogged with leaves and other debris over time, so it's best to clean them regularly to avoid tougher jobs later on. Whether you're paying someone or doing it yourself, you need to clean your gutters at least every spring and fall, possibly more often if you have a lot of trees nearby.
To do this, start at the far end of the gutter, away from the downspout, and soak the rag so you can mold it to fit in the gutter. Standing on a ladder or cleaning floor gutters (see below) are the best alternatives if you do this work yourself. In addition to crossing rain gutter cleaning off your home's maintenance checklist, be sure to inspect the roof for leaks. Then flush the gutters with a hose, working from the end of the chute toward the outlet, being careful, as this could be messy work.
If you had to ask people what chores around the house they hate to do most of all, you'll probably hear a lot of people say they clean gutters. This extends and curves the reach of your leaf blower, so you can clean the gutters while standing on the ground. Rain gutter cleaning is necessary for all homeowners and should be added to their fall maintenance and spring maintenance checklists. If you are cleaning gutters in damp conditions (rain or pools of standing water on the roof), remove most of the debris by hand before cleaning the rest with a packed cloth.
Taking the time to clean the gutters several times a year will save you a lot of stress and frustration in the future. Before you take out your creative gutter cleaning tools, make sure you're very careful when working on high ceilings or stairs. However, there are some circumstances where you can expect to pay more than the average cost to clean gutters. This may be a good time to consider upgrading old ones with gutter protectors or screens or with seamless gutters.
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