Although we all would love to have the new leaf guard gutters in place if you didn’t clean your gutters in the fall it is good to do so now before those large rains hit. You don’t need a lot of cleaning supplies to get the job done as you will see in the next section.
- Step1
For the tools part you can include a mild soap so that it will not inhibit your grass growth. The other tools would be of your own making. They sell some pretty weird stuff out there to clean down spouts and gutters but nothing that you could not make on your own. The sky is the limit here. I have used old garden and kitchen tools, a child’s shovel, and even a garden hose taped to a broom handle for unreachable problems. They make these cheap poles to put up Christmas lights, my kids now call them the leaf poker.
- Step2
Safety is key when gutter cleaning. I know most of us who don’t normally climb ladders would rather buy new gutters. You could hire a cleaning company to do it for you but if your home is a manageable size you could save a lot of money by doing it yourself.
- Step3
Try to remove the leaves and other debris in 1-2 foot sections. If you use the push them down method it could cause a clog in your down spout. If you do run into a clog a cheap plumber’s snake is about $15 at the local hardware store and if you have young children it may save you on more then just this project.
- Step4
Pile the debris in the trash bags or on a tarp. Move the container down with you as you go and dump it when necessary. Wash the insides out with a mild soap that will do nothing more to your plants and grass then keep the bugs off them (Go green here). Before you know it your gutters and down spouts will be sparkling again.
