The last thing that any homeowner would want to know about is their gutter is all clogged with nasty leaves and debris. It’s an open invitation to lots of problems that nobody wants to deal with. And so, keeping them clean is a big priority to make things work properly.
Some people won’t like the idea of spending that 150 euros on a professional gutter cleaning service. And there’s nothing wrong with such desires. Today’s writing is for people who want to make such savings. Yes, I’ll be focusing on the best way to clean gutters with some simple methods.
Contents
The Best Way to Clean Gutters & Downspout Easily.
First, identify if it’s the right time to get yourself for that complete gutter cleaning process. Some common indications are:
- Over the side of gutter, there’s water spilling.
- Your house’s exterior wall has unwanted stains.
- Some dirty plants are growing on them.
- Bird nests are noticeable.
- Sagginess.
Also, you should always clean the gutters at least two times every year. The finest season for such activities is autumn and late spring.
A Few Things That Are Good to Know!
- If you have a pretty high rooftop, an extension ladder needs to be your gutter cleaning partner.
- Use some thick suede gloves to keep your hands protected. Also, you need some eye protection such as working goggles.
- It’s best to avoid any walking around the roof if not completely necessary. The leading downhill position from roof is a very hazardous thing you should skip at any cost. This makes the risk of falling down very high. Just use an extension ladder instead of such tries.
- You should wait for noon since that’s when the roof will be dry and safe to work on.
- Before cleaning gutters, its best to clear dirt out from the roof as well. So that the next time it rains, debris from your roof doesn’t make your recently cleaned gutter messy once again.
What Tools You Will Need?
- A suitable ladder.
- Wire handle with a bucket.
- Garden hose.
- Leaf scooper
- Plumber’s snake.
Methods That Work Best.
Here is some basic idea about methods that work best depending on your gutter’s condition.
# In Case of a Damp Gutter.
If you are absolutely unlucky, you’ll face the calamity of cleaning a damp gutter. It’s less messy to deal with a gutter that is dry and loose. In the damp gutter cleaning process, there are two methods you can try.
For the first method, you need to scoop out gutter mess and drop it inside any tarp or drop cloth. This method needs really less time. And all you need to do is keep moving the tarp along with ladder. As soon as the tarp is full of dirty contents, dumping those into a bin or trash bag is enough.
For the second method, you need any plastic bucket with a metal handle. At the center of handle, make a cut. You need to bend the halves’ end and make it into a hook shape. Fix the hook into gutter’s edge. You scoop out dirt using this hook and empty it into the bucket. You will climb up and down a lot during this method.
# In Case of Dry Dirt Gutter.
If the mess is dry inside the gutter, you can clean them using a simple plastic bucket and handle. The handles need to be cut and bend for hooking over gutter’s edge. You also need to cut the bucket’s bottom part for creating a bottomless look.
Around the metal handle, simply put a trash bag around. Use a huge rubber band to simply fasten the bag tightly. You can also use duct tape or Velcro strap. You simply scoop those dry leaves into the bucket.
Then funnel the trash bag down. It’s the best way to clean those bulky but light dry leaves from your gutter. However, it’s not supposed to work well with wet and heavy gutter debris. You don’t want to overfill these bags. Since this will make carrying the bags down ladder difficult.
# While Cleaning Gutter.
Now that you know about various methods of getting those mess out from gutter, choose anything that suits best. You can also be productive with other elements available at home.
For example, you can simply make a scooper from that old plastic jug laying in your kitchen. Just need to have a handle and it will work fine. Also, you can utilize the trowel, garden spade, and similar things that lets scooping. Even the old spatula from kitchen works here.
While cleaning the gutter, you don’t want to work in large sections. Go for easy to clean smaller sections instead. Also, you don’t want to overreach anything. Your body needs to be in an upright position. You should try reaching to only the extent that isn’t uncomfortable for your body. Leaning from the ladder is absolutely not recommended. Instead, try to move the ladder often.
When you are working for your two-story house or simply to clean the edge of roof, extension ladder works best. You can simply use a stepladder for a house that is single-story. No matter what type of ladder you use, never climb more than the very top level that is postulated by manufacturer.
# Dealing with Downspouts.
Now, you need to also clear the downspouts as soon as gutter is mess-free. Remove the horizontal extension pipes if there’s any. The top part where gutter feeds is where you will place a garden hose simply. Let someone turn the water on and keep checking flow of downspout.
Use a rag to seal the hose tightly for packing downspout’s opening. Now create water pressure by turning on the spigot wide open. This will help to clear the clog and you would be able to see it on downspout’s end.
If this does not work, you need to clear the clog manually. In this case, use a plumbing snake and feed onto downspout’s top part. Once it hits the obstruction, clog will start getting cleared out.
As soon as you are done with clearing the clog, test with running some water. You should also check for clogs inside the horizontal extension pipes.
