Cleaning rain gutters is a necessary, yet often overlooked, chore for homeowners. Without regular maintenance and cleaning, your rain gutters can get clogged with leaves and debris, creating an overflow which can lead to water damage and even flooding.
Fortunately, cleaning rain gutters is not an overly difficult task, and can generally be done with the right tools and safety precautions.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to clean your rain gutters safely and easily.
From the tools and supplies you’ll need, to the step-by-step process of cleaning, to safety tips and maintenance suggestions, this guide will provide you all the information you need to keep your rain gutters clean and functioning properly. So, let’s get started, and learn how to clean your rain gutters safely and easily.
Supplies and tools needed for cleaning rain gutters
The supplies and tools you’ll need to clean your rain gutters will depend on how much of the cleaning you plan to do from the ground, and how much you plan to do from the roof.
That said, the following supplies and tools should cover most cleaning scenarios.
– Safety gear
– First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure you have all the necessary safety gear for cleaning your rain gutters.
This includes things like rubber gloves, safety goggles, a safety harness, and a fall protection device like a safety rope.
– Protective clothing
– Next, you’ll want to make sure you have the necessary clothing for cleaning your rain gutters.
This will include things like work boots, long pants, long sleeves, and gloves. Make sure you choose durable and thick fabrics, as they’ll protect you from injury while working with ladders, tools, etc. – Trash bags – Finally, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of trash bags on hand to help you collect leaves and debris while cleaning your gutters .
Preparing the area for cleaning
Before you begin cleaning your rain gutters, you’ll want to make sure you’ve cleaned the area below them, and prepared it for cleaning. This will help keep your house, and the area around the gutters, clean and free of debris while you’re working.
– Remove leaves and debris
– First, you’ll want to remove all the leaves and other debris from around the gutters, downspouts, and the ground below them.
This will help avoid accidentally dropping debris into the gutters while cleaning.
– Cover the house
– Next, you’ll want to cover the house with a tarp to protect it from falling debris like leaves and dirt. You can also cover the ground below the gutters and downspouts to keep it free of debris.
– Protect plants
– Finally, you’ll want to make sure you’ve covered any plants near the gutters and downspouts with a shield to protect them from falling debris like leaves, dirt, etc.
Safety precautions for cleaning rain gutters
While cleaning your rain gutters might not seem like a dangerous task, it is still important to practice proper safety while doing so.
Doing so will not only keep you safe while cleaning, but it will also help avoid damage to your house and property.
– Use a harness
– While you can easily clean your gutters from the ground without the use of a harness, it’s highly recommended that you use one while cleaning from above.
This will allow you to work safely from above, and will reduce the risk of injury or damage to your house.
– Avoid stepping on the roof
– While you can stand on the roof to clean your gutters, you should avoid stepping on it as much as possible, as this can cause damage.
Instead, use a safety rope to help you climb up to the roof for cleaning.
– Use a bucket
– If you’re cleaning your gutters from the ground, use a bucket to catch debris, as this will help prevent it from falling on the ground below.
– Avoid contact with the gutter
– While you can clean your gutters without coming into contact with them, it’s best to avoid contact whenever possible, as this will reduce the risk of damage.
Step-by-step process for cleaning rain gutters
Now that we’ve covered supplies, safety, and the prep work for cleaning rain gutters, we can dive into the step-by-step process for cleaning them.
Cleaning your rain gutters can be done in a single day, and shouldn’t take longer than a few hours.
– Gather supplies
– First, gather all the supplies you’ll need to clean your rain gutters. This will include the tools and supplies listed above, as well as a ladder, buckets, and a garden hose.
– Clean the downspouts
– This can be done while standing on the ground, and should be done after removing leaves and debris from the ground below them.
This will prevent debris from falling back into the gutters once they’ve been cleaned.
– Clean the gutters
– You can do this while standing on the roof, and should begin by removing any debris that has fallen into the gutters while they were clogged.
– Clean the roof
– This should be done from the ground, and you should use the bucket to catch any falling debris.
How to clear clogged rain gutters
If you’ve cleaned your rain gutters but they’re still clogged, you may need to clear them out completely. This may require the help of a professional, and is something you should do only as a last resort.
– Hire a professional
– If the clogs are too severe, or you don’t feel confident in your ability to clear them, it may be best to hire a professional to do it for you.
– Clean the downspouts
– You can begin with cleaning out the downspouts first, as they’re usually the easiest to clear. – Break apart the clog
– Once you’ve cleared the downspouts, start breaking apart the clog in the gutters.
This may require the use of tools like shovels, or other devices.
Cleaning downspouts
After you’ve cleared the gutters and downspouts, you’ll want to clean the downspouts as well.
This will help keep water flowing properly off your roof, and will reduce the risk of water damage to your house.
– Remove leaves and debris
– First, remove any leaves and debris from the downspouts.
– Clean the spouts
– Make sure to clean the spouts, as well as the connection points between the downspouts and gutters.
– Use a garden hose
– Finally, use a garden hose to flush out the downspouts.
This will help remove any dirt or debris that remains.
Tips for maintaining clean rain gutters
Now that you know how to clean your rain gutters, you’ll need to follow a regular maintenance schedule to keep them clean and debris-free.
You can clean them once a year, or more often if needed, but you should schedule cleaning them once per year to keep them in good condition.
– Schedule cleaning – You should schedule cleaning your rain gutters once per year.
You can start by cleaning them after the fall, when the leaves have fallen off the trees, and before the spring, when the trees are covered in new leaves.
– Remove debris after storms – You should also clean your gutters after major storms, like hurricanes, to prevent debris from building up and blocking them again.
– Use a gutter cleaning service – If you can’t find the time to clean your rain gutters, or if you find that they need professional cleaning, you can hire a gutter cleaning service to do it for you.
Signs that your rain gutters need professional cleaning
If you find that you need to clean your rain gutters more than once per year, or if clogs seem to be a recurring problem, it may be time to call in a professional to clean them for you.
This will help ensure they’re clean and functional, and will help prevent water damage to your house.
– Gutters are overflowing
– If you see that your gutters are overflowing with water, or if you notice puddles forming around them, they may be clogged and need to
Keep your rain gutters debris-free with these maintenance tips: schedule regular cleanings, remove debris after storms, and consider hiring a pro like The Gutters Factory for a thorough cleaning.