Rain Gutter Clenaning From Ground Level

It is always better to clean the gutters from the steady roofing ladder. Such cleaning is proper, consistent, you always know what is going on in the gutter, the risk of punching the gutter through is quite low.

But what to do if you need to clean the rain gutters from the ground?

For certain reasons, sometimes you just cannot climb the ladder and clean the gutters and downspouts.
You were skiing the last Saturday and ended up with the heavy splinter on your leg.
You are in 7th month of pregnancy when such works could imperil you or your future child.
Maybe you are 80 years old grandfather, I know you are still strong enough to do whatever you want, but really, you don´t have to necesarilly climb to the 12 ft heights.With couple of tools you will be able to clean your raing gutter even from the safe ground.

Gutter tongs

Gutter tongs are simple tool enabling you to gather larger amounts of debris from the clogged gutter.
The gutter tongs look like pair of longer claws J-shaped to reach the gutter well, on the long handle (shaft). In the bottom part of the handle there is the knob or the lever opening and closing (grasping the debris) the claws.

Using the gutter tongs

All you have to do is to be patient. Start from one side of the gutter (best the one that is opposite to the downspout), open the claws, close them again (grasp the mess) and dispose of it right into your wheelbarrow.
Do that again and again till you reach the the end - the other side of the gutter. You rain gutters should be now clean enough to jump to the second phase.

Gutter flusher

Then use the gutter flusher. The gutter flusher simply is a water hose with the high-pressure outlet fastened on the J-shaped long handle so that it, again, can reach the inner part of the gutter with no problems.

Use it the same way as the gutter tongs before. Start at the side of the gutter which is oposite to the gutter outlet (downspout) and slowly clean the gutter with the water beam towards the gutter outlet.

No ground solution for the clogged downspouts

Unfortunately there is no 100% safe way how to clean the clogged downspout from the ground.

The shape of the downspout usually is complicated. It consist of severaly segments that disallow you to use some wire and push it through the downspout from the ground without damaging the downspout jacket.

If the downspout is clogged and you don´t want to damage it, someone hast to climb the ladder. It doesn´t have to be you, of course. Ask your friends or neighbors, young and strong enough to do this simple but important job. I am sure they will help you gladly.