Cleaning gutters without ladders requires some extra tools to compensate for the need to reach that height. This post will tell you some of these methods and some effort-saving tips at the end of this post!
Sometimes, you just need a little creativity to make your own gutter cleaning tool that can help you to clean even for 2 storey high. This DIY method is pioneered by Genius Asian using smartphones, kitchen scale and more. It’s a really creative idea that is worth checking out:
Cleaning the roof gutter is an essential part of home maintenance that should not be looked over. After some time, it might get clogged from the accumulating leaves, branches, shuttlecocks and so on.
Things that fell onto the roof too will be washed down by the rain and end up in the gutter. As time passes, it will get stuck at certain parts along the gutter.
That’s when it derives other problems such as gutter problems and may even cause leaks that could damage the interior as well as the exterior of your house.
The damage could cost a lot more to fix compared to having regular efforts to clean roof gutter on a regular basis.
The most common way that we can take to clean the roof is to use a ladder and manually remove any debris found in the roof gutter.
There are precautionary measures that must be taken to ensure that the cleaning process goes on smoothly and safely. But, that isn’t necessarily the best method especially when you have acrophobia – fear of heights or have specific conditions that don’t allow you to climb up the ladder.
Even if you are perfectly healthy, there’s nothing wrong to clean gutters from the ground. Besides, it’s much safer to do it from the ground level!
How to Clean Gutters Without Ladder?
1. Use Gutter Cleaning Wand Hose Attachment
Image from thegreenhead
Visit any local home improvement store and look for a gutter cleaning wand. It’s an extension that you can attach to your garden hose.
Before preparing to clean the gutter with it, you should consider wearing goggles and a raincoat. That’s because it’s gonna be messy as water will splash out of the gutter and fall onto you.
However, if you like to take it like a man, do consider wearing goggles. There’s possibility that debris like leaves and twigs might be flushed out from the gutter.
So, you need that necessary protection. Turn on the water hose and start flushing the gutter from one end to another. You can kinda feel if the water is flowing smoothly.
Stop a while as necessary to let the water drain. If you feel anything obstructing the way as you slowly slide with the hose, you can try and pry it out. It could be clogged leaves and branches. Do wear protection gear just in case.
This is one of the common ways to clean gutters without a ladder. One good thing about this method is that most of us have water hose for the garden. Getting an attachment for it is much cheaper compared to other options out there.
2. Use Leaf Blower Gutter Cleaner Kit
Image from STIHL
The leaf blower gutter cleaner kit is basically an attachment that you can put at the end of the nozzle of your leaf blower. This turns your basic leaf blower into a gutter cleaner! It’s best to do this when the gutter is dried up.
That way, you can blow all those accumulating leaves with ease! Most models come with the gutter cleaner kit but if yours don’t have one, you can purchase it from your local store.
Operating it is similar to the gutter cleaning wand hose. Once attached to your leaf blower, position the tip to the gutter and blow from one side to another. Repeat for the rest of the gutter.
Do wear goggles and other necessary protection gear before starting the clean up process. Remember to keep your kids in the house and not out there running loose, for their safety.
This approach works well when the gutter is dry. That’s when the debris won’t be sticking together that much and the leaf blower can work its magic better.
However, if the gutter is really clogged, it might accumulate a pool of water. That’s when you might need another alternative to completely clean the gutter.
3. Clip the debris out of the gutter with gutter tongs
Image from guttersense
The rain gutter cleaning tool is a long pole with a trigger at the handle which controls the gripping motion of the tongs at the other end.
You can extend the tool way up to the gutter. Then, descend it slowly into the gutter and pull the string. The prong will then grip the clogged leaves and you can dispose of them appropriately.
That’s one great invention that won’t get your hands dirty.
Prevention is always better than cure. It’s best to clean your gutter periodically. It’s also extremely important to do it before it rains heavily or if a storm is expected to come.
The tool gives an easy way to clean gutters from the ground without the dangers of climbing up a ladder.
4. Use A Gutter Vacuum
Image from mark1hire
A gutter vacuum works like a normal vacuum but is much more powerful and comes with extensions that are designed to clear your gutters. It allows you to clean the gutter without any falling debris.
That’s a plus point for safety! You also don’t need to spend extra time and energy in cleaning up those fallen debris compared to the other methods mentioned earlier. It’s so powerful that it can clear off the most stubborn cloggings with ease.
There’s a lot of gutter vacuum models out there in the market. Just to name a few, there’s SkyVac, Vortex and GutterProVac.
Each has their own unique features. Some can be extended up to 12 metres in height. This may be the best way to clean gutter without ladder although they cost higher in comparison with the rest of the methods here in this list.
For a budget friendly option, it would be best to look for any local store or services that can rent the vacuum to you.
Ideally, hiring people to vacuum the gutters for you would be best both in financial and practicality wise. You can just sit back, relax, sip some tea and be assured that you won’t have a gutter problem waiting.
5. Use Telescoping Wand Extension with Your Power Washer
Image from pressurepowerwasher
Clean a gutter without ladder with power washer!Power washer also comes with an extension that allows you to power wash your roof.
Using the pressurised water, you can use it to push the debris off the gutter.
This is a better option than a normal water hose as it provides more pushing power. Therefore, it works much more efficiently to clear off stubborn leaf cloggings as well as other heavier objects like branches.
Like the recoil of a rifle, power washers too have serious kickback in return for its power. You should hold your ground steadily and work your way from one end of the gutter to another.
Don’t stand on a chair or a ladder as the kick from the power washer might jeopardize your safety.
The telescoping wand can extend up around 40 to 70 inches. You can adjust the length of the wand to your desired length. Use a telescoping wand support belt to reduce fatigue of holding it as you clean the gutter.
6. Install Gutter Filter For Your Roof Gutters
Image from howitcouldbedifferent
Okay, this is not exactly a way to clean the gutter but we have to put this incredible innovation into the list as it’s just mind blowing!
Gutter filter or gutter guard are basically metal mesh that is installed over your gutter. It prevents debris such as leaves from falling into the gutter.
The spacing between the net of the mesh is large enough for water to pass through and filters any other larger objects. You don’t have to clean the gutter if there’s nothing that can clog it right?
This is a brilliant idea that makes sure you don’t need to clean the gutter anymore. There’s several companies that provide gutter filter installation services such as LeafFilter and LeaFree.
You can also go for the DIY option. But, there’s risk of danger as you need to climb up to the roof.
Installation also needs to be done correctly so they don’t fly off with the strong gust of wind. Having that said, it might be best to leave it in the hand of the experts!
The best way to clean gutters from ground is all depending on your access to the right tool and the practicality of it.
The power washer and leaf blower is probably a better option especially when you need to clear off stubborn clogging. They also allow you to do the job faster.
But, the price wise will take a little bit of stretch on your wallet.
The water hose attachment works better if you clean the roof gutter periodically. It is much cheaper but it doesn’t spray off powerful water jets unlike the power washer. So, it can only remove the light accumulation of the leaves and debris in the gutter.
The rain gutter cleaning tong is a pretty cool invention that clips the leaves but the downside is that you can’t really see where the leaves are unless you have x-ray vision or install crystal clear transparent gutters.
Image from thriftyfun
We hope this post give you great ideas on how you can clean the gutter from ground level safely. Gutter maintenance is essential to keep your home safe! It will help you avoid troublesome roof problems!
Tried any of the tools here? Let us know what you think!
Roof Repair Malaysia offers gutter cleaning and repair services. Don’t let gutter maintenance be a hassle to you. Hire us instead! We serve several locations throughout Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur (KL), Selangor and Penang.