DIY Gutter Cleaning: everything you need to know
How a £10 Amazon find took the stress out of DIY gutter cleaning
DIY gutter cleaning might not be the most glamorous home improvement project (an understatement!), but it’s essential for maintaining your home and avoiding costly repairs. I got stuck in recently and gave our porch gutters a really good clean using a bargain tool from Amazon and it was so worth the effort. I shared a reel on my Instagram with the process that you can watch here. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage and even interior damage to your home. While hiring a professional gutter cleaning service is the safest option for anything higher than first-floor gutters, for the ground floor, DIY gutter cleaning is manageable with the right tools and techniques. So, I’ve written this simple, step-by-step guide to help you clean your rain gutters and keep your home’s gutter system working smoothly.
Step 1: Gather the Right Tools
Here’s a list of common DIY gutter cleaning tools, although for my DIY gutter cleaning project, I was working on a tight budget, so I kept the tools and materials down to those highlighted in bold below. To a certain extent, it’ll depend on how dirty or blocked your gutters are
You will need
- Sturdy ladder
- Ladder stabilizer (optional for added safety and level ground)
- Work gloves (optional but handy to protect your hands from sharp debris if gutters are very full)
- Telescopic wand for hard-to-reach places
- Gutter scoop or garden trowel for removing large debris
- Gutter mesh to prevent future clogs
- Gutter clips
- Garden hose attachment with a spray nozzle
- Gutter-cleaning attachments (such as high-pressure nozzles or a plumber’s snake)
- Scrub brush and cleaning solution (a mix of warm water, white vinegar)
Step 2: Safety First
Saving money with DIY gutter cleaning is all well and good as long as you don’t fall off a long ladder and plummet to the ground!! Therefore, safety should be your top priority during gutter maintenance. Make sure to:
- Set your ladder on level ground to avoid accidents.
- Use a ladder stabilizer if you have one to keep the ladder secure against the exterior walls.
- Consider using a step ladder for one-story homes or a sturdy extension ladder for taller properties.
- If you’re unsure about tackling higher sections, hiring a professional gutter cleaning service is a good idea.
Step 3: Clear large debris
Luckily, our gutters weren’t too full, so I was able to skip straight to step 4. But if you can’t even see your gutter beneath a pile of leaves then start by clearing out large debris from the top of the gutter guard or the inside of the gutters. Use a gutter scoop, garden trowel, or even your gloved hands to remove leaves, twigs, and other large debris. If you have pine trees nearby, you’ll likely have a lot of needles to clear. Work in small sections, moving your ladder along the linear feet of gutters as you go.
For stubborn clogs in the downspout, use a plumber’s snake or plumbing snake to dislodge debris. This will restore proper water flow and prevent future blockages.
Step 4: Use a telescopic wand for remaining debris
I jumped straight in here with my handy Amazon gutter cleaning tool. It’s a telescopic gutter cleaning wand, ideal for DIY gutter cleaning and brilliant because it allows the cleaning to take place with both feet safely on the ground! People will tell you that a leaf blower can be an effective tool. Use it to blow out the remaining debris from the gutters, working from the far end of the gutter system toward the downspout and for best results, invest in a gutter-cleaning attachment that connects to your blower, which can help you clean gutters without climbing a ladder. But personally, I’d be worried about damaging the guttering or blowing one of the sections loose or slightly apart, so this gutter wand felt like the safer option and was flexible, too, for easy manoeuvring.
Step 5: Rinse the gutters (optional)
After I’d cleaned the gutters with the cleaning wand, they were so clean that this step felt unnecessary so I skipped it. The microfibre material at the end of the wand wiped the gutter clean so I didn’t want to blast the insides with a hose or pressure washer and risk dislodging part of the gutter. However, you might opt to complete this step if the tool you removed the debris with wasn’t as effective. You can rinse out any remaining dirt using a garden hose attachment or spray nozzle. You can also use a pressure washer with high-pressure nozzles for a deeper clean, but be cautious, as too much water pressure can damage vinyl or aluminum gutters. Begin at the far end of the gutter system, working your way toward the downspout to ensure the water flushes out all the debris.
Step 6: Clean the Outside of Your Gutters
For added home curb appeal, you’ll want to clean the outside of your gutters as well. This might be possible using only the telescopic gutter wand and a hosepipe or cleaning cloth, but if your gutters are filthy or covered with algae, you might need to mix up a cleaning solution using warm water, liquid detergent or white vinegar. Use a scrub brush or cleaning nozzle to remove any dirt, grime, or mildew from the exterior.
Step 7: Inspect and Test the gutters
Once your gutters are clean, check for any signs of damage, such as loose support hangers or cracks.
Finally, you could run a final water test by spraying water through the system. If everything is working as it should, the water should flow smoothly through the gutters and downspouts without pooling or overflowing.
Bonus Tips for Gutter Maintenance
- Install gutter guards: Installing gutter guards can reduce the need for frequent cleaning by preventing leaves and debris from accumulating in the gutters.
- Regular maintenance: Cleaning your gutters at least twice a year, especially in the fall and spring, will help prevent water damage and costly repairs.
- Use downspout strainers: Placing downspout strainers at the opening of the downspout will help catch debris before it creates a blockage.
When to Call a Professional Gutter Cleaner
For two-story homes or gutters that are difficult to reach, it’s often a good idea to call a gutter-cleaning company. A professional gutter cleaner can handle the job safely and effectively, and many companies offer professional installation of gutter guards to reduce the need for future cleaning.
Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to pop over to my Instagram to see behind the scenes of all my DIY and home improvement projects. Painting bathroom taps is another money-saving home maintenance project you might be interested in – read my guide here.
