How to Clean Stains Off of a Gutter

Gutters protect a house's siding from suffering any water damage during a storm. Unfortunately, leaves and other items that blow off of trees can get caught in your gutter along with the rain. Since most homeowners don't clean out their gutters that often, the leaves, nuts, can cause stains to form on the gutters. These stains are not impossible to get rid of if you know what to do.

Things You'll Need

• Garden shovel
• Gloves
• Hose
• Bleach
• Scrub brush
• Gutter Zap

Instructions

1. Clean all of the leaves and debris out of your gutter first. That way you can see where all of the stains are and tackle them all at once. To do this you will want to put on a pair of gloves and shovel the debris out with a garden shovel. This size shovel will fit best in your gutter.

2. Use a hose to flush out the gutter. Start at the top and work your way down the gutter. Once everything is washed away you can begin scrubbing your stains.

3. Pour bleach in the gutter and scrub with a scrub brush. This will get rid of any stains that are caused by mold or mildew. If your gutters aren't white then you will want to dilute the bleach with water. Use one cup of bleach for every two cups of water. Pour over the stains and scrub with the scrub brush.

4. Spray Gutter Zap on the stains that are not caused by mold or mildew. This product is safe and won't harm any plants you have in your yard. It will get off even the darkest stains. Scrub it in if you have a tough stain.

5. Rinse off your gutters with your hose. Allow your gutters to dry naturally. When they do, they will look as good as they did when you first installed them.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your gutter once each season.

• If you use a ladder you don't want to stand on the top two steps. It is too easy for you to lose balance and fall.

Resources

• Gutter Zap