Gutter cleaning is an essential part of roof maintenance that protects not only your roof, but your entire home. If your gutters are clogged, you could start seeing water stains on your siding, leaks around the edges of your roof, and even cracks and leaks in your basement walls.

Cleaning out gutters is a task that virtually any homeowner can accomplish, but like any job, the right tools make it easier. Here is an overview of four essential tools you will need to clean your gutters.

Hand Trowel

Sometimes, nothing gets the job done like classic elbow grease. Unless you like the idea of digging around in your gutters with your bare hands, a hand trowel is the best way to go. And while you can get loose material in your gutters with only a pair of gloves, dirt and leaves can become compacted in the bottoms of your gutters and refuse to budge without a thorough scraping.

To clean gutters with a hand trowel, use a ladder to access your gutters and bring your trowel and a bucket. Carefully scoop along the gutters one section at a time, dumping debris into a bucket as you go. You can hang your bucket on your ladder to make the job easier. Continue this process along the entire length of your gutters until only small debris remains.

Leaf Blower Gutter Attachment

If you have a leaf blower, you may already have a handy gutter cleaning device without even realizing it. Many gutter cleaning kits exist on the market for leaf blowers, both custom-fitting and universal. A leaf blower with the right cleaning kit and extension will even let you clean your gutters from the ground without having to climb on a ladder.

Most gutter cleaning kits for leaf blowers consist of several tube extensions for the blower and a curved nozzle on the end. The curved nozzle lets you aim the blower over the edge of your gutters and clear out debris inside.

To clean your gutters with a leaf blower, gradually work the blower nozzle around your gutters toward the downspouts, but be sure not to blow debris directly into the downspout to avoid a clog. Debris can sometimes fall out of your gutter during this process, so protective eye wear is recommended.

Power Washer

A power washer is another multi-purpose tool that you may not know you can use for your gutters. Power washers can provide the pressure needed to clean even the most stubborn muck out of your gutters. As with leaf blowers, there are curved attachment nozzles available that will let you clean your gutters from the ground with a telescoping wand.

Power washers are also a great tool for a more specialized aspect of gutter cleaning: clearing clogged downspouts. Spraying your downspouts from the top down or inserting the power washer at the bottom of the downspout can force enough water through to break up clogs and free large debris.

If you don't have a leaf blower available, you can even use a power washer attachment called a water broom to clean up after cleaning your gutters. The ground around your gutters will likely be littered with leaves, mud, and debris, but a water broom will let you use your power washer to make quick work of the mess.

Gutter cleaning isn't a complicated process, but there's no reason to make the job harder than necessary by neglecting useful tools. And if you're ever facing a gutter clog you can't handle, call the pros at Rain-Flow Systems, LLC, so we can get your gutters flowing like normal again.