Once you have decided that it is time to clean your gutters you might be wondering what gutter cleaning tools you will need to get the job done. You probably already have everything you need in your garage or storage shed. The first is a ladder that can reach your gutters. When you use the ladder, you want to make sure that you only lean it against a sturdy surface and never against the relatively soft aluminum of your gutters or downspouts. An alternative to the ladder would be a scaffolding system, but that would probably end up being more hassle than anything else.

When you climb up the ladder and can reach your gutters the next step is to remove the debris causing your blockages. To do this you will need a pair of gloves. I suppose the gloves are not mandatory, but I do not know many people who want to handle moldy leaves without protection. I usually just proceed by scooping out the mess with my hands, but some people prefer to use a gutter cleaning tool such as a gutter scoop to do this job. If you want a tool, you can purchase a small trowel or even gutter scoops of various sizes at your local Lowes or Home Depot. Just make sure that the size of the gutter scoop matches the size of your gutters. Once you remove the refuse from the gutters, you can throw it on the ground or into a garbage bag. If you chose to throw it on the ground, you will only have to go around and collect it in a garbage bag later so I recommend disposing of the debris as you go. If you do the same, make sure you attach the garbage bag to the ladder so that you have both hands free to continue working.

You will have to move the ladder from section to section so that you can clean out all the debris. The alternative is to use long handle gutter cleaning tools. A gutter cleaning wand allows you to clean sections of your gutter that are out of your normal reach. An alternative to doing this part of your cleaning by hand is to purchase a gutter cleaning robot. iRobot makes a gutter cleaning machine they call the iRobot Looj. This contraption sits inside your gutter and propels itself along while it blasts away leaves and debris. You will only have to move the ladder once from the starting point to the end. Of course, gutter cleaning robots do not clean the vertical part of your gutter system or the downspouts, but they convenient for the rest of your gutter cleaning.

After you make sure you have all of the large pieces of mess out of the gutters you will need to make sure the downspouts are clean. The easiest way to do this is to put a garden hose into the opening. The running water will force any debris down the spout and out the bottom where you can collect it into a garbage bag. Next, some people like to use a leaf blower or leaf vacuum to clear out any smaller pieces that you did not get out by hand. I find handling a large piece of equipment like that on ladder too hard so I usually skip this step. The final step is to rinse the entire gutter system with your garden hose.

As you can see, you probably have everything you need to clean your gutters within easy reach. To summarize, you must have a ladder, gloves, garbage bags, and a hose to clean your gutters. Optional pieces of equipment include a small trowel or gutter scoop and a leaf blower.