11 Top Tools For Cleaning Gutters So They Work Like New

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With prices rising for just about everything we buy on a daily basis, the last thing you probably want to think about is the cost of cleaning your gutters. Indeed, you may well prefer to do it yourself, especially since the price to hire a pro often lands between $100 and over $200. However, it's easier said than done. More specifically, it's easiest to do if you're armed with the right tools and equipment. Fortunately, that's precisely what we're here to help with.

In the guide below, we'll highlight some handy tools that can help leave your gutters looking, and working, like new. Some can be fished from the bottom of your kitchen utensil drawer, meaning that, as long as you have a ladder, you needn't spend any money at all. Others can be used while standing on solid ground, enabling you to clean your gutters without climbing. Some will scoop the leaves from inside your gutters, while others will leave the outside looking shiny and new. There are 11 different tools in total, each of which is likely to be suitable to different situations and homeowners. But if you're hoping to keep your hard-earned dollars in your pocket instead of handing them to a contractor, you're likely to find a handy tool-based solution below.

Perhaps the most obvious tool for cleaning out the inside of your gutters is a simple gutter scoop. It's the first line of defense against leaves and general build-ups of things like moss and other debris. Some tools come with flexible edges, which make it easier to get into your gutters' grooves and clear everything out without scratching the plastic. As for the type of scoop you should use, that depends. If you only have a small run of guttering to clear, you can probably get away with a short hand scoop. For longer runs, you could buy a scoop with a long-reach pole.

To use a handheld scoop, you'll need a sturdy ladder — and ideally somebody at the bottom to hold it steady. Once you're up, there's not much more to it than to start scooping. Try not to over-reach, as you could risk slipping and falling from the ladder. If you can't quite reach a spot, it's better to either invest in a pole extension, or failing that, take the time to move the ladder. Whichever type you use, hang a bag or bucket from your ladder to collect your leaves. Alternatively, try laying a tarp beneath the gutter to catch it all.

Telescoping gutter-cleaning tools are a lifesaver for those who hate heights. They're much safer to use than a ladder, especially when the ground's either wet or uneven. And they're often available with an array of different tool heads to cover various stages of your gutter clean. Pole-mounted scoops allow you to remove loose matter, while brushes let you to scrub the inside of the gutter once the worst of the debris is removed. Some can be hooked up to the hose, too, allowing you to apply water and achieve a sparkly, like-new clean. As for where to buy them, there are lots of options. Amazon has plenty to choose from, as do most big-box home stores like Home Depot. You can even buy a handy telescoping brush cleaning tool from Harbor Freight that's great for scrubbing high gutters.

The way to use these tools depends on which part of the gutter you're cleaning. If you're scrubbing the outside, then just raise the brush to the plastic and start scrubbing. For the inside of the gutters, telescoping gutter poles typically feature a crooked or pivoting end. This allows you to simply dip your chosen attachment into the gutter, then pull it towards you. It's important to be careful with these and avoid pulling down too hard. If you're too heavy handed, you could end up damaging the gutters or even pulling them away. Similarly, if you're scrubbing the outside, don't push up too hard with your brush, as you could do the same damage but in reverse.

For aesthetic cleaning, provided that you can reach them, you can use your pressure washer to hose down the outsides of your gutters to remove build-ups of grime. This is great if your gutters are despoiling your home's curb appeal. With that being said, it doesn't do much to improve the way that they work. But it can. In fact, you can buy dedicated pressure washer attachments that fit to your appliance and work to remove leaves and mossy build-ups.

For example, this Pressure Washer Gutter Cleaner Attachment from POHIR is designed to dip into your gutter from below — much like those telescoping tools we talked about. It then fires water in each direction, dislodging blockages and improving flow through your gutters. The only downside is that it's just 12 inches long. Of course, depending on the length of the hose on your washer, that may not be a problem. But if you can't reach, don't be tempted to climb your ladder with your pressure washer in one hand. For starters, it's dangerous. Not only that, but if you accidentally drop your washer, you could easily break it. Instead, consider investing in a gutter cleaning extension set, like this Pressure Washer Wand 10-Pack from SAGEWOLF. These allow you to exert extra water pressure on stubborn clogs and build-ups, but without the need to scale the side of your house.

Just like with your pressure washer, you need to be careful if you intend to take your shop vacuum up to the highest reaches of your ladder. With that being said, you can buy back-mounted shop vacuums, like this Commercial 1.5 Gallon Backpack Vacuum from the Shop-Vac Store, which will save you from dangerous one-handed climbs. Whatever you choose to use — and provided that it's safe — a shop vacuum should be able to handle the worst of any debris currently blocking up your gutters. Many of these appliances also have a handy "blower" mode. While this isn't usually as strong as a dedicated leaf blower, it could help to shift loose debris.

Another way to use your shop vacuum is to buy extensions for it. Again, like your pressure washer, you can buy dedicated gutter cleaning extension wands for shop vacuums. These are widely available on platforms like Amazon and are designed in much the same way — with a crooked end to help you dip the head into the gutter. Only, with your vacuum cleaner, they're designed to suck the debris out. This is arguably a much more efficient way to go about de-clogging your gutters. If nothing else, it's got to be less messy than using a pressure washer and scattering your gutter muck to the wind!

If your gutters are backing up and you haven't got time to wait on the courier for one of the above tools, don't worry. Whether you recently decorated or have a DIY closet full of old equipment, it's entirely possible to clean your gutters with an old paint roller. If that roller is also attached to a telescoping roller pole, then that's ideal! These tools are shaped just like all of the various wands and telescoping scoops we've mentioned already.

To put this handy trick into action, simply mount your old roller (ideally, one that's not still dripping or caked with paint), and raise it to your gutters. Dip the end into the gutter, like you would with a gutter wand, then pull it towards you in short motions. Another tip is to make sure you pull any build-ups towards the correct end of the gutter. Since they're usually soft and designed without edged scoops, rollers may not "spill" the leaves from the gutter. Instead, especially if the leaves and other debris are wet, it may just bunch them up together. With that in mind, try to pull the roller away from the downspout to avoid that clump further clogging up your drainage. Finally, depending on how much is left in situ when you're finished, you may then wish to don some gloves, climb your ladder, and grab those gathered clumps by hand.

Another tool that makes it safer and easier to unblock your gutters is a grabber tool. We're not talking about your average, every-day litter picker. Sure, you may find that a useful tool, but only if you're happy to climb a ladder. Even then, its limited grabbing capacity may render it ineffective. What we're talking about is a dedicated gutter cleaning grabber, like this Gutter Cleaning Tool from Gutter Sense.

These tools can help you to grab big bunches of leaves with the pull of a trigger. Importantly, they allow you to do it without spilling them everywhere — like you might with a standard wand or paint roller. Like all of the wands mentioned so far, they're designed to be used from ground level, which is much safer than climbing a ladder. They feature a "grabbing" end that you dip into the guttering, with wide-spread arms that grab the leaves. It may be easier to lay a tarp beneath you when you use one of these, as dispensing them into a bag may be cumbersome with such a long tool. Then again, if you like a challenge...

As an alternative to busting out your shop vacuum — or, indeed, if you don't have one — you can always use your leaf blower to clear out your gutters. Again, you can buy shoulder-mounted tools, which allow you to use them at the top of your ladder without the need to hold a heavy appliance. You can also buy leaf vacuums with mulching kits, which will handle the job of cleaning your gutters, bagging the leaves, and turning it into mulch without the need to mess around with scoops, bags, or mower mulching.

Now, if you'd prefer to remove the blockage from your gutters from ground level, don't worry. You can also buy leaf blower extension kits. These work in just the same way as extensions for your pressure washer and shop vacuum. Certain brands sell these for their specific appliances, or you can buy a universal set, like Universal Fit Gutter Cleaning Kit from Worx. Either way, all you need to do is fit them to your blower, dip the end of the nozzle into your gutters, and allow the air to displace those leafy build-ups.

This one may come as a surprise, especially given the more specialized tools that we've featured so far. And we'll admit, it's not particularly snazzy. But if it gets the job done, then why worry? In actual fact, a kitchen spatula is a surprisingly easy way to remove blockages from your gutters. It works in much the same way as a purpose-built gutter scoop. You just dip the utensil into your gutters, then use it to gently (but firmly) scoop debris from the channel.

Now, it's worth noting that this tip does come with some limitations. The first is that your spatula is probably incompatible with most cleaning extender poles. Not only that, but it doesn't feature that crooked design that makes more specialized equipment usable from ground level. To be fair, if you have an old metal spatula, you may be able to bend it so that it crooks, then jerry-rig it to a pole using some duct tape. However, even then, it may not be reliable, so you're probably best employing this trick from the top of a ladder. The only other thing to note is that, since it's not designed as a "scoop" — with lipped walls to keep debris from falling out — it may not be the most effective means of scooping (and retaining) dry leaves. But for clumps of moss or wet leaf matter, it should be more than sufficient to clear your clogs.

If you'd prefer to reserve your kitchen spatula for cooking, you could always invest in a dedicated gutter vacuum. These tools can help you clean out your gutters like a pro, however, in our search, we were only able to find a small selection of such products. What's more, they can be expensive. As an example, Gutter Pro Vac's 120V Gutter Vacuum costs over $1,200, which is likely more than you'd spend on a regular vacuum cleaner or shop vac. And when you could do the job with a number of other common tools around the house (perhaps with the exception of your spatula), it may seem like an unnecessary expense.

However, if you have a larger house with lots of guttering — and you're surrounded by leaf-dropping trees — it could be worth the splurge. Such appliances are designed for the job. That means they have hoses that are long enough to reach lower gutters without the need to carry the appliance up your ladder. It also means they have enough suction to handle the various wet and dry items that tend to block gutters, like leaves and moss. You can also buy pole extension kits for higher elevations, allowing you to use them from ground level in much the same way as you would use your shop vacuum.

Most of the tools featured so far are designed to clear the main, horizontal channels of your gutter system. However, they're not the only parts that can become clogged. Despite gravity's best intentions, leaves and other detritus can also build up in the downspout and lead to back-ups. If that happens, then you'll probably struggle to dislodge them with a vacuum or leaf blower. Instead, you may be better off using a gutter snake or a drain auger. As for which type, that's up to you. You can buy cordless drain auger power tools with auger cables of varying lengths. Alternatively, you can buy a more manual tool, which is also likely to be cheaper. This Drain Snake from Domejo, for example, costs $13.99 for a 79-inch version. It features a manual spring-loaded handle, a durable steel cable, plus a clawed end that pinches blockages and helps to work the clog loose.

Whatever you choose to go for, you can use your auger or gutter snake from the ground. Alternatively, if you suspect that the blockage is higher up, you can feed it into your downspout from above. Work it down the spout until you reach the blockage, pushing it through until the end reaches the bottom of the spout. Then retrieve the snake to see if it brings the clog with it. Use a hose to pour water down the spout to check that the blockage is clear, and if not, try it again until you've dislodged the entire clog.

Our final tool to help restore working order to your gutters is a ladder stabilizer. Now, before we go any further, we'll admit that by itself, it's unlikely to do much to clear those mossy, leafy build-ups. However, should you need to use a ladder in order to clear your gutters — be that with a spatula or dedicated scoop — it's worth using. If you prop your ladder directly up against the gutters and then proceed to climb it, there's a very good chance you'll break them. Not only will this leave you needing to make repairs, but if the guttering gives way while you're up the ladder, it could also be very dangerous.

Ladder stabilizers attach to the top rungs of your ladder. They feature padded legs, which rest on the shingles on your roof, and they achieve two things. Firstly, they keep your weight off the guttering, which saves them from undue strain and potential damage. Not only that, but per the name, they also keep your ladder stable. You can find these handy accessories at various home and hardware stores. There are also lots available on Amazon, like the Mr Ironstone Extension Ladder Stabilizer. It has non-slip rubber feet to keep your ladder steady and safe while you're on it, and provides enough clearance to prevent placing strain on your gutters.