Gutter Cleaning

When and how often to clean gutters?
It is recommended to clean the gutter at least once a year. If there are trees or even a wooded area nearby, it might be more than once a year. An optimal time to clean the gutters is in late autumn, after all the leaves have fallen, but before the first frost and snowfall.

Removing leaves from a downpipe with a broom
What is the expected cost of gutter cleaning?
This depends on whether you, as a homeowner, want to clean your gutters yourself or hire a gutter cleaning company. The latter is, of course, much more expensive and in most cases not even necessary. With the right gutter cleaning tools, you can clean the gutters yourself. The cost can be seen as a long-term investment if you are the homeowner. If you rent the property, it is more likely that the landlord must carry the costs for cleaning the gutters. As a rule, gutter cleaning is the responsibility of the landlord, but the costs incurred in the process can be part of the operating costs. However, if this is the case it must be mentioned in the contract.

Clean the gutters with or without a ladder?
To clean gutters professionally and safely, it is recommended to work with professional gutter cleaning tools instead of relying on a ladder, bucket and brush. Cleaning the gutters with a broom or brush is a task that is as labour intensive as it is unpleasant. You need to climb the ladder, then clean a section of the gutter, go back down from the ladder, move it, then repeat the whole process. A very ineffective method and at the same time dangerous, as the ladder may not always have a secure footing. The better alternative is to choose a solution that allows you to clean gutters and downpipes from the ground.

Man cleaning his gutter with a Kärcher pressure washer
What safety precautions should be taken beforehand?
When cleaning gutters, always make sure you have adequate protective clothing. Non-slip footwear, gloves and eye protection are part of the basic equipment. If you use a ladder, you should always make sure that it has a secure footing. The ladder should be held by a second person. First remove coarse dirt and debris such as broken pieces of brick, firework remains, and branches by hand. Special screens help to prevent the dirt from falling into the downpipe. If you use a pressure washer to clean the gutter, you should never stand on a ladder. Instead, it is recommended to use a specially designed gutter cleaning set in combination with a pressure washer that can be operated from the ground.