Cleaning your gutters may not be the most enjoyable task, but it's an essential part of home maintenance that can be costly to ignore. If you're not feeling up for the job, consider hiring a professional gutter cleaning company to handle it for you. This guide provides an overview of some of the most frequently asked questions about gutter cleaning and care.

Gutter cleaning for a single-story house can cost between $70 and $200. For a two-story home, expect to pay $90 to $225. Additional floors add an average of $70 each to the cost.

Over time, gutters can get clogged with leaves, sticks, dirt, and other debris, and they're a haven for nesting rodents and insects. If your gutters are clogged, rainwater can't drain properly, which can lead to major problems for your home over time.

Gutter cleaning services are usually priced by the linear foot, at an average of $1 per foot for a one-story home and $2 per foot for a two-story residence. Jobs can also be estimated by the square footage of a home. For a one-story home, multiply the square footage by 50 cents; for a two-story home, multiply it by 90 cents.

Gutter guards are designed to keep debris from clogging your gutters, and it's important to clean them several times a year, especially if there are trees overhanging your roof.

This depends on the size of your home, but in general, it should take about two hours or less to complete a gutter cleaning job. It can take longer if the worker needs to remove gutter guards, or your gutters are severely clogged and dirty.

Gutter cleaning is often an overlooked task, but it's a necessary one that can have serious consequences if ignored. Not cleaning them means rainwater can't drain where it's supposed to. This can potentially cause damage to the home's foundation, interior leaks, and even collapsed roofs, which can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix.

Ideally, you should aim to clean your gutters in early spring and early fall. This allows gutters to be free of debris in preparation for rainy weather, falling leaves, and snow.

Gutter cleaning includes the removal and disposal of all twigs, leaves, dirt, and other debris from your gutters. It can also include scrubbing the gutters with a mechanical brush, polishing to remove moss, and washing the gutter exteriors. Some companies may offer to repair damaged gutters for an extra fee.

Homemade gutter cleaners provide an eco-friendly way to remove gutter grime. To make your own, combine equal parts water and cream of tartar, then mix until the solution reaches a paste-like consistency. Apply the paste to your gutters with a stiff bristle brush, then rinse it off with a hose.

This depends on the terms of your lease. If it states that you're responsible for exterior maintenance or landscaping, then you're generally responsible for cleaning the gutters. Some landlords will perform gutter cleaning for you or hire a professional gutter cleaning service as a courtesy.

To make a gutter cleaner out of a leaf blower, you'll need to attach a PVC pipe and U-joint to the blower nozzle and seal the connection with three to six layers of duct tape. For a more permanent solution, you can coat the pipe with PVC primer, glue the PVC to the nozzle, and seal the U-joint with cement.

Gutter bags, which are biodegradable and filled with enzymes that activate when it rains, are advertised to break down debris and save you the hassle of cleaning gutters yourself. Unfortunately, they're not proven to work. Worse, they may clog narrow gutters and cause them to overflow. The bags also contain sodium chloride, which can be harmful to plants.

Gutter covers are essentially the same thing as gutter guards, and they need to be cleaned regularly so debris doesn't build up and block the holes. Blockages can cause water to collect in certain areas and lead to poor drainage around your home.

In many areas, gutter cleaning businesses only need a general business license to operate, although additional licenses might be required in certain cities. Gutter cleaning businesses also need insurance to protect workers on the job. Workers spend much of their time on ladders, and injuries from falls aren't uncommon.

Gutter cleaning solutions contain chlorine and other chemicals that are designed to remove moss, algae, mold, and other debris. These chemicals are harmful to plants and can burn their roots, or even kill them.

At a minimum, your gutters need to be cleaned at least twice a year. If your yard has lots of trees in it, or if you live in an area that's very windy or rainy, you might need to clean the gutters more often. If your area has a lot of pine trees, which drop needles frequently, you may need to clean them every three months.

Tools needed to clean your gutters include a sturdy ladder, puncture-resistant work gloves, a heavy-duty bucket, and a gutter scoop. You'll also need a gutter cleaning solution and a scrub brush to clean the exterior of your gutters.