No-Ladder Gutter Cleaning: Hiring A Pro Vs Homeowner Solutions
If you live in the northeast United States you probably know that 2018 was the wettest year on record.
Although this statistic includes snow, hail, and rain, the vast amount of precipitation in 2018 was, of course rain.
As of Fall 2019 to date, we are pacing to beat the 2018 record by 10%.
All of this rain can really do a number on a home’s foundation IF the gutters aren’t properly cleared.
This combination of precipitation and falling leaves and debris build-up will cause roofing and gutters a great deal of stress.
Professional Gutter Cleaning Cost
A nice thorough gutter cleaning once or more each year is crucial for a home’s well-being.
The cost of new gutters or a crumbling foundation just isn’t worth the procrastination.
So, whenever there are clogged gutters, buckling gutters, leaks, poorly pitched troughs, and leaky down spouts, it’s time to start cleaning!
Adventurous homeowners can just hop up on a ladder and simply reach into the half round gutter to clean that sucker out.
But be sure to use a pair of thick water-resistant gloves for this project – it can get sloppy and messy very quickly!
And this should go without saying, but just in case … please be careful on tall ladders and enlist help if climbing or maneuvering the ladder presents difficulty.
For many homeowners, the quickest and easiest way to remove the leaves and muck is to hire a local gutter cleaning service.
A pretty straightforward gutter cleaning cost for a 1-story home runs $150+ and goes up from there depending on the size of the home and pitch of the roof.
If the roof has a steep slant, the cleaning crew will need to clean the whole gutter while frequently moving around on a ladder.
This will increase the cost by 20% or more depending on the complexity of the roofline.
Average Professional Gutter Cleaning Cost
1-Story Home $150
2-Story Home $300
3-Story Home $400+
Homes With Challenging Rooflines Add 20%
Leaf guards are another great option, but these can get expensive and can be challenging to install.
Gutter Cleaning Tools That Don’t Require a Ladder
Another way to get those gutters flowing is to use a no-ladder gutter cleaning device.
Most no-ladder devices either attach to a standard extension pole, a high powered wet/dry vac (5+ HP with a 2 ½ inch hose attachment are recommended for most gutter cleaner options), or a standard garden hose.
Here are 7 options to consider that include manual operation, attachments to wet/dry vacuums, attachments to blowers, or hose attachments.
Manual Operation (No Gas, Battery or Electricity Needed)
Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool
Overview: The Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool is a good option for non-ladder gutter cleaning vs. a motor, water, or electrically powered method.
Gutter Sense is an exceptionally light weight tool with two giant 2 ½ inch, spring action tongs hinged together, and controlled by the user with a sturdy rope.
Mount the Gutter Sense on most standard extension poles, and lift to clean 1-story, or depending on the height, some 2-story gutters.
The Gutter Sense is pretty light and easier to control than the blower or wet/dry vac extension kit options.
You will have to do a little more work, scooping and discarding the debris from your gutter, but you’ll have more control over where the debris lands (hopefully not all over you!)
For this tool, we’d recommend also picking up a 6 to 24 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole. This length pole is great for 1 and many 2-story homes.
Length: Depends on the extension pole you buy.
Final Thought: It’s easy to use, no electricity needed and at a great price!
Gutter Fingers
Overview: Gutter Fingers wins based on name alone! Another manually operated option. Gutter Fingers has a patent pending grabbing mechanism that tightens and loosens rope by sliding it up and back. Once attached to a standard extension pole (sold separately) it can reach more than 16ft (depending on the pole that will be used).
Length: Depends on the extension pole you buy, but should get out to about 16 feet, enough for a 1-story home.
Final Thought: Love the name. Gutter Fingers is still pretty new to market so it’s hard to attest for longevity and durability. But for a quick clean out it should do the job.
Wet/Dry Vacuum Attachments
Gutter Clutter Buster
Overview: The Gutter Clutter Buster package includes the five-foot-long Gutter Clutter Buster Tool and two, four and a half foot long extensions. Once hooked all together, it should get about 14 feet of height and contour.
At $149.99 (at the time of publishing this article), the Gutter Clutter Buster is quite pricey at about 2x-3x the of its competitors’ cost.
But it is compatible with just about any brand of wet/dry vac and well-built to provide added strength, utility, and longevity for years of gutter busting. The Gutter Clutter Buster is made in the USA, around 3 pounds, and constructed with PVC and aluminum for extra stability and longevity - something you aren’t going to find from the competitive wet/dry vac set.
It provides about the right amount of reach for clearing out dry debris in most one and some two-story homes.
For homes with two-stories or funky roof lines with additional height, you can buy additional extenders.
Length: 14 Feet
Width: 2 ½ Inches
Final Thought: Although it provides good durability and stability once the kit is assembled and attached to a wet/dry vac, it’s also twice the price of most other gutter cleaning kits.
And to reach a second story gutter you may need additional extenders, making the unit even more pricey.
Workshop Wet/Dry Vacuum Gutter Cleaning Kit
Overview: Similar to the Gutter Clutter Buster, the Workshop Wet/Dry Gutter Cleaning Kit includes 2X extensions (enough for a 1X story home) for reach and a contoured attachment to hook above the gutter for easy clean out.
The Workshop connects to most wet/dry vacs allowing for a ladder free experience.
Some of the pieces shift while in use, so some folks have recommended duct tape to help secure the kit and maximize suction.
For dry leaves or light debris, this will do the job and is priced accordingly.
But if the gutters are sludgy or weighed down with wet debris, the Workshop may fall short of the gutter cleaning one might get with their hands and a ladder.
While some folks talk about having used the Workshop Gutter cleaner with leaf blower, the kit is certainly not designed to be used this way and would require jerry-rigging it or securing it with duct tape to keep it steady and maintain air flow.
Length: About 14 Feet
Width: 2 ½ Inches
Final Thought: If you’re going to go the wet/dry vac route, the Workshop Kit is inexpensive, fits multiple wet/dry vac units and works as advertised.
Two story houses may require multiple kits.
With most of these kits, doubling up for second story gutter clean outs becomes heavier and more difficult to control, but it can be done!
For the price though, it really can’t be beat.
Blower Attachment
Toro 51667 Gutter Cleaning Kit
Overview: The Toro Gutter Cleaning Kit lets you take advantage of Toro’s classic power blower to remove leaves, pine needles, dirt, grime and yes, even wet packed-in sludge.
One kit will give you enough length for 1-story, but you’ll need 2 kits if you’re planning to attempt a second story gutter.
Much like some of the wet/dry vacuum gutter cleaning attachments, combining two kits will work but might be challenging, and require some upper body strength and balance.
Instead of slide-on and click in place piping,
Toro smartly created screw together pieces that more firmly hold together and do a good job funneling the forced air from the blower into the gutters.
Be warned that once the Toro Gutter Cleaning Kit is powered up, it will get messy.
Plan to wear old clothing and eye protection since wet and dry debris will get scattered just about everywhere.
Final Thought: Highly effective, but requires a Toro model blower (51574, 51592, 51599, 51602, 51609, 51617, 51618, 51619, 51621 and 51690) to be compatible with the Toro Gutter Cleaning Kit.
Length: About 13 feet once attached to the blower
Sun Joe SBJ6-GA Gutter Cleaning Blower Attachment
Overview: Owners of Sun Joe blower models (SBJ6-GA to your SBJ601E, SBJ603E, SBJ605E, or iONBV) can opt to add a Sun Joe 15-foot gutter cleaning blower.
Like most of the kits, if there is a complicated roof line or a 2+ story home, two units may be needed, and the added length can become challenging to control.
The pieces screw together but might to be a little loose, reducing some of the force from the blower.
Doubling up kits to reach 2nd story gutters can make the attachment a little difficult to control due to the length and weight of the blower plus the attachments.
Length: About 15 Feet
Final Thought: Great for 1-story homes but reaching the 2nd story might be a challenge.
Outdoor Hose Attachments
Orbit Telescoping Gutter Cleaning Wand
Overview: The well-made Orbit Telescoping Cleaning Wand attaches to a hose and gives a concentrated stream of water to shoot into gutters for easy cleaning.
A big benefit to the Orbit Telescoping Gutter Wand is that it can be also be used to wash windows, cars, sidewalks, siding, etc.
Another big benefit is that the head of the Orbit rotates and swivels to help with challenging rooflines and gutter contours.
The Orbit’s “wand” extends from 40 inches to 70 inches giving more than enough length for 1-story gutter clean outs.
Unfortunately, the 70-inch max-extension just isn’t enough to reach the gutters on most 2-story homes.
As with most hose attachment options, you should wear outdoor work clothes and be ready to get wet.
Length: 70 inches max
Final Thought: For one-story homes, the Orbit Telescoping Gutter Cleaning Wand is a great option for its many uses and one of the best hose attachment options on the market.
But the extension provided just doesn’t give enough reach for 2nd story gutters.
Melnor 65059-AMZ Vortex Extreme Cleaning Wand
Overview: The Melnor Vortex Extreme Cleaning Wand has the option of extending from 40 inches to a max of 72 inches and like other cleaning wands can be used for more than just gutter cleaning.
The Melnor works great for 1-story homes, but does not give enough length for reaching 2nd story gutters.
The nice thing about the Melnor is that the head rotates all the way around to help hit those awkward angles and manage an unpredictable roof line.
At times the connection points may not work so well, which could lead to some leaking during use.
Length: 72 Inches
Final Thought: We really like that the Melnor can be used for more than just gutters.
But the 72 inch max reach limits usage to gutters on 1-story homes.
Gutter Cleaning Robot
iRobot’s Looj (Discontinued)
Source: IRobot
iRobot has done a great job at developing tools that automate many daily household chores including vacuuming, mopping, and lawnmowing. The most well known product is the Roomba Vacuum. Back in 2012, iRobot launched one of its lesser known, now discontinued products, the Looj Gutter Cleaner. The Looj’s sweepers and scrapers would spin at a quick 500 revolutions per minute. After placing the Looj inside one end of the gutter, it would excavate through debris tossing it from the gutter to the ground as it mechanically moved from one end of the gutter to the other. Although the Looj was highly touted when it hit the market and was said to have executed quite well, it still didn’t eliminate the need for ladders.