Cleaning the gutter can be dangerous, but it is a necessary part of maintaining the house. To minimize the frequency of cleaning, you can use seamless rain gutters with leaf guard installed to it, but if you have a regular gutter, frequent cleaning is a must. Now, how do you keep this ordeal safe? If you need to do this task regularly, you might as well make sure that you finish it with all your members safely attached to your body, right?
Tips to Safely Clean the Gutter
If more homeowners know the proper way to clean the gutter, there would be lesser gutter cleaning related injuries every year. Ladder related accidents are the most cause of injuries associated with cleaning the gutter. The good news is, it can be avoided.
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Exercise ladder safety
When using a ladder, always ask a member of the family to be your spotter. This person will be responsible for helping you or calling for help when accidents do come. Make sure to check the integrity of the ladder before using it, and also check its carrying capacity. Avoid using an orchard ladder because it only stands on three legs, which can easily become unbalanced.
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Use a garden hose
Strong water pressure is key to removing leaves and debris in the gutter. For this, you need to use a garden hose with pistol-grip because it allows you to adjust the water pressure, and it can be used with just one hand. You can also hang its handle at the edge of the gutter. This will keep both of your hands free to move the ladder.
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Use a gutter scoop
Scooping out the leaves and other debris is the safest way to clean the gutter. Don’t even think about using your bare hands because a lot of dirty debris could pierce it, causing bacteria to get to the would. Make sure to use plastic a scoop because a metal one can scratch and damage the bottom of the gutter.
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Use gloves
Make sure to use gloves all throughout the process. The leaves and debris in the gutter are usually mixed with bird droppings that can contain harmful bacteria. The glove is your first line of defense against harmful cuts that allow these bacteria to come in.
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Use eye protection
Wearing eye protection is a must when cleaning the gutter because you just don’t know what would fly out of nowhere. It’s not unusual for vermin to come out of the downspout and jump right at your face at a very high speed.
With these simple safety tricks, you can prevent unwanted injuries when cleaning the gutter. Ensuring that your gutter is in proper working condition is a must, but you have to make sure that you’re safe doing it. If you think that the task is too much for you, it’s better to hire a professional to do it. There’s no point in taking matters into your own hands only to get injured in the end.
