How to Clean Gutters Made Easy
The easiest way to have your gutters cleaned is, of course, to hire someone else to do it for you. However, if you'd rather do it yourself but don't want to spend all day on the task, you can use a simple list of procedures. To be most efficient in your cleaning, it's best to complete each step for all of the gutters on your home before moving on to the next one. That way, once you are done with a specific tool you don't have to dig it out again later. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ladder
- Trowel
- Garden hose (preferably with sprayer nozzle)
- Protective gloves
Instructions
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Pull the top half of your extension ladder up so it is high enough to reach six inches above the height of your highest gutter. (If your house is only one story, you may be able to use a step ladder instead.) Set the ladder on a flat surface about three feet from the left edge of the gutter you will start with.
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Climb the ladder until the gutter is in easy reach. Have an assistant hand you your trowel. Hold the trowel over the left edge of the gutter with the tip pointing to the right. Push it into the gutter at 45 degrees and scoop out the large debris. Drop debris onto the ground or into a trash can below you. Repeat for remaining gutter areas, moving the ladder as needed.
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3
Locate all of the downspouts on your home. There could be just one, or there could be two or more. For each downspout, find the section of gutter that feeds into it that is furthest away from it. Position the end of your hose here, aiming it in the direction of the spout. Turn the hose on full blast. The pressure should force any remaining dirt out of the gutter. This will also help flush out the spout itself.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves. You never know when there will be sharp objects in the gutter. Plus, you may have to pick out very large debris with your hands.
Cleaning your gutters can be made easier if you install a gutter cap, such as the Gutter Helmet. This will help to prevent large debris from ending up in your gutters in the first place.
Have someone turn the hose on for you. Do not attempt to carry the hose up the ladder while it is turned on.
Do not attempt to attach a trash bag to the ladder. It can hurt your stability.
