How to Clean and Maintain Gutters Safely

Gutter cleaning is the most-skipped PNW chore — and the one that causes the most damage when neglected.

Clean gutters twice a year minimum: late spring and late fall. Bothell, Kirkland, and Redmond properties with mature firs or maples may need a third cleaning mid-fall during peak leaf drop.

Use a sturdy extension ladder set at the proper angle (1 ft out for every 4 ft up) on level ground. Have someone hold the bottom or use a ladder stabilizer ($25) that braces against the roof above the gutters rather than against the gutter itself — leaning a ladder on a gutter is how gutters bend permanently.

Scoop debris by hand with a small plastic scoop or gloved hand into a bucket hooked to the ladder. Flush gutters and downspouts with a garden hose afterward to test flow. If a downspout backs up, use a plumber's snake to clear the clog — leaves pack into the elbow at the bottom and need physical removal.

Gutter guards (LeafFilter, mesh screens, foam inserts) help but don't eliminate maintenance — they need cleaning too. Quality guards may extend the cleaning interval from twice a year to once a year, which is genuinely valuable on a tall house. Avoid the cheapest foam inserts; they trap moisture and rot the gutter faster than no guard at all.