Last updated on October 18th, 2022 | By: Grady Galvez
You could have a storm of water probably making its way outside a clogged gutter. But as a responsible homeowner, you will do all that is required to eliminate this kind of situation completely.
We are sure that you are wise enough not to neglect this important task!!!
It may sound tedious, dreadful, and taxing sometimes to do this type of cleaning. But we have tried to guide you with some suggestions by the experts in order to keep your gutters in a proper functional state.
Determine Properly And Then Select The Best Way to Clean Gutters Downspouts From Ground
Whatever process you choose to clean your gutters, the first and foremost thing you should assess is the condition of the gutter. You should find out whether the clogging or blockage is tough and stubborn or just twigs and leaves. The more severity of the obstruction, the more aggressive the removal process will be required to clean the mess.
It is easier to clear dry leaves and twigs than the decomposed organic matter.
➽ There are numerous effective and easy ways to clean gutters from the ground using tools that are specially designed for this task.
Cleaning Gutters Using a Leaf Blower
Most of the leaf blowers are available with a nozzle attachment. These blowers are designed to release a stream of air that is quite narrow and works well for cleaning the gutters. You should position your ladder in such a way that you work slowly towards the downspout.
This will enable you to blow out the obstructions as you go. Just keep one thing in your mind here is that you should be cautious enough to avoid blowing leaves into the downspout. In case standing on a ladder is not your choice, then there are specialized attachments too that will make your work easier and quicker by extending your leaf blowers reach.
You can use gutter flusher hose attachment for increasing the flow of cleaning and better results.
This gutter flusher comes with a spray head that can be rotated in varying angles thereby making cleaning quicker. Even the hard-to-reach areas can be dealt with ease and there will be no debris in your gutters.
Downside
The only drawback is that whatever is blown out of the gutter will unavoidably end-up on the ground. And this may call for another clean-up round, increasing your work.
Cleaning Gutters Using a Dry/Wet Vacuum
A dry or handheld vacuum is the best way to remove the tough debris. The required hoses and attachments (curved) can be bought from the local home improvement retail store. You can get them according to your task and requirements.
There may be stubborn, stuck-on heavier debris that may be dry and require moistening before it surrenders to the vacuum you use. After you are successful removing the bulk material, then this is the time when you will have to flush the gutters to outflow the remaining debris if any.
For this purpose, using a garden hose with a proper flow of water should be used.
Cleaning Gutters by Hand
There are a few things that you will require when cleaning gutters with your hands.
➽ Ladder
➽ Bucket
➽ Gutter Scoop/Garden Trowel
➽ Heavy-duty Gloves
Start slowly and take out the leaves and detritus that may have collected over time. You can remove it and put it in a bucket. Then comes the flushing part with water of gutters and downspout alike. This should be carried until you are sure that both are functioning properly.
Quick Tip: In case your downspouts are clogged and you are missing the power washer, then you should try to break through the stoppage by using a plumber’s snake and cleanse with a hose.
Cleaning Gutters with a Power Washer
Is it high time that you cleaned your gutters?
Then just blast it away with the power washer. The fine-spray nozzles of your power washer will help you perform this with ease. Things may turn out to be messy and you should remain prepared beforehand to rinse the exterior walls and roof later.
Power washing is probably the best alternative to clear the clogging of the downspouts. It is a quite simple process, and you have to point the nozzle down the hole and check that water is running freely through it. The rinsing should be done until you achieve this target of yours.
You need to make sure that the attachments you use are a ‘universal fit’ for delivering the perfect outcomes.
Quick Tip: You should do proper research before you buy and use such washers.
Cleaning Gutters with a Garden Hose
If the gutters are not thoroughly clogged, then a standard garden hose will be sufficient to do the task for you. The perfect attachments like the rigid tube with a curved end will help you to work comfortably too without a ladder.
Furthermore, you should start at the end that is far from the downspout and then the channel’s length should be flushed. If any remnant is still left then remove it with your hand before it dries out.
Quick Tip: A standard-sized garden hose is all that you require.
An important thing to do
If you install a screen barrier on the top of your gutters commonly known as the gutter guards then it will be the best thing to do. This will prevent the accumulation of debris and leaves over time. An ounce of prevention, they put it right.
Cleaning Gutter From Outside
This is something that is missed out by many of us. It is not only the inside of the gutter that needs to be cleaned but the outer part too. The dust may gather in various forms even outside the gutter. If this part is left unchecked and uncleaned then it will certainly put up a bad show from outside.
The Gutter cleaning applicators work brilliantly for this and they are designed to fit almost all common gutters.
Suggestions by The Experts
➽ You can make use of the tools that you own at home already. This will certainly cut out the extra expenses since you don’t need to spend a heavy amount just to clean your gutters.
➽ If you have to deal with small leaves, dust, twigs, and pine needles then use the medicine. This comes with a bent at an angle on the tube’s end that facilitates easy reach into the gutter.
➽ In case of any doubts, you can always go through the videos online for a better understanding of the process related to any tool.
➽ Be careful about the attachments you use as selecting the wrong ones may lead to more mess and clogging or slow cleaning.
➽ Using eye protection, hand gloves, protective shoes is a must as a lot of debris has to be dealt with.
➽ Check out the gutter cleaning tools at amazon.com before you actually do a smart choice.
➽ Using the extensions for the vacuums is the best thing you can probably do to relax your cleaning work strategy.
The Synopsis
Maybe this is a task that you might be hating to do as a homeowner sometimes and could turn out to be dangerous if pursued without experience. Now you must be pretty clear that you can perform the cleaning task even without using ladders or climbing the roof.