4 Gutter Cleaning Tips That You’ll Thank Us For
Unless your gutters are equipped with gutter guards, then you have the unattractive task of cleaning out your gutters to deal with twice or so every year. And, chances are, you’re not too thrilled about taking on the task each time. But don’t worry—next time is sure to be more efficient and less of a pain, especially if you follow these tips:
1. Make sure your ladder is up to the task. It shouldn’t be wooden, preferably, and it should be sturdy. Ideally, your ladder should also have a strong, small shelf on which you can rest your bag or bucket filled with gutter debris. Before climbing up your ladder, double-check to ensure that there are no defects that you aren’t aware of.
2. Use a garden hose to spray out smaller debris. Ideally, your garden hose will have normal water pressure. Use a spray nozzle that allows you to adjust the water pressure to make it harsher if necessary, which will help to get stuck-on debris out of your gutters.
3. Utilize a gutter scoop or hand-held small rake. One of these tools will help you when you’re scooping out the larger debris that’s caught in your gutters. While scooping the debris out, aim it away from the downspout so that you won’t inadvertently be pushing leaves further into the gutter.
4. Wear gloves. Think about it—there are some really nasty things in your gutters. You could come across a few spiders or other bugs, and chances are that there’s at least a little bit of squirrel or bird poop in there. Wearing gloves will help to protect your hands from this icky stuff.
These four tips will help your gutter-cleaning experience go a bit quicker and be a lot more efficient. What other pieces of advice can you think of to share with fellow homeowners that need to clean out their gutters?