Using a Gutter Rake to Clean Gutters.

What Is a Gutter Rake?

A gutter rake tool specifically designed to make cleaning leaves, pine needles, twigs and other debris out of gutters easier and faster than other methods. Invented by a home maintenance contractor, it fits the most common sizes of gutters and will easy go under or over any support braces that are inside the gutters.

The head on gutter rakes are unique and make all the difference to using a pole or other similarly shaped tool. The straight end is used to pull the debris toward you while the curved part pushes it under the braces or struts. Because the head is tilted and angled back, it is able to easily get at what is in the gutters and “scoop” it along as you move the gutter rake.



The rake head is attached to a pole, around 5 feet long, so you can reach quite a bit of gutter on either side of you without moving your ladder. Usually they have a threaded end so you can attach them to a longer extension pole increasing the length of the tool for areas that are hard to reach or to quickly clean very long gutter sections.

When not attached to an extension pole, gutter rakes generally only weigh about a pound, which makes them lightweight and pretty easy to maneuver and control. They are not hard to manage as you stand on a ladder to clean out the gutters.

How to Use a Gutter Cleaning Rake
A gutter rake is simple to use. First you need to place your ladder on level ground so it is stable. Either position an A-frame ladder close to the gutters or use an extension ladder you can lean directly against the house, which will probably be more secure.

Then start pulling the debris through the gutter toward you so you can easily remove it. You can either attach a bucket or garbage bag to your ladder to collect the debris as you pull it out or you can throw it on the ground and clean it up later. Once you have cleaned out all of the gutters you can reach from where you are, you will need to move the ladder to the middle of another section of gutter to clean that area out again. As you work, you will be able to quickly figure out the best
places to put your ladder to most efficiently clean the gutters.

When to Use a Gutter Rake
Most gutters need to be cleaned out at least twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. However, if you live under a lot of trees that drop pine needles and leaves, you may need to clean them more frequently, maybe 3-4 times annually.

A gutter rake works best when the gutters are not completely crammed with debris, about half full or less. The debris can be either wet or dry, but the rake will be best for leaves and other lightweight materials.


Gutter rakes are great tools

A gutter rake can save you a lot of time when it comes to clean your gutters. You will have to go up and down your latter is much either. With a gutter rake and an extension pole put together, you can reach 15 feet on either side of the latter. This makes gutter cleaning a snap. To use a gutter rake simply put your latter up next to a downspout. Make sure that the area in front of the downspout is cleared out first. Then user gutter rake to clean out up to 15 feet on either side of the downspout. Pull everything towards you and loaded into a 5 gallon bucket. When you have finished cleaning out the area or when your bucket is completely full, take it down and throw it in the yard waste container. Using a gutter rake has helped me to cut down on the time it takes me to clean my gutters by as much as 50%.



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Gutter cleaning Tools like and Gutter Scoop and Gutter Rake

Gutter cleaning Tools like and Gutter Scoop and Gutter Rake

There are several different gutter tools you can use to clean out your gutters. Some of these tools include a leaf blower, a shop vac w/ long whole extensions, a gutter rake, and a gutter scooper. This article will describe which tool will work the best with which type of gutters.

What is a Gutter Rake, and When should I use one.

A gutter rake is a 4 to 5 foot tool that helps you extend your reach while on a ladder and clean up to six feet on either side of the ladder you are working on. The way it is designed is that it two different ends on it. The 1st end is just a straight piece and it is used to scrap the stuff in the gutters towards you when you are on the roof or on a ladder. The 2nd end of the gutter rake is curved and has an L at the end. This piece pushes the gutter debris under the gutter joints and move it closer to you so you can take it out with your hands.
The best gutters to use a gutter cleaning rake on are gutters with leaves and other lightweight debris in them and gutters that are less then half full. The gutter rake works great with both dry and wet gutters.

Using a Shop Vac to Clean Gutters

I have a gutter cleaning friend who always raves about how could a shop vac works. He use it with an extra long hose and sucks all the debris out of the gutters. It works best with medium to light build up. It seems to be a really quick and easy way to clean out gutters. I look forward to trying this method in the near future.

When should I use a leaf blower to clean my gutters?

Generally a leaf blower works best when the gutter are dry and the roof isn’t very steep. Gas blowers are far superior to electric because they are cordless and has more power. The clean out the gutters, simply walk along the edge of the roof and blow out excess debris. Then rake of the stuff underneath if needed. With smaller houses, leaf blower gutter cleaning can take less then an hour. If gutter has water or mud in them drain before blowing and make sure to remove patio furtiture off of the back porch before beginning.

What is a gutter scoop and how to make one?

A Gutter scoop is an interesting tool that will help you clean you gutters. If you want to make your own, you can simply cut up a milk jug and use it as a gutter scoop. We actually recommend a store bought one because it will often have a better design, last longer, and work better at removing heavy gutter debris out of your gutters. A gutter scoop works well with any gutter, it can be used in conjunction with a gutter rake or a shop vac.

Gutter rake substitutes or how to make a gutter rake – If you don’t want to buy a rake, you can use a hoe or even just a pole, but it will take a little longer.

The Truth about Gutter Cleaning

Well the truth is that some jobs that are more disgusting then cleaning gutters, like being a podiatrist, a dentist, or a trash collect, but a professional gutter cleaner job combines both the disgusting and the dangerous to give you a job that can be both dirty and exhilarating at the same time. And if you like living on the edge, you can't get much closer. This is a job that is always in demand, especially in areas with lots of trees. Although demand varies by season and location, peak demand is usually in the Fall and Spring, and anytime it is raining.

What I love best about it is that I can easily sell upgrade client to other related thing like roof cleaning, trimming trees, moss application and removal, gutter guard installation, gutter filter installation, window cleaning and more. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or much of a salesman to turn a $100 job into a $300 job. An the truth about it is you are doing something for them they need to get done and you are saving them the hassle of finding someone else to do it. Plus the longer you clean gutters, the faster you get. As you get faster, you can see your hourly rate or margin increase from $20 an hour to $75 an hour.

You do need to be careful though. It is very important to have the right safety equipment and a good idea of what you are doing. As a general rule, ladders are safer then roof tops, (but roof tops are faster.) Two story or steeper and slippery roofs should always have a safety line when you have to be on the roof.

There are really a lot of important things having to do with gutter cleaning that I could talk about. I love cleaning gutters. I am so happy I started this blog. Maybe I can give someone a safety tip that will save their life. (By the way, never get on a wet roof when it is near freezing.) You will never know unless you stay tuned to this blog and subscribe to my feeds. Also, I have been having a difficult time find a place online that sells the right tools I needed to start my gutter cleaning business. I would like to include the tool you need on this site, just in case you are knew or looking to trade in those football cleats or buy a nice gutter cleaning rake.

Also just because I blog doesn't mean I know every thing please comment and allow me to learn from you as well. Thanks