How to Clean Gutters Properly, and the Best Tools for the Job
Updated: Aug 31
For most gutter cleaning, your hands are actually one of your best tools. But there are places where putting your hand in is exactly what you should not do.
Downpipes can be narrow and difficult to see into. There can be sharp screws protruding from the sides, pieces of metal roofing, sticks and compacted debris. If you grab a handful of debris, your hand becomes bigger, making it even harder to pull back out. I've even had gloves catch inside downpipes.
After years of cleaning gutters professionally, I've found that the best approach isn't to find one tool that does everything. The most effective gutter cleaning method is a combination of tools, with each one doing the job it is best suited to.
For most residential gutter cleaning, that means:
Gloves and hands for removing the bulk of the debris
Gutter Tongs for downpipes and awkward areas your hands can't reach
A blower for finishing the gutters and clearing the roof
A bucket or debris bag for removing the waste
A hose when a downpipe needs to be properly flushed
This guide explains how I approach gutter cleaning, which tools I actually use, what I avoid, and how to deal with the difficult parts that are often missed.
What tools do you need to clean gutters?
There isn't one best gutter cleaning tool for every situation.
Here's how I would rank the main tools based on professional experience:
Tool | How useful is it? | Best use |
Gloves and hands | Essential | Removing the bulk of gutter debris |
Gutter Tongs | Essential | Downpipes, narrow areas and extra reach |
Leaf blower | Very useful | Clearing the roof and finishing the gutters |
Hose | Very useful | Flushing questionable or blocked downpipes |
Bucket or debris bag | Essential | Getting debris from roof or gutters to where it belongs |
Ladder | Essential where required | Access |
Telescopic pole and scoop | Specific jobs | Areas that can't be reached from a ladder |
Gutter vacuum | Rarely | Certain access situations and large jobs |
Gutter scoop | I generally avoid them | Mainly exposed, open half-round gutters |
Pressure washer | I avoid it | Too aggressive and difficult to control, messy |
Gutter brush | I avoid it | Limited usefulness compared with other methods |
BBQ or kitchen tongs | I avoid them for regular work | May work for occasional, easy jobs |
The important thing is that different tools solve different problems.
Your hands remove most of the material. Tongs reach the places your hands cannot. The blower efficiently finishes the job.
How to clean gutters properly
Before starting, walk around the property and look at the roof, gutters and downpipes.
I want to know:
Where the downpipes are
How accessible the gutters are
Whether I can safely work from the roof
Whether the roof has a large amount of debris on it
Whether there are roof overhangs restricting access
Whether there is leaf guard
Whether there are sections that will need to be reached from a ladder
If the roof is suitable for safe access and you're experienced working at height, cleaning from the roof can be considerably quicker and can produce a better result.
If the roof is too steep or otherwise unsuitable, you may need to work from ladders or use other methods.
For a homeowner who isn't experienced working at height, this is one of the jobs where getting a professional is often the sensible option. Gutter cleaning involves more than simply reaching over the edge and removing leaves. Australian safety guidance emphasises appropriate ladder setup and avoiding overreaching.
1. Remove the bulk of the debris
For most gutters, I start with gloves and a bucket. Get the bulk of the debris out first:
Leaves
Gumnuts
Twigs
Decomposed matter
Soil
Roof grit
Other rubbish
You can find some surprising things in gutters. I've removed tennis balls and toys from properties beside schools. Birds can leave bones and stones. Roof workers sometimes leave screws, silicone tubes and other rubbish behind.
After nearby fires, gutters can also become filled with ash.
For wet debris, take your time. Wet material is heavier, denser and messier than dry leaves. If you're working on a roof, you also want to avoid dirty water ending up underneath your feet.
If you're on a ladder, the gutter may be close to your face, so be particularly careful about mud and water flicking back at you.
2. Deal with sticks separately
Hard sticks and branches can be surprisingly difficult to remove.
If you try to grab a handful containing a large stick, the stick can catch on the gutter, brackets or other obstacles and prevent the whole handful from coming out.
Instead, remove larger sticks individually.
This is particularly relevant around gum trees, where gutter debris can range from fine material to surprisingly substantial branches.
3. Loosen compacted material
Once the obvious debris is gone, you may find a layer of compacted material stuck to the bottom of the gutter.
This can be decomposed leaves mixed with roof grit and dirt.
If it has dried hard, it may need to be loosened before it can be removed. If it is wet and heavily compacted, getting every last bit out can be difficult.
That's not necessarily a problem. The objective is to restore proper water flow and clear the important drainage points. A small amount of fine residue left behind is very different from a gutter containing a significant layer of compacted debris.
4. Use the Gutter Tongs where your hands can't reach
This is where a pair of narrow, long-reach gutter tongs earns its place.
The difficult parts of gutter cleaning are often not the open sections that you can easily reach with your hands.
They're the:
Downpipe openings
Narrow gutters
Areas underneath roof overhangs
Sections underneath or beside leaf guard
Deep or awkward gutter profiles
Upper-level spreaders
Areas where moving the ladder would otherwise be necessary
The Gutter Tongs don't replace your hands. They extend what your hands can do.
How to use gutter tongs
Have an open bucket or debris bag close enough that you can make the movement efficiently:
Grab → twist → drop into the bucket.
The tongs naturally sit open. Hold them partly open, depending on the width of the space you're working in.
When cleaning a downpipe, don't immediately try to reach as far down as possible. Instead:
Push the tongs down a short distance.
Grab a manageable amount of debris.
Pull it out.
Empty it into your bucket.
Go slightly deeper.
Repeat.
If the material is compacted, take smaller bites.
You can also use the tips of the tongs to break up compacted material before grabbing it. If there's a large stick, remove it separately rather than trying to force it out with a large handful.
What about roots?
Sometimes roots or plant growth can develop inside a downpipe.
Don't try to rip everything out in one movement. Work gradually. Remove some surrounding soil or debris first, giving the root more room to loosen, then work it out progressively.
Why cleaning downpipes is different
A gutter can look clean from above while the downpipe is still blocked.
This is one of the biggest differences between simply removing visible leaves and actually cleaning the gutter system properly.
Downpipes are difficult because they're:
Narrow
Dark
Deep
Difficult to see into
Often partly hidden by the roof design
The sun rarely shines down to the bottom of a downpipe, so even seeing the obstruction can be difficult.
I sometimes use a torch to look inside, but you can also learn a lot by feel and sound.
Why don't I recommend putting your hand down a downpipe?
I'm an average-sized person, and most downpipes aren't large enough to comfortably put your fist into without the possibility of catching.
There's also a simple physical problem. Your hand might fit when it's empty. But if you grab a handful of debris, your hand becomes larger.
Now you have to pull that larger handful back through the same narrow opening. That can lead to your hand or glove getting stuck.
And you don't necessarily know what you're reaching into. I've encountered:
Sharp pieces of metal roofing
Protruding screws
Spiders (including redbacks)
Sticks
Compacted soil
Other debris
Getting your hand caught in a downpipe is not much fun when you're working at heights.
That's one of the reasons I consider long, narrow gutter tongs an essential tool for professional gutter cleaning.
How to clear a blocked downpipe
A lot of debris tends to accumulate around the first bend of a downpipe.
The change in direction slows material down, and debris can settle there gradually. A small amount arrives, settles, then another small amount lands on top of it.
Eventually, you have a blockage. The best approach is to work it out progressively.
Start shallow
Put the tongs down a short distance and remove what you can.
Then go a little deeper.
Don't try to pull a huge amount out in one go.
If the material is compacted, take smaller pieces and use the tips to loosen it.
Check as you go
Look down the pipe where possible.
You can also tap the side of the pipe. A hollow sound suggests there is open space, while a dull or "thuddy" sound can indicate material or water further down.
I often use the tongs themselves to tap the pipe rather than my hand.
Flush when necessary
If there's any doubt about whether a downpipe is clear, or the client has reported an existing drainage problem, flushing the downpipe is the most reliable final check.
Put a hose into the downpipe and run good pressure through it while watching and listening.
If it's blocked, water may start backing up or appear somewhere it shouldn't, such as a joint or damaged section further down.
If the water disappears normally and the pipe sounds hollow, that's a much better indication that the water can flow through.
A real example: a downpipe that had been missed repeatedly
One job particularly sticks with me.
The client had complained that water was regularly leaking into a lower laundry during heavy rain. They had already had roofers and gutter cleaners attend several times over the previous two years.
When I inspected the property, I found a downpipe very close to the soffit, underneath a roof tile overhang.
From above, I couldn't even see the opening. I had to push the tile back to expose it.
The downpipe was packed with fine, dusty soil that had become extremely compacted.
I cleared it with the Gutter Tongs, flushed the downpipe, then slid the roof tile back into position.
That finally solved the drainage problem. This is why I don't consider a gutter clean finished simply because the obvious leaves have been removed.
Gutter Tongs are useful for more than downpipes
Downpipes are probably the most obvious use, but they're not the only one.
Roof overhangs
Roof overhangs can leave very little room between the roof and gutter.
Your hand may simply not fit. A scoop or vacuum nozzle probably wont fit into the tight space either.
A narrow tong can give you additional reach into that awkward section.
Leaf guard
Leaf guard is another situation where judgement is needed.
Sometimes the material sitting on top can be cleared with a blower.
But leaf guard isn't a permanent substitute for cleaning.
If trees are regularly dropping leaves, debris can accumulate on top of the guard. Fine material can gradually work its way through and build up underneath.
Eventually you may have a bigger cleaning job than you would have had without the guard.
Gutter Tongs can also reach under a section of leaf guard where there is enough access to grab material, although they aren't a magic solution for a gutter covered by metres of inaccessible guard.
Spreader outlets
This is another particularly useful application.
On two-storey properties, an upper roof can discharge onto a lower roof through a small spreader or pipe.
Some of these outlets are surprisingly small.
If they're clogged with debris, you may not be able to get your fingers far enough inside to remove it.
A narrow tong can reach into the opening, grab the debris and pull it back out.
What about gutter scoops?
Gutter scoops are commonly recommended for gutter cleaning, but I really don't like using them.
The problem is that many are simply too wide for the gutters you're trying to clean. If the scoop is a tight fit going in, it can require considerable pressure to get it back out. When it finally releases, you can end up flicking debris everywhere.
They also work best on open, exposed half-round gutters. They are much less useful when you have:
Internal brackets
Tight corners
Roof overhangs
Narrow gutters
Quad gutters with square corners
Restricted access
There's also a more fundamental issue when you're working at height.
Your hands are valuable.
If you're standing on a roof, you don't want to carry extra equipment unless it genuinely earns its place.
If one hand is occupied with a scoop, that tool needs to offer a significant advantage over simply using your gloved hand.
If your thinking you don't want to touch the debris with your hands, even with gloves - I'd suggest using gutter tongs instead of a cumbersome scoop.
What about a leaf blower?
A blower is one of the most useful gutter cleaning tools, particularly as a finishing tool.
It's excellent for:
Dry leaves
Fine debris
Cleaning large roof areas
Finishing the gutter after the bulk of the debris is removed
But it isn't a complete gutter cleaning solution.
Wet, dense debris doesn't blow well.
And you need to think about where the debris is going. You don't want to blow gutter debris:
Into a neighbour's property
Into a swimming pool
Onto a freshly cleaned area
Into an open window
Into another section of gutter
There's another reason not to blindly blow everything towards the downpipe. Gutters can contain screws, pieces of metal roofing, small stones, tile fragments and other hard debris. You don't necessarily want to send all of that into the downpipe.
A blower is excellent for finishing the job, but it shouldn't replace physically clearing the difficult material.
What about gutter vacuums?
Gutter vacuums can be useful for specific jobs, particularly where it's important to prevent debris falling to the ground.
But for the type of residential and commercial gutter cleaning I have traditionally done, they have many limitations.
You have a heavy, noisy machine on the ground connected to the far end of the gutter by a long tube.
They can also struggle with the variety of debris found in Australian gutters. A gum tree might put tiny leaves into the gutter one day and large, strong sticks into it the next.
Some roof overhangs can also prevent the vacuum head from reaching the area that needs cleaning.
A heavy hose has to run across the roof to where you're working, so skylights, aerials, whirlybirds and other roof structures can potentially get hit by it.
So I wouldn't say gutter vacuums are bad. They're simply not the universal answer.
Why I don't use BBQ tongs for regular gutter cleaning
Cheap BBQ or kitchen tongs can work in the right circumstances. If you're a homeowner who:
Has large, unobstructed downpipe openings
Only cleans your gutters occasionally
Doesn't have difficult access
Is careful with the tool
Doesn't need it to withstand regular professional use
then a cheap pair of tongs might be perfectly adequate.
But I've gone through plenty of cheap tongs myself. The problems I've encountered include:
Weak metal that bends
Hinges that break
Multiple components that can fail
Wide or awkward tips that catch on gutter hardware
Tips that aren't shaped for withdrawing through narrow openings
Gutter cleaning is rough on tools. They get dropped, bent, caught on brackets and knocked around.
That's why I prefer a purpose-selected stainless steel tong with a narrow profile and simple construction.
What makes Gutter Tongs different?
The XPRT Gutter Tongs are made from stainless steel and use a one-piece construction with the bend acting as the hinge.
There aren't separate pins, springs and other hinge components. The shaft and tips are also kept to the same width, which is important for working inside narrow spaces.
If the tong can get into the opening, you want it to be able to come back out without the tips or shaft catching.
The tip shape matters too. It needs to be large enough to grab material, but not so large that it catches on brackets, screws or sharp edges when you're trying to withdraw it.
They're not indestructible. The shaft or tips can bend if they're badly abused, and excessive bending can damage the hinge. I've even managed to bend a pair by crushing them in storage closing the back of my ute.
But they can be bent back into shape, and I've seen no rust on mine after years of use.
Which Gutter Tongs size should you choose?
XPRT Gutter Tongs come in 35 cm, 45 cm and 50 cm lengths. The right size depends largely on how far you need to reach.
Size | Best for |
35 cm | Shorter downpipes and homeowners who don't need much extra reach |
45 cm | A good all-round size and my preferred balance for many jobs |
50 cm | Maximum reach and particularly awkward or deep access |
For a homeowner, look at the distance from the top of the downpipe to the first bend.
If that's around 25 to 30 cm, the 35 cm tongs may be sufficient.
For a professional, I'd seriously consider having more than one size because you'll encounter different gutter and downpipe configurations.
The 50 cm tongs can flex slightly under load, but that doesn't stop them doing their job.
If the material is heavily compacted, don't try to rip out one enormous piece. Take smaller pieces, loosen them and twist the tongs to help break the material free.
The 45 cm version is a particularly good compromise between reach and portability.
How do you know when the gutters are actually clean?
A properly cleaned gutter doesn't necessarily have to look surgically spotless. What matters is that it can perform its job - channel water from roof along gutter, through downpipe and into stormwater pipes.
As the person cleaning it, I mainly look for:
A clear gutter channel
No significant build-up around the bottom
Clear access to the downpipe
No obvious debris remaining in inaccessible sections
No material that will immediately block the outlet
The roof and gutter no longer producing debris when finished with the blower
For a downpipe, I want reasonable evidence that water can actually get through.
If the outlet is visible, look for signs of small debris coming through when blowing top of downpipe.
If it's enclosed, check what you can see to the first bend, listen to the pipe and flush it with running water if there's any uncertainty.
If a client has reported a drainage problem, flushing the downpipe will bring peace of mind.
Ultimately, the real test is the next significant rain. The gutter should drain as designed rather than overflowing (or leaking inside) because something was left behind.
How often should you clean your gutters?
This is different for each property.
The biggest factors are the closeness of the trees around the property and the type of trees.
As a rough professional guide:
Most properties: around once a year
Properties with overhanging trees: often twice a year
Very high debris properties: potentially more frequently
Extreme cases: monthly cleaning can occasionally be necessary
Jacarandas, for example, can drop a lot of material and their flowers decompose quickly. Gum trees can produce a mixture of small leaves, gumnuts, sticks and larger branches.
Interestingly, regular cleaning doesn't always mean every part of the gutter needs cleaning every time. On some properties, half the gutters can be almost empty while another section needs substantial cleaning.
The property itself should determine the schedule, not an arbitrary rule. If you know a lot of debris has fallen on the ground near the house, or you can see build up on the roof when looking at the house from a distance, that means it needs a clean.
Does leaf guard mean you don't need to clean your gutters?
No.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see.
Leaf guard can reduce the amount of large debris entering the gutter, but it doesn't mean the system is maintenance-free.
If trees regularly drop debris, material can accumulate on top of the guard. But leaves aren't the only thing that ends up in a gutter. Dust, pollen, pollution and fine particles settle on the roof and are gradually washed towards the gutter whenever it rains. No leaf guard can stop all of this fine material. It can pass through the openings and gradually build up underneath.
Doesn't the next rain simply wash it away?
Usually, no. Fine organic material tends to settle, cake and build up rather than simply washing away. Over time, the damp material can create an environment where moss and other growth begins to develop.
This is why leaf guard should be thought of as debris management, not a maintenance-free solution. You may get far less large leaf debris entering the gutter, but the gutter system still needs to be inspected and cleaned when necessary.
Sometimes cleaning over the top of the guard and blasting with a high powered blower to move the sediment in the gutter will do the trick. But if there's wet, dense material underneath, the guard may need to be removed or sections lifted so the gutter beneath can be cleaned.
The professional approach: use the right tool for each job
After years of gutter cleaning, my basic system is surprisingly simple.
Hands and gloves
For the majority of the debris.
Gutter Tongs
For the places your hands can't safely or physically reach.
Blower
For clearing the roof and finishing the gutter.
Bucket
For getting the debris off the roof and putting it somewhere neatly, rather than leaving it around the property.
Hose
For flushing downpipes when there's a reason to verify that they're completely clear.
That's it.
You don't need a tool that claims to do everything. You just need tools that solve the problems you actually encounter.
So, what are the best tools for cleaning gutters?
If I had to narrow it down to the tools I consider most useful for professional residential gutter cleaning:
Good gloves
A bucket or debris bag
Gutter Tongs
A leaf blower
A hose for flushing questionable downpipes
The important thing is that they complement each other.
Hands remove the bulk. Gutter Tongs reach the difficult areas. The blower finishes the job. And that's why I don't think there's a single "best gutter cleaning tool".
The best tool depends on the part of the job you're trying to solve. For me, the XPRT Gutter Tongs earn their place because their simple, purpose-built design solves two problems that are otherwise difficult to solve properly:
reaching into downpipes
and reaching into narrow or awkward sections of gutter.
For a professional, that's ultimately about completing the job thoroughly, having confidence that the downpipes are clear, and reducing the chance of getting a call from the client when the next heavy rain arrives.
Frequently asked questions about cleaning gutters
What is the best tool for cleaning gutters?
There isn't one tool that is best for every part of the job. For professional residential cleaning, I use gloves and hands for the bulk of the debris, Gutter Tongs for difficult and narrow areas, and a blower to finish the gutter and clear the roof.
What is the best tool for cleaning a blocked downpipe?
A long, narrow grabbing tool such as gutter tongs can be particularly useful for removing compacted debris from the accessible part of a downpipe. Work progressively from the top rather than trying to pull out a huge amount at once. If there's any uncertainty, flush the downpipe with water.
Can I use BBQ tongs to clean gutters?
You can for occasional, straightforward jobs where the downpipe opening is large and unobstructed. Cheap BBQ tongs may not withstand regular professional use, however, and their wider tips and hinged construction can make them awkward in narrow gutters and around brackets.
Can you clean gutters with a leaf blower?
Yes, but a blower works best on dry, loose debris. Wet, dense or compacted gutter debris usually needs to be physically removed first. A blower is particularly useful for finishing the gutter and clearing leaves from the roof.
Do I need to clean gutters if I have leaf guards?
Yes. Leaf guards can reduce the amount of large debris entering gutters, but they don't necessarily eliminate maintenance. Debris can accumulate on top of the guard and fine material can work its way underneath.
How often should gutters be cleaned?
It depends mainly on the surrounding trees and the amount and type of debris they produce. Many properties can be cleaned annually, while properties with significant overhanging trees may need cleaning twice a year or more.
How do I know if my downpipe is blocked?
Look for slow drainage, overflowing gutters or other signs of water backing up. You can inspect the accessible section of the downpipe, listen to it and, where necessary, flush it with a hose to check whether water passes through properly.
Is gutter cleaning a DIY job?
Some single-storey, easily accessible gutters may be suitable for capable homeowners. Roof access, height, steep roofs, awkward ladder positions and unfamiliarity with working at height can make gutter cleaning much more hazardous. If you're not comfortable working at heights or don't have the experience to assess the roof and access properly, hiring a professional is the better option.
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