Fall Home Maintenance :: Almost Time for Cleaning Gutters

Gutter cleaning is one of the more important tasks we can perform each Fall. Regular gutter cleaning can, among other things, really help in preserving your roof’s life.

All you need for cleaning gutters is:

-          Ladder

-          Gloves

-          Trowel/ small rake

-          Hose

-          Garbage bags

With these things, gutter cleaning is as easy as one-two-three. However, you do need to be careful when climbing up (and down) that ladder.

image via the Phoenix Roofing Team

Here are the easy steps in cleaning gutters:

1. Position the ladder near the downspout and don’t forget to tuck a few garbage bags into your back pockets. Some would use bucket with handle but it’ll be too heavy for you to carry when its almost full.
2. Using your rake/ trowel, begin scraping the dried leaves and other debris from your gutters. When taking out this debris, always remember to pull it away from the downspout as much as possible to prevent further clogging especially if it’s already clogged.
3. While working be conscious of sharp objects. When scraping and pulling out dried leaves and other stuff, always remember to just get a handful and put it immediately in the garbage bag.
4. When you feel like the bag is getting heavy, drop it slightly away from the bottom of the ladder so it won’t get in the way as you go down. Don’t forget to tie it before dropping so you won’t be sweeping the dirt up again when you get down.
5. When all of the debris has been removed, pull out your hose and spray the gutter with water to clean it thoroughly. Let the water flow from the gutter to the downspout to make sure that nothing is stuck in it.

Afraid of heights? Try looking for a quality roofing contractor that can help you. Even a handyman will do, but just make sure they are cleaning the gutters the way it should be cleaned. Debris left in your gutters for a long period of time may surely cause more trouble in the future.

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Stacy Eghart is a writer for a Phoenix, AZ Roofing Company. She’s interested in all things home improvement but often focuses on the roofing process.