Autumn leaves can be beautiful and picturesque until they start interfering with your gutters. Cleaning your gutters protects your home from costly and time-consuming damage. If you’ve neglected this chore or recently become a homeowner, we’ve put together the best time to clean your gutters and how to do it like a pro!

First, why is it important to clean your gutters? 

This process involves removing leaves, debris, or pests clogging up your gutters and downspouts so that rainwater and melting snow can flow freely. 

Gutters are essential to the integrity of your home and property by: 

• Protecting the interior and exterior walls from the effects of heavy rainfall and melting snow.
• Redirecting rainwater from your roof away from your house, where it can lead to water damage.
• Keeping water out of the basement and away from the foundation.
• Minimizing water condensation on windows and window sills.

How to clean your gutters

To clear your gutters, grab the following tools:

• Ladder
• Trowel
• Bucket
• Hose
• Work gloves
• Protective eyewear 

Remove debris. Set the ladder on level ground and climb up, donning your work gloves and protective eyewear. Using your trowel, remove debris (i.e., leaves, sticks, dirt, or algae) you find and collect it in the bucket, dumping it occasionally. You may also need to remove small animals or insects who’ve made your gutter their new home. 

Flush it out. Once the gutters are relatively clear, flush them with a garden hose or a power washer. This helps eliminate any remaining particles that are still there. 

Inspect your gutters. Finally, give your gutters a once-over to determine if there are any vulnerabilities that need replacing. 

Don’t forget about your downspout. If you’re struggling to clear the build-up from your downspout, try taking it down and cleaning it thoroughly before reassembling it.

When to clean gutters in the fall

It’s essential to clean your gutters a few times throughout the year, but it becomes extra important during the fall. 

Leaves in gutters can lead to clogs that directly impact your home’s structural integrity. Therefore, the best time to clean gutters is at the beginning of fall (usually around Labor Day), in the middle of the season, and right before the first significant snowfall and the start of winter. 

However, it’s not only fall you have to worry about. Read our tips and tools for caring for your gutters in winter.

Signs your gutters need some TLC 

If you notice the following, you’re overdue for a gutter cleaning: 

• Water overflowing or dripping from your gutters
• Stain marks on your siding
• Sagging gutters

If your gutters are 15-20 years old or cleaning them doesn’t rectify the problems, you may need to invest in gutter replacement services.

What happens if I don’t clean your gutters? 

If you skip this essential maintenance task, you run the following risks: 

• Roof damage or roof rot 
• Damage to your shingles 
• Cracks in the foundation
• Damage to your lawn 
• Mold, mildew, and algae on your exterior walls 
• Peeling and chipping exterior paint

Keep your gutters leaf-free

Wondering how to keep leaves out of gutters? Gutter guards are wired mesh protective screens that cover your gutters. They keep larger debris from getting inside, potentially reducing how often you need to clean your gutters. However, they’re not a foolproof solution, so you’ll still need to inspect and clean your gutters routinely. 

Stay on top of your home’s maintenance

Keeping up with a home can take a lot of time and energy. If you need help cleaning your gutters, call us at CoMitted 365. Our dedicated team of professionals has been helping homeowners maintain their roofs in Central Minnesota for the past 20 years, and we’d love to help you, too!

Key takeaway: Routinely cleaning your gutters, especially in the fall, protects your home from expensive damage to your home. 

For any questions or a quote about gutter installation and repair services, you can always call CoMitted 365 or reach out, we’re here to help.