How To Clean Aluminum Gutters

Be careful when cleaning your aluminum gutters while you may want to get up on a ladder and start scrubbing your aluminum gutters make sure that you have the right tools and help nearby.

How to clean aluminum gutters.

Wash and rinse as you go because if dirt and soap dry off together they might stick to the surface making it even harder to clean off. Aluminum readily welcomes a solution of warm water and acetic acid more commonly found in the kitchen as white vinegar after scooping the gunk from your gutters with the trowel mix a bucketful of solvent using 1 cup of vinegar for every 3 gallons of water. The gutters have a very thin coat of baked on paint. Rinse with water and if necessary reapply the chemical to remaining stains and brush again.

You have to be careful with some cleaning solutions on aluminum gutters. Use a sprayer attachment if you have one to increase the water pressure. A simple solution of water and white vinegar works very well for cleaning the outside of the gutters and won t corrode aluminum. If you have aluminum gutters you ll want to be careful when choosing a chemical as some may cause aluminum to corrode.

Pull the hose to the furthest end of the gutters with enough slack so that you can lift the bottle over your head comfortably. Use warm water for rinsing off the dirt. You can also make a paste with a small amount of water and cream of tartar which will act as a cleaner and gentle buffing agent in one. Brush the gutter with a stiff bristle brush.

Don t reach too far away from the ladder while scrubbing and be mindful of power lines. On stubborn streaks let the chemical dwell longer being careful not to let it dry. Use some elbow grease or a power washer. Carry the nozzle of the hose with you up the ladder to the gutters.

Key tips to keep in mind. Flush the gutters with a garden hose. I used a product that was meant for cleaning plastic garden furniture because it also cleaned almost everything else that regular cleaners could not and after spraying it on the gutters and wiping it off it started to dissolve the baked on paint and i had to stop. Then turn the water to the hose on but not at full power.

Assess your gutters carefully before deciding on the cleaning agent. Spray the gutters toward each of the downspouts to rinse remaining debris out of the gutters. Apply the chemical according to the manufacturer s instructions.