Homestead Roofing | Colorado Springs Roofing Company

DIY: Gutter Cleaning Tools

Written by Tracy Bookman | Nov 8, 2019 8:20:09 PM

I don't know anyone who likes cleaning their gutters. It's such a pain to set up your ladder, scoop out all the muck and debris from a small section, then climb down, move the ladder a few feet, and repeat the process. It's dirty, dangerous, and takes a lot of time.

There's A Better Way!

There's a tool called The Gutter Tool that will make this job much easier for the DIY'er. It attaches to any threaded pole and makes quick work of cleaning your gutters. We use a 12-foot, telescoping pole, so we can clean 24 feet of gutter at a time without moving the ladder. Here's how to use it. (Note: This requires ladder usage. Be safe! Use a means of securing the ladder, either by tying it off to the gutter hangers, or by attaching ladder stand-offs. We use a great tool called a Ladder's Little Helper, which you can find online.) You will need: A ladder, a bucket, a bucket hanger, The Gutter Tool, a pole, a long water hose, and a spray nozzle for the hose.

Set up your ladder in a secure place: on level ground, and away from tree branches and power lines. Attach The Gutter Tool to your pole and hang it on one of the ladder rungs before climbing the ladder. Climb the ladder and hang your bucket close to the top. When you're at the gutter, begin by scooping the debris out of the gutter sections closest to you on your right and left and toss in the bucket. Do NOT over-reach! Only work as far away as your arms can reach without leaning! Once you have cleared away the debris closest to you, use your pole and The Gutter Tool to begin moving the debris closer to you. Use the paddle end to pull the debris your way, then flip The Gutter Tool over and use the hook to push the junk under the gutter hanger, Then flip it again and use the paddle end to keep moving the debris close to you until you can reach it comfortably by hand, then take it out of the gutter. If you have an extension pole, you can keep extending it further and further as needed to get as much of the stuff as possible without moving your ladder.

 

After you have cleaned out the inside of the gutters, hook up the spray nozzle to your garden hose and spray the remaining small debris down the downspout. As you are moving the ladder around to spray out the gutters, it's time to clean and dry the gutter exterior of the spilled muck and water. Attach a gutter cleaning pad to your pole and from the ground, wipe off the gutter.

This should make the nasty job of cleaning your gutters much easier and safer.