5 Best Gutter Cleaning Tools (2024 Guide)
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Cleaning your gutters is a dirty and difficult task. Even with gutter guards, you’ll need to clean your gutters once every year. Low-cost, efficient tools can help simplify this job.
For this guide, we researched the prices, materials, and customer reviews of Amazon’s top-rated gutter cleaning tools.
Top 5 Gutter Cleaning Tools
Here is a list of the best gutter cleaner tools:
- Best Gutter Scoop: Amerimax 8300 Getter Gutter Scoop
- Best Extension Tool: DocaPole 20 ft. Telescoping Extension Pole
- Best Leaf Blower: WORX 20V Cordless Leaf Blower WG545.6
- Best Gutter Cleaning Spoon: The Gutter Tool
- Best Grabber Tool: Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool
Best Gutter Scoop: Amerimax 8300 Getter Gutter Scoop
The Amerimax 8300 Gutter Scoop is a simple-to-use, low-cost, and handy tool that makes cleaning clogged gutters a breeze. It’s lightweight and shaped to fit snugly into standard 5- to 6-inch K-style gutters. It has a narrow tip that can fit under hidden hangers, and its bendable plastic body allows it to mold to the shape of your gutters. A single scoop costs $5.99* on Amazon, where it is also available in packs of two and three.
Pros
- Low-cost one-, two-, and three-pack options available
- Easy to use on standard K-style gutters
- Bendable narrow tip that allows scoop to fit under hidden hangers
Cons
- Too wide to fit into smaller gutters or gutters with shingle overhangs
- Weak and breakable under heavy weight or frequent use
What Customers Are Saying
Most customers consider this a great low-cost option for gutter cleaning. Positive reviews mention that the scoop picks up a lot of material and makes quick work of clogs. However, some customers claim it breaks or warps after a few uses and that a gloved hand is less awkward and easier to manage than this tool.
Best Extension Tool: DocaPole 20 ft Reach Telescoping Extension Pole
DocaPole’s 20-foot extension pole is an excellent option for cleaning rain gutters from the ground. It has an impressive 20-foot length to reach gutters on most two-story houses. The telescopic pole has an adjustable arm that allows you to change the angle of its head to position attachments for gutter cleaning. This product is available for $58.99 on Amazon, and you’ll need to purchase an additional gutter cleaning brush to fit onto the pole. We recommend this model.
Pros
- Extra-long, adjustable reach to clean gutters from the ground
- Screw-on tip for multi-use application
- Lever-action clamps and foam grips for easy handling
Cons
- No brush attachment included
- Reports of wobbling at full extension and bending under heavy use
What Customers Are Saying
Customer reviews are positive across Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot. Reviews praise the extension wand’s stability, extra-long reach, reliability, and sturdiness. Critical reviews mention that the pole cannot handle heavy loads or excess force and becomes less stable at full extension.
Best Leaf Blower: WORX 20V Cordless Leaf Blower WG545.6
The WORX 20V cordless leaf blower is a mid-range, low-weight tool with strong customer reviews. This leaf blower isn’t as effective on heavier debris, such as tree limbs, wet leaves, and shingles, but it can handle standard gutter cleaning. It’s currently priced at $109.99 on Amazon. If you pair this tool with the WORX universal blower attachment, you can tackle gutter cleaning from the ground.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Airflow of up to 120 miles per hour
- Batteries that charge in two hours
Cons
- Low battery life (20–40 minutes, depending on usage)
- Weak 20-volt blower compared to gas-powered or higher voltage blowers
What Customers Are Saying
Customers agree that the WORX 20V leaf blower is convenient, easy to use, and manageable for ladder work. While this model is effective against leaf litter, negative reviews mention that it can’t handle major debris such as branches, shingles, or wet leaves. This leaf blower can remove accumulated leaves from gutters equipped with gutter guards.
Best Gutter Cleaning Spoon: The Gutter Tool
The Gutter Tool is an ergonomic cleaning tool with a unique shape that allows homeowners to clean behind gutter hangers, skylights, and other roof structures. This tool is made of thick, sturdy plastic with a handle and screw-in fitting to attach to an extendable wand. You can purchase it for $29.95 on Amazon.
Pros
- Easy to use with a unique hook design
- Capability to screw onto most extendable poles
- Thinner design that fits into smaller gutters
Cons
- Some products arrived without threads for pole attachment
- Extreme force applied to the tip can cause the spoon to break
What Customers Are Saying
Customers praise this tool’s design, quality, and low cost. It reportedly works well when used by hand or paired with an extendable pole. However, due to the angle of the scoop, it can’t be used on the ground. Some critical reviewers noted that their products arrived defective and that the spoon tip broke when force was applied.
Best Grabber Tool: Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool
The Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool combines the simplicity of a gutter scoop with the clever design of an extendable grabber. Priced at $44.99, this product has two gutter scoops that come together in a claw-like mechanism that attaches to the end of an extendable wand. It allows the user to grab large clumps of leaves and grime from the ground.
Pros
- Grabber can handle larger debris such as branches and shingles
- Extension pole capability enables cleaning from the ground
- Low-cost and easy to use
Cons
- Time-consuming to use because it can’t grab large clumps at once
- Wide clamp tips make it unusable on small gutters
What Customers Are Saying
We noted that many customers were surprised at how well this product works. Critical reviews said it doesn’t handle densely filled gutters or wet leaves well. While some customer reviews mentioned that the high-strength fishing line on the clamping mechanism is prone to breaking, they also noted it is easily fixable.
Buyer’s Guide for DIY Gutter Cleaning Tools
Consider the following factors when choosing a gutter cleaning tool for your gutter system.
Cleaning Frequency
If gutters are left uncleaned for two or three years, the gutters and downspouts can become clogged with debris buildup. Tools such as leaf blowers, extendable poles, and gutter spoons won’t typically work on dense clogs. Instead, we recommend using a gutter scoop or handheld brush for intense cleaning jobs.
Heavy Rainfall and Leaf Litter
Homeowners in regions with heavy leaf litter and rainfall have wetter, more saturated gutters and must clean them more frequently. Pine needles are especially difficult to remove if left to accumulate. Leaf blowers and extendable poles won’t be as effective in these locations. We recommend using a gutter scoop or spoon.
Gutter Guards
Gutter guards reduce how often you need to clean your gutters and make cleaning easier. However, no gutter guard removes the need to clean entirely. Pairing gutter guards with a cleaning tool allows you to clean your gutters more efficiently. We recommend using an extendable pole and a soft bristle brush to sweep off debris that accumulates on the guards.
Other Helpful Gutter Cleaning Tools
You’ll likely need additional hardware to tackle gutter cleaning and maintenance. See the table below for tools you may need and a general price range for each. You can buy these tools from any home improvement store.
| Product Name | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Eye protection | $10–$20 |
| Work gloves | $15–$30 |
| Garden hose | $15–$65 |
| Tool belt | $20–$200 |
| Ladder stabilizer | $40–$100 |
| Extension ladder | $150–$450 |
Power Washers and Wet/Dry Vacuums
Some guides recommend using power washers to clean gutter systems. However, we don’t recommend power or pressure washers for gutters. The high-pressure spray makes quick work of leaves and other debris, but it can damage gutters by weakening connectors and chipping paint. A garden hose with a spray nozzle has enough water pressure to remove leaves and flush away debris.
Some online sources recommend using wet/dry vacuums (also called shop vacs) for gutter cleaning. Most can’t be used on ladders, requiring homeowners to purchase an extension or gutter-cleaning attachment. Some shop vacs can be worn via harness, allowing homeowners to use them on ladders. However, they’re unwieldy and not the safest option.
FAQ About Gutter Cleaning Tools
What is the best tool to clean gutters without a ladder?
An extendable pole with a brush attachment is typically the best tool to clean gutters without a ladder. When combined with gutter guards, this method is quick and effective.
What is the best thing to clean gutters with?
A simple gutter scoop is the best tool to clean most gutters. They’re inexpensive, durable, easy to use, and effective at removing gutter gunk.
What is the most effective way to clean gutters?
The most effective way to clean gutters is to remove leaves by hand with a gutter scoop and wash away the remaining debris with a hose. The key is consistency—the more often you clean your gutter system, the easier each cleaning will be. We recommend cleaning twice yearly: the end of fall and spring. Homes with heavy leaf litter may need more frequent cleaning, while homes with gutter guards need to be cleaned less often (once per year or two).
Who This Gutter Cleaning Tool Guide Is For
If you’re a first-time DIYer, a seasoned contractor, or somewhere in between, a gutter cleaner will be an essential component of your toolkit. Our Reviews Team considered various gutter cleaning tools, including a scoop gutter cleaning tool, a grabber tool, and more.
How We Selected the Best Gutter Cleaning Tools
To provide our readers with the best gutter cleaning tool recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.
Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of gutter cleaning tools with a significant number of verified buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers.
Expert Insights: Through our years of experience, we’ve learned that listening to what others say is key to building accurate, well-rounded articles. To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews and videos from trusted publications and independent testers, spoke with subject matter experts, and drew insights from reader contributions.
Final Product Selection: We then began fine-tuning our list by replacing older models with the latest versions and eliminating any discontinued models. From there, we pared the list down further by comparing each model’s feature set and selecting the best-in-class options for various buyers, budgets, and scenarios.
Why You Can Trust Us
This Old House has empowered homeowners and DIYers for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content.
Our team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published numerous tool reviews, from cordless drills and impact drivers to tape measures and laser levels.
Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.
Questions or Comments?
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.