How to clean gutters

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This walk-through draws on the B&Q video "How to clean and maintain your gutters | DIY", which covers the whole maintenance cycle clearly and practically. The tips on checking the fall of the gutter towards the downpipe are easy to overlook but genuinely useful for avoiding standing water after you have cleaned everything out.

1. Choose the right time and conditions

Late autumn, once most of the leaves have fallen, is the best time for the main annual clean. Spring is worth a check too, especially if you have trees nearby — moss, seeds, and debris from the winter can block up surprisingly quickly.

Do not clean gutters in high wind or on a wet roof. Wet moss and leaves are slippery, and working overhead from a ladder in breezy weather is an unnecessary risk. Dry, still days make the job much safer and faster.

2. Get safe access

Use a proper ladder with a stand-off arm to hold it clear of the gutter — leaning a ladder directly against plastic guttering can crack it under your weight. Set the ladder on firm, level ground, tell someone you are working overhead, and never overreach to the side. Move the ladder instead.

If the gutters are high or access is awkward, a telescopic gutter cleaning tool with a wet-and-dry vacuum or pressure attachment lets you work from the ground entirely. They are available from most tool hire shops and take a good bit of the risk out of the job.

3. Clear the debris by hand or scoop

Work from the end furthest from the downpipe toward it, scooping out leaves, silt, and any compacted material. A cheap plastic gutter scoop (available from hardware shops for a few pounds) is better than using your hands — it fits the profile of the gutter channel and clears it more efficiently.

Drop the debris into a bucket or onto a tarpaulin on the ground below. Flicking it down the outside of the house means you will end up cleaning it off the path too. Not ideal.

4. Work toward the downpipe and flush through

Once the bulk of the debris is out, run a garden hose from the far end toward the downpipe. This shows you how well the water flows and whether any remaining silt is sitting at low points. A gutter should have a gentle consistent fall toward each downpipe outlet — around 1 in 600 is typical. If water is pooling, the gutter bracket may have sagged and need adjusting.

Check the joints as the water runs through. Older push-fit plastic guttering develops hairline cracks at the joints over time. A drip while running water through is fine. A steady flow from a joint suggests it needs resealing or the bracket clip needs replacing.

5. Clear the downpipe

Drop a small ball or some water down the downpipe and listen and watch from the bottom. Clear water running freely means it is unobstructed. If it backs up or comes out slowly, there is a blockage somewhere in the run.

Try flushing firmly with a hose from the top first. If that does not shift it, a set of drain rods screwed together can usually dislodge a blockage in a straight downpipe. Avoid poking anything sharp down — it can crack the pipe from the inside.

6. Check for cracks, sags, and missing fixings

While you are up there, look along the run of guttering. Gutters should slope gently toward the downpipe and look level from a distance, not visibly sagging between brackets. A sagging section holds water and eventually splits.

Check that all the brackets are secure to the fascia. A bracket that has pulled away from rotten fascia timber is a sign of a wider repair needed — the fascia itself may need attention before the gutter can be properly fixed back.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the gutters are high, if access is difficult, if the fascia boards look soft or need replacing, or if you would rather have the whole thing checked and sorted in one go rather than doing it yourself at height.