For most people, cleaning out gutters is a tedious yearly challenge, and yet, having clean gutters is hugely important for protecting your home against water damage. Keeping your gutters clean ensures that stormwater doesn't leak into your home's foundation or rise underneath your roof.
From cleaning your patio slabs to decluttering your shed, there's a lot more to garden maintenance than mowing the lawn or sowing seeds. And unfortunately, one of the less glamorous jobs is that of cleaning gutters. Although they're easy to forget, keeping your gutters clear and in good working condition is an essential part of any home maintenance.
To make the task a little easier, we've asked drainage and cleaning experts to share their best advice on how to clean gutters fast and efficiently.
How to clean gutters, according to the experts
It can be easy to forget gutters when you're doing your yearly household maintenance tasks. Since it's hard to get a good look at them without climbing up a ladder, you might not know what kind of state they're in, but keeping gutters free of debris is definitely worth the hassle. Consider cleaning your gutters a crucial job to add to your list when sorting your garden out.
Ignoring the task for too long will not only make the inevitable cleaning process worse but can also cause leaks and damage. When gutters fill up with leaves and twigs, they can easily get clogged and stop functioning properly. Dust and dirt can also get blown inside, and soggy leaves create a decomposing obstruction with the potential to cause expensive damage to your home.
So if you're ready to tackle it, here's a step-by-step guide for cleaning your gutters.
RRP: £3.99 | This pack of two rubber gloves comes in a size medium and is perfect for protecting your hands from the moisture and grime when cleaning your gutters.
RRP: £1 | This bucket is perfect for helping collect various debris from guttering and can easily be hung off your ladder with an S-shaped hook.
RRP: £79.99 | Cleaning your guttering can be a dangerous task, so investing in a good quality ladder like this one is the only option.
1. Set up your ladder
Before you can start cleaning, it's important to create a way to safely access your guttering. Whether or not you're used to it, climbing up ladders to the height of your roof is extremely dangerous, so it's important to check that everything is done properly.
"Check that it is firmly secured in place, and it should only be used if it extends high enough to reach your guttering. Do not lean the ladder directly on the guttering, and if you are unable to extend your ladder high enough without doing this, you should attach a ladder stand-off," starts Jess Thomas, managing director of Drainage Central.
"Generally speaking, the ladder should be one foot away from the wall it is resting on for every four feet of height. If you are trying to position the ladder on uneven ground, you should use a ladder leveller to create a sturdy base," he adds.
Jess also points out that you should always have three points of contact on the ladder and that you might have to ask another person to hold the bottom of the ladder steady for extra safety.
As the Managing Director of Drainage Central, Jess is an expert in the drainage and plumbing industry. He provides valuable insights on a wide range of industry topics and is dedicated to helping homeowners find effective solutions for drainage problems.
2. Attach a bucket to your ladder
Although it's only a small step, climbing up the ladder and attaching a bucket with an S-shaped hook will make your life much easier. That way, you're not having to go up and down when collecting the debris in the gutters.
3. Clear the loose debris
After putting on your gloves, an essential item all gardeners need, it's time to start clearing away the larger loose bits of debris and putting them in the bucket.
"Clear the area around where your ladder is set up, then climb down to empty the bucket before moving the ladder onto the next section of guttering," instructs Jess.
"Try not to overstretch when clearing debris from the gutters, as this can increase your risk of falling, and it is much safer to climb down and move your ladder. Continue moving along your guttering until it is free of loose debris," he continues.
4. Flush the more stubborn debris
In the same way you need to remove algae from your fence panels, sheds and furniture, your gutters will have some moss and algae that needs flushing away.
"After clearing larger pieces of debris, you can use a garden hose to rinse away any remaining dirt. When using the hose, you should start at the furthest point away from the downpipe so that you are not cleaning the same area twice," recommends Jess.
Alternatively, he does say you can use a telescopic pressure washer wand, as this will enable you to clean your guttering without the ladder.
FAQs
Is there a way to clean gutters without a ladder?
If you're not comfortable using a ladder or simply don't have one lying around at home, there are other ways you can tackle this clean.
- Pressure Washer: A gutter isn't one of the things you shouldn't use a pressure washer on. Jess says you can use a telescopic pressure washer attachment that will allow you to clean the gutter from the ground. "However, ensure that you are using the right amount of pressure when cleaning, as too high a pressure can damage your guttering," he warns.
- Outdoor vacuum: You can purchase attachments for wet or dry vacuums that will let your blow away or suck up debris from your guttering whilst you're on the ground.
- Gutter Claw: Jess says, "A gutter claw is a long-handled tool that is designed to grab and pull out debris. It can be used to clean harder to reach areas, and it can offer more control than methods that rely on suction or airflow."
Is it better to vacuum or hand-clean gutters?
You might be wondering if vacuuming is the best way to clean your gutters or if the more manual route provides a better finished product.
"Hand-cleaning may have been the traditional approach used, but vacuuming is the far superior method as far as we’re concerned," says Stuart McGinn, drainage expert at Drain Detectives.
“Hand cleaning gutters comes with the limitations of lessened visibility and the reach of a ladder, and there’s no way to guarantee a thorough job without either climbing dangerously high or opening sections of a gutter up, both of which risk safety," he continues.
On the other hand, Jess champions the traditional way over vacuuming. He points out that using your hands is easier for cleaning tight spaces and removing blockages.
"Additionally, vacuums can potentially damage certain kinds of guttering if they are not used carefully, and they cannot be used to clean gutter brushes or guards," he adds.
What happens if you don't clean your house gutters?
Cleaning your guttering is not a job you can ignore for months and months, especially through the autumn and winter seasons. In the same way, you must clean your wooden garden furniture to keep it in its best condition; your guttering shouldn't stay filled or dirty for long.
"Ignoring or neglecting gutters is comparable to avoiding a slow leak. Clogged gutters will eventually become a very expensive problem if not maintained properly, and over time can lead to overflowing rainwater, damp patches inside the home, mould, and potential structure damage to the foundation of a property," explains Stuart.
He also highlights how stagnant water in clogged gutters can attract pests like birds, rats and insects to your home. The last thing you want is to be trying to get rid of rats in your home.
"In extreme cases, neglecting gutters can even result in complete roofline replacements, or remedial damp-proofing," he finishes.
How often should you clean your house gutters?
Whilst your gutters certainly don't need to be added to your daily cleaning habits, you must keep an eye on their condition and clean them when needed.
Stuart recommends cleaning gutters around twice a year, but this needs to be adapted to the surroundings of a property.
"For example, if your home is situated around lots of nearby trees, you may want to consider quarterly cleans, and those with flat roofs may also require more regular attention," he explains.
If your gutters are mostly filled with leaves and organic matter, why not add the debris to your homemade compost pile? Leaves are fantastic at breaking down and becoming nutrient-rich matter for your plants.
