As winter approaches, it is time to start thinking about getting your gutters ready for the rainy season.  It is important to clean your gutters at least once every year to ensure that water flows freely otherwise you could end up with roof, wall and/or foundation damage.

Before you get started, you want to make sure that you have all of the proper tools to make the job as painless as possible. 

You will need the following items:

First things first.  You need access to the gutters.  Make sure that you do not lean the ladder against the gutters as they are not strong enough to support the weight and you may damage them.

Before you actually start cleaning the muck out of the gutters, put on your gloves.  There are many sharp edges where you are likely to cut yourself.  You will also want to secure your bucket or the trash bag to your ladder so that you can dump the gutter debris in it rather than throwing it to the ground where you will have to clean it up adding more work to your project.

Using your gutter scoop (easily obtained at any home improvement store) or garden trowel, scoop out the twig, leaves and other organic material that has collected in your gutters.  You may find that some of the organic material has caked at the bottom.  It is best to wet it down first before attempting to remove it with your scoop otherwise you may damage the gutter. 

Once you have removed the majority of organic matter, use your garden house to flush the gutters clean.  This will also serve to check for leaks in the gutter (mark leak locations so you can do repair work after they have dried) and to ensure that the downspouts are not clogged.

If the downspouts are clogged, run the hose down the spout and use a light water pressure to dislodge the clog.  You don’t want to use a high pressure as the downspouts are not designed to handle the hard pressure.       

If you are not able to dislodge the clog with the garden hose, a plumber’s snake should do the trick. 

After everything has been cleaned, flush the gutters and downspouts one last time to make sure all debris is removed.  If you need to repair any leaks, wait until the area is completely dried before applying the caulking.   

Sources:

eHow at http://www.ehow.com/how_2418_clean-gutters.html
Demesne at http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/Gutters.htm