Plumbing Seattle

How clean do my gutters need to be and how do you clean the downspouts?

Hi all. I'm a new homeowner and need to clean my gutters. How clean do they need to be? Do I need to scrub them and get all sediment out? Also, how do I clean pinestraw out of a downspout? It looks like I have a bale of it stuck inside of them.

Public Comments

1. Most people clean their gutters once a year, typically in the fall. Its not a fun or easy job but basically you need to get most of junk out ane ensure the downspouts are free of blockages. For the blockage you mention try running some water from hose from the top and hopefully it should "blast" it out.
2. You need to get as much out of the gutters as you can. Sediment can clog them; also, if they're full of dirt, they will hold less water and defeat their purpose, as excess water could spill out of them. Plus, the dirt could get lodged in the downspout. (I got so much gunk in my downspout I had to call Rotor Rooter to ream it out.) Use a high pressure hose. You could use a reamer or snake, the kind you use to clean out drains, on your downspout. Or, if it's easy to detach, just take it off and shove the stuff out. If you can afford it, have a pro do it.
3. I get on a ladder and blast away with a garden hose , When I get to the down spouts I push the hose in and keep going.
4. You will have to clean out the larger junk with your hands, leaves, pine needles etc. Then hold your hose in the downspout and blast out the pine needles, after doing this just take the hose and rinse out the rest of the gutter. I would suggest that you go to Lowe's and pick up some gutter shield and install it on your gutters, this will keep leaves and pine needles out of your gutters, and it is fairly inexpensive and easy to install.