Gutter Cleaning Tools


You have noticed that your gutters are not draining properly or that they are overflowing when it rains? There must be a blockage forming somewhere that is causing water to build up. It is time to clean the gutters. What do you need to get the job done? First, you need a ladder. You will need to get up to the gutters and the easiest way to do that is with a ladder. Make sure that you do not lean the ladder against your gutters or downspouts but only on a sturdy surface. You could also use scaffolding to reach your gutters, but that would fairly cumbersome and potentially an overkill for this type of job.

Once you are up the ladder and can reach your gutters you will need to clean out the debris that is clogging them up. The next piece of equipment you will need is a pair of gloves. You will not want to be handling the moldy leaves and debris with your bare hands. Most people just proceed by scooping out the mess with their hands, but there are tools that you can purchase if you do not want to handle the refuse yourself. You can use a small trowel or a gutter scoop. You can purchase these tools at your local hardware store. Once you get the offending blockage from your gutters, you will have two choices, you can throw it on the ground for later pick up and disposal, or you can have a garbage bag with you when you are on the ladder. I recommend the latter option but I suggest that you hang the garbage bag from the ladder so that you have two hands to do your work.

Once you get all of the big pieces out, you will want to check to make sure that your downspouts are not clogged. If they are, you can place a garden hose in the opening and use the running water to push the debris free. The next step is to use a leaf blower, if you have one available to blow any smaller pieces free from the gutters. Using a leaf blower while on a ladder can be dangerous, so I often skip this step and try to do a more thorough job with cleaning out the debris by hand. The final step is to rinse the gutters clean with the garden hose.

In summary, you will need the following to clean your gutters: a ladder, gloves, a small trowel or gutter scoop if desired, a garbage bag, a leaf blower if desired, and a garden hose.

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