3 Wacky Tricks for Cleaning Gutters

1. Blown Away

You’re probably familiar with the leaf blower as a tool that makes quick work of collecting leaves on the ground. What you may not have considered: A leaf blower can also clear leaves out of your gutters. The trick is to extend the reach of the blower well beyond its usual length. Attachment kits for the purpose may be found at your local home center, or, if you’d rather not spend the money, you can always hack something together with basic plumbing supplies. Don’t have a leaf blower? Try a shop vacuum! It turns out that, simply by swapping hose locations, you can reverse the operation of a shop vacuum, turning the suction tool into a blower. The downside of either approach is that, while blown air can be effective with dry leaves and twigs, it cannot budge lodged-in dirt or decomposing organic material. Also, bear in mind that, in multi-story homes, accessing the gutters typically requires the use of a ladder. For anyone, under any circumstances, scaling an extension ladder can be quite dangerous. But scaling a ladder even while holding a leaf blower? That’s a recipe for disaster and definitely something not to do!