Good for you – you want to take on gutter cleaning! Sure we’d rather have you hire us, but if you must clean your gutters, be sure to follow these handy tips.

1. Safety first!
First and foremost, make sure to use a sturdy ladder and that it’s set up properly. Whenever possible, have a second person there to hold the ladder to make sure it is stable at all times. This is particularly important if you are cleaning second or third story gutters.With the soils in Houston varying greatly, you need to make sure your ladder is on solid ground.

Protect your eyes by using safety goggles.. You’re clearing sticks, and other muddy debris from your gutters, and you don’t want that stuff in your eyes, especially when you’re on a ladder.

2. What you’ll need:
A good pair of work gloves to removed leaves by hand, or a heavy duty pair of cleaning gloves can work well for wet debris. If you’re worried about using your hands, try using a small garden shovel to scoop out the debris. For hard to reach clogs, try a set of tongs, or a vaccuum. A pressure washer is also a good tool so long as you are sure that your gutters are fully secured. And for downspouts, a plumbers’ drain snake is great for removing annoying clogs. If you don’t have one handy, try pushing your hose through your downspout.

3. Be efficient:
Collection debris as you go in a heavy duty contractor’s bag can save you a lot of time. And when you’re on the ladder, use a bucket to put the leaves in. Use S hooks to attach the buckets to your ladder. This also helps by not having to collect debris from the ground after you’re done washing out your gutters.

Also, to save more time, start cleaning at the downspout. That way when you reach the other end of the gutter, you can simply grab your hose and rinse the gutter out without having to move your ladder again.

If you notice that after your gutters leak even after a thorough clearing, you may have other issues that need to be repairs. Also inspect your gutters after removal of debris

To make your job easier, here is the recommended tools list:

• sturdy ladder
• buckets
• S hooks
• gloves
• safety goggles
• hand shovel
• hose
• drain snake
• contractor bags

Happy gutter cleaning, whether you do-it-yourself or use the professionals at Houston Gutter Cleaning Headquarters!