How to Clean Gutters

Cleaning gutters and downspouts on your home helps prevent water damage to your house's foundation and walls. You should clean your gutters twice a year and check for any repairs that may be necessary when you clean out the gutters. Most people choose the end of fall and spring to clean and repair gutters.

As with most do it yourself jobs, the correct tools will make the job go faster and keep you safer. The following basic tools should be available to most home owners.

1 Extension ladder

2 Work gloves

3 Garden trowel or shovel

4 bucket or plastic garbage bag and s-hook

5 Hand plumber snake

6 Garden hose with a spray attachment

A good location to start is at the corners of your home since the downspouts are normally positioned here.

Setup the extension ladder against the gutter. I recommend having someone stabilize the ladder as you work. Put your garden trowel into the bucket and put on your gloves. When climbing the ladder always keep at least one hand on the ladder at all times. For additional safety, attach the bucket to the ladder with the s-hook.

Use the garden trowel or shovel to scoop out debris. As you remove the debris, place it into the bucket or bag. Carefully remove by hand larger items.

Once all the debris has been removed, get the garden hose. Rinse the gutter pointing the water towards the downspout. If the downspout is clogged, you will need to clear it before completing the rinsing of the gutter.

To clear your downspout, start at the bottom and use the garden hose to force water up the downspout. With a little luck, the water will free the clog. If that does not work, try using the garden hose from the top of the downspout. If the clog remains, you will need to get the plumber snake and work the snake down the downspout until you reach the clog. With a little persistence, the snake will break up the clog. Then you can follow up with the garden hose to completely clear the downspout.

Once the downspout is clear, rinse the gutter using the garden hose.

If you don't like cleaning gutters, you can add guards to your gutter to help keep them clear of leaves and other debris. This one time job can pay you dividends year after year. Just be sure to clean your gutters and downspouts prior to installing the guards.