Your home’s gutters need to be cleaned at least twice a year. If you’ve never done it before, it can be intimidating. Here is a step-by-step guide to get you through your essential gutter cleaning.

Step 1: Get on your ladder

You’re going to need to get up on the ladder if you want clean gutters. Make sure you secure the ladder so you don’t fall, and even have someone spot for you to keep you safe. If being on a ladder freaks you out too much, you can always call in the pros to get the job done.

Step 2: Put on the gloves

Once you’re up on the ladder and at the level of your gutter, it’s time to break out the gloves. This will help keep your hands safe and clean from the debris. Now, it’s time to get down and dirty and just part pulling the crud out of your gutters. Twigs, leaves, branches, and any other debris need to be removed from the gutters.

Step 3: Grab the hose

After you complete step two, it’s time to get the hose. You will basically be flushing out your gutter system. Rinse out the gutters with your hose; just make sure the water pressure and angle of the water are just right so you don’t risk damaging your gutter. This will help you get out the hard to reach debris.

Step 4: Check for damage

While you’re cleaning, you want to check for damage. If you see any leaks, rust, peeling paint, sagging gutters, or even cracks or broken downspouts, it’s time to call in the pros. Your gutters will need repair or even replacement.

Step 5: Get gutter guards

After you’ve pulled all the sludge and debris from your gutters, you probably don’t want to do that again for a long time, right? Well, you can invest in gutter guards to keep them squeaky clean for longer. Gutter guards prevent debris from building up in your gutters by basically covering the troughs. They allow water to flow through, but not solid objects. They help keep your gutters clean, prevent blockages, prevent rusting, and even offer fire protection.

Every gallon of rainwater weight roughly eight pounds. If your gutters are clogged and overflowing, they could potentially be holding thousands of pounds of debris and water. This is extremely dangerous as they can cause water damage, completely pull away from your roof, or even result in a roof collapse. Follow this gutter cleaning guide at least twice a year to prevent these dangerous situations.