When the weather outside is frightful, the inside of your gutters can be, too. Even if you regularly clean your gutters, debris, snow, and ice build-up can’t be avoided. First, clear the snow and melt the ice in your gutters. Then, remove the debris using a leaf blower or gutter scoop.
Remember, cleaning your gutters during winter requires extra safety precautions, especially when you’re using a ladder. In this article, we’ll cover the steps on how to clean your gutters in winter to help you avoid expensive repair costs.
| Project difficulty: Easy Estimated time to complete: 1 hour Project cost: $50 for all necessary items, tools used are not included in the cost. |
What You’ll Need
Supplies:
- Gutter scoop
- Leaf blower
- Ladder
- Garden hose
- 2 buckets
- 2 ladder hooks
- Plastic tarp
- Nitrile gloves
Safety gear:
- Safety goggles
- Work gloves
- Slip-resistant shoes
Step 1: Follow Safety Guidelines
For safety reasons, you should only clean your gutters on a clear, sunny day. Going up on your roof on a rainy or snowy day puts you at risk because wet conditions make surfaces slippery, and you need to take extra precautions, especially when using a ladder.
Attempting to clear gunk and ice buildup in your gutters and icicles hanging from your roof can lead to serious damage to your home and potentially to yourself. Even experts don’t typically offer gutter cleaning services during winter, especially if you live in an area with extremely cold weather.
Before you decide to clean your gutters in winter, ensure the temperature and weather are in your favor and follow proper safety guidelines:
- Wear safety goggles and work gloves
- Cover yourself in old long sleeves and pants you don’t mind getting dirty
- Wear slip-resistant shoes
- Wearing slip-resistant or rubber-soled shoes
- Having someone with you to spot you and hand you supplies while you’re on the ladder
- Repositioning your ladder to prevent overreaching and losing your balance
- Placing your ladder on a stable, flat surface
- Not using a ladder in rainy or snowy weather
Step 2: Melt the Ice
During the winter season, leaves, dirt, and other debris will likely be frozen or just about frozen. You may also be dealing with icicles, snow, or ice dams. If your gutters are frozen, you’ll need to melt the ice first.
Here are ways you can melt the ice in your gutters, so that you can clean them in winter:
- Clear the snow with a roof rake or thaw the ice dam by pouring hot water over it.
- Fill an old pair of pantyhose or stockings (or any thin nylon fabric) with ice melt made of calcium chloride and lay it on top of the frozen areas in your gutters. Work in sections to avoid overreaching while using your ladder.
Protect your plants: Calcium chloride may damage plants, so cover them to keep them protected until the ice melts.
Ideally, cleaning your gutters after most of the leaves have fallen is a great way to prevent clogs during winter. If you live in an area that experiences frequent snowfall that may cause ice dams, consider a long-term preventative solution, such as installing heat cables or heated gutter guards.
Step 3: Clean Your Gutters
When debris accumulates in your gutters, it can cause ice and snow buildup, which leads to ice dams and water overflow. Ensuring water properly drains from your gutters and away from your home can prevent water damage.
Dennis Fraser, a professional gutter cleaner and the owner of Fraser Gutter Cleaning, explains the problems that clogged gutters can cause during winter: “Clogged gutters are more likely to trap water, which freezes and adds weight.”
Before you climb up your ladder to clean your gutters, attach buckets to both sides of your ladder using hooks where you’ll dispose of debris and gunk. This will reduce the number of times you need to go down your ladder to dispose of the debris from your gutters.
Wear work gloves, safety googles, and slip-resistant shoes to protect yourself from debris while cleaning your gutters. If you don’t want to get your hands wet, wear nitrile gloves under your work gloves.
Method 1: Use a Gutter Scoop to Remove Wet Debris
- Position your ladder near your downspouts so you can remove debris around that area. Use a gutter scoop to clear the debris. You may use your hands to scoop up debris, but avoid doing this if the debris is too cold.
- Once in a while, you may need to flush your gutters using a garden hose to dislodge caked-up debris.
- Then, continue removing debris using your gutter scoop until you reach the end of your gutters.
Method 2: Use a Leaf Blower to Clear Dry Debris
- Lay out a tarp underneath the gutters you’re cleaning, so you can easily collect the debris when it exits your gutters. Do not place your ladder on top of the tarp.
- When using a leaf blower to clean your gutters, work your way towards the downspouts.
- If you encounter caked-up debris, use your gutter scoop or gloved hands to dislodge it. When you do this, dispose of the debris into your bucket.
- Afterward, rinse your gutters and downspouts using a garden hose. Check if water exits freely from your downspouts.
- Once you’re done blowing leaves and debris from your gutters, wrap the tarp up and dispose of it properly.
While you’re cleaning your gutters, check for leaks, rust, and signs of damage, such as sagging or loose fasteners. Repair these areas immediately, or better yet, ask a professional to do it for you.
Step 4: Test the Water Flow
After you’ve cleared debris from your gutters, flush your gutters using your garden hose. The water should flow freely and exit your downspouts. If water doesn’t flow freely, you’ll need to unclog your downspouts to ensure water properly drains from your gutters.
Fraser notes that testing proper water flow after cleaning your gutters ensures that water drains away from your home: “Run water through gutters to make sure downspouts are draining away from the home’s foundation.”
| Meet the Expert: Dennis Fraser and his wife own and operate Fraser Gutter Cleaning. They provide professional gutter cleaning services to homeowners in Denver, Colorado, and the surrounding areas, with a focus on helping elderly and disabled clients. |
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Main Image: Worker clearing snow and ice from a roof and gutters. Image Credit: Tricky Shark / Adobe Stock
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