Your eavestroughs need to be cleaned from time to time, but you probably don’t have time to dedicate hours to clean them. As such, you might be wondering if there’s a fast way to have your gutters cleaned without wasting too much of your time.
Read more to find out the best ways to clean your eavestroughs.
What is the Fastest Way to Clean Gutters?
The fastest and easiest way to clean gutters is by climbing a ladder up to the roofline, walking along the edge, and blowing the leaves and other debris off using a leaf blower. That way there’s no need to scoop small sections and have to move the ladder a couple of feet every time.
But as you would imagine, this method is not the safest way to clean your gutters, even though it is the fastest. That said, you could also use an extension kit, which extends and bends the leaf blower so that you can clean your eavestroughs while still on the ground.
How Do You Clear Blocked Gutters?
Eavestroughs are designed to whisk water away after rainfall or snowfall. The water is then guided to the downspout and away from the home so that there’s little chance of the water pooling and potentially damaging your roof, foundation, or any other component of your home.
But there are times when the gutters can become clogged. After the debris is allowed to fall into the eavestroughs and accumulate, it can cause a blockage that does not allow any water to flow along with the eavestroughs and be directed away from your home. In this case, you’ll need to clear the blockage.
To do this, you’ll need to climb a ladder to reach the gutters and scoop the debris out of the eavestroughs using a scoop of some sort, and dropping the contents onto a drop cloth or tarp on the ground below. Just make sure that the scoop is made of plastic and not metal so that you don’t cause any damage to the eavestroughs.
If the downspouts are clogged, you can take a hose and put it directly into the downspout from the top, turn the water on, and allow the water pressure to push the debris out of the downspout.
Can You Lean a Ladder Against the Gutter?
No, you should not lean the ladder against the gutters because this could damage and dent the eavestroughs. Instead, stabilizers should always be used to gain access to the roof. Not only will this help to prevent damage to your eavestroughs, but it will also be safer for you.
What is the Best Cleaner to Clean Gutters?
Sometimes the outside of your eavestroughs can get dirty, which can have a negative effect on the esthetics of your home’s exterior. If your eavestroughs become overly dirty, you may want to clean them.
You don’t necessarily need a special cleaning solution to clean your gutters. Instead, you can use a simple mix of water and white vinegar to clean the outside of the eavestroughs, and you won’t risk corroding the aluminum material. Alternatively, you can also make a paste using a mixture of water and cream of tartar or baking soda, which can also help to buff any caked-on debris off while cleaning at the same time.
How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned?
Clean eavestroughs are essential to ensure that the system works well enough to drive water away from your home. This requires that the gutters be cleared out every so often. But how often should gutters be cleaned?
The answer will depend on whether or not you have large trees near your roof. If you do, you may have to clear out leaves a little more often than if you have no trees nearby.
Generally speaking, however, eavestroughs should be cleaned out at least twice a year — once at springtime and once in the fall. If your home is surrounded by trees, however, they may need to be cleaned more often.
If you need help having your eavestroughs cleaned, get help from the professionals at Tip Top Trough!
