Cleaning Aluminum Rain Gutters

Fortunately cleaning gutters and downspouts is a pretty easy job and a couple of cleanings each year should keep them flowing freely.

Cleaning aluminum rain gutters.

Pull the hose to the furthest end of the gutters with enough slack so that you can lift the bottle over your head comfortably. To remove the gunk from the gutters use a small plastic scoop. Carry the nozzle of the hose with you up the ladder to the gutters. This could be done through manual processes ie.

Simple green makes a concentrated environmentally safe cleaner with good stain removing properties. Use a sprayer attachment if you have one to increase the water pressure. Gutter scoops are available at the hardware store or a child s sandbox shovel also works just fine. Removing leaves by hand with a gutter trowel with your garden hose etc or it can be done with the help of machines like a pressure washer.

Adjust the red tip depending on the height of the gutters. Cleaning your gutters means thoroughly removing any debris that may be on them such as leaves rocks and birds nests to name a few. You can also make a paste with a small amount of water and cream of tartar which will act as a cleaner and gentle buffing agent in one. A simple solution of water and white vinegar works very well for cleaning the outside of the gutters and won t corrode aluminum.

For aluminum try gutter zap which removes electrostatic bonded streaks with little scrubbing. This job does however involve working on a ladder. Allowing a few dry days before cleaning your gutters will allow the debris to dry out making the chore much easier. Flush the gutters with a garden hose.

Start your gutter cleaning task near the downspout and work toward the closed end. Use some elbow grease or a power washer. If you have an old plastic kitchen spatula that works too and it won t damage the gutters. It attacks the oxidation and not the paint or material.

Spray the gutters toward each of the downspouts to rinse remaining debris out of the gutters. When possible avoid cleaning gutters after a rain. F 13 gutter grenade is a multipurpose gutter cleaner that s safe for all types of gutters. Use this solvent to scrub off the outer surface of your gutters with a stiff brush or a piece of cloth.

Then turn the water to the hose on but not at full power. Even for vinyl gutters liquid detergent alone cannot be used to clean the gutters properly.