Cleaning out your gutters is quite an important chore that must be performed every few times a year to ensure your sewerage doesn’t overflow with gunk. However, gutter cleaning isn’t easy and must be done to clean it out efficiently.
You would require the proper tools to clean out your gutter and make sure that you’re safe in the process. Since you’re literally dealing with filth, you wouldn’t want to get an infection from a bacterium. This is why you’re supposed to clean them with the proper tools in the right way.
Here’s how you can safely clean your gutter.
1. Have All Your Tools
The first step would be to gather all of your tools together. To start your gutter-cleaning process, you would need the following tools.
• Gloves
- Wearing gloves protect you from getting any germs or bacteria on your hands. In addition, you wouldn’t have to get your hands dirty.
• Scoop
- Having such a tool handy is again a good idea, as it will just speed up your cleaning process. Just scoop the filth and dump it in the trash.
• Rake
- Rakes are the most helpful when sufficient debris needs to be swept away. Hence, having a rake with you will be beneficial.
• Goggles
- Protect your eyes from small particles entering them. There are high chances that things splatter onto your face while you’re cleaning, which is why it’s necessary that you have gloves on.
2. Stay Safe
Gutter cleaning can be a tricky business. You need to make sure that you stay safe while cleaning it out. Before you go to clean your gutter, you should inform someone that you’ll be up on the roof. Try to avoid going up on the roof in stormy or rainy weather. Also, when you’re cleaning your gutter out, make sure you aren’t too close to the power lines.
3. Use a Secure Ladder
To climb all the way to the roof, you’ll, of course, need a ladder that isn’t weak or faulty. Before climbing on the roof, inspect the ladder thoroughly to check for any dents or flaws. Wooden ladders aren’t recommended to use as wood tends to wear out easily. Fibreglass ladders are strong, but since they’re heavy, they can cause muscle fatigue by moving them around too much. Hence, aluminum ladders will be a good option to use.
4. Wear Rubber Shoes
Gutter-cleaning may require you to walk a lot up on the roof, and the roof itself can be a tricky slope to walk on. This is why you need to wear rubber shoes that protect you from losing your balance and falling off easily. The rubber material present in the shoes cause friction between your feet and the roof, hence protecting you from having a fall.
5. Unclog the Downspouts
Make sure the downspouts are thoroughly unclogged. After every one of the drains is cleared out, run the water hose down the downspout at full pressing factor. On the off chance that the water upholds out of the main, a clog may persist. Regularly, it tends to be unclogged by tapping on the downspout.