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Last updated on February 29th, 2024 at 05:14 pm
Have some gutters in need of a fresh cleaning and wondering how to clean your gutters with a pressure washer? Look no further because I have your answer!
To clean gutters with a pressure washer, set the pressure gauge to medium-high (1500-2000 psi). Hold the nozzle 6 inches away from the gutter and move in a sweeping motion back and forth to remove any algae, dirt, or debris. If some debris is hard to remove, spray a gutter cleaning solution before pressure washing.
After you follow this tutorial and see your gutters all shiny again, you’ll wish you’d have cleaned them sooner!
Let’s dive in!
Quick Navigation: How To Pressure Wash Gutters
- Blow Out Loose Debris
- Spray The Gutters
- (Optional) Spray With Gutter Cleaning Solution
- Other FAQs About Pressure Washing Gutters
- Final Thoughts
| Level Of Difficulty | Time To Complete |
|---|---|
| Easy | 1-2 Hours |
| Material List | Tool List |
|---|---|
| Optional: Gutter cleaning solution | Pressure Washer |
| Optional: Leaf Blower |
Step One: Blow Out Loose Debris
The first step to cleaning gutters with a pressure washer is to blow out the loose debris.
Personally, my husband and I like to use a leaf blower to blast out the loose debris before using my pressure washer because it makes cleaning up later easier.
If the debris in the gutters is mostly dry, then you can blast it out and onto the ground with a leaf blower, and easily sweep it up off the ground before pressure washing.
However, if the debris is already wet from rain, then go ahead and blast it out with your pressure washer.
Wet debris usually smells and leaves a muddy mess all over your roof and the ground, so I like to avoid it. Plus, it saves me the step of having to pressure wash the roof and the ground.
Instead, I can quickly sweep it up after using the leaf blower and move on!
Either way, to remove debris from gutters quickly and efficiently, you should start at one corner of the house and blow the debris to the opposite end and out of the gutters.
This technique works best if you can walk along your roof and blow out the debris as you go. Otherwise, you’ll have to move the ladder every few feet to continue to remove the debris.
Why You Should Remove The Loose Debris From Gutters Before Pressure Washing
Ideally, it’s best to remove the debris from gutters before pressure washing so you can get the bulk of the crud out within one go.
After the large chunks of debris are out of the way, it’s easier to pressure wash even the hardest caked-on algae and dirt. And if you do have to resort to using a gutter cleaning solution, then you can easily spray it directly on the remaining gutter dirt and scrub it or pressure wash it away.
Once all of the loose debris has been removed, it’s time to move onto the next step!
Step Two: Spray The Gutters
The next step to cleaning gutters with a pressure washer is to spray the inside and outside of the gutters with your pressure washer.
To remove the most amount of debris as fast as possible, start by pressure washing the inside of the gutters, then move onto pressure washing the outside of the gutters.
How To Pressure Wash The Inside Of Gutters Fast
First, set the pressure gauge to medium-high (1500-2000 psi) and hold the nozzle 18 inches away from the inside of the gutters.
Second, as you pull the trigger, sweep the spray back and forth across the inside of the gutters. Keep the spray moving until the rest of the dirt and algae are gone. (Holding the spray in one place can cause damage, so continuous movement is best.)
If it takes more than 1 or two passes across the gutters to remove the dirt and algae within the spray line, then move the nozzle a few inches closer until the debris removes easily.
Again, do this by starting on one corner of the house and spraying the dirt and grime towards the gutter downspout on the opposite end of the house.
For the inside of the gutters, you don’t have to achieve a perfectly spotless clean look. Nobody will ever see inside your gutters, and all you really care about is keeping them debris-free so water can easily exit the roof through the downspouts.
After the inside of the gutters is cleaned out, it’s time to move on to cleaning the outside of the gutters.
How To Pressure Wash The Outside Of Gutters Fast
To clean the outside of the gutters with a pressure washer, leave the pressure gauge set to medium-high (1500-2000 psi).
Then just as we did on the inside of the gutters, hold the nozzle 18 inches away from the gutters and continuously sweep the spray back and forth across the outside of the gutters. If necessary, slowly move the nozzle closer to the gutters to remove debris at a faster rate.
Finally, start on one corner of the house, and work your way slowly all the way around the house until the gutters are clean and looking new again.
Since the outside of the gutters can be seen by people as they walk up to the house, we will want to make these as clean as possible to keep the house looking nice for the next couple of months.
I like to think of the gutters on a house as the equivalent to the baseboard inside your home. It doesn’t matter how clean your home looks, if the baseboards are grungy and dirty, then the home will still look dirty.
The same idea goes for the gutters on your house.
That’s it! Once all of your gutters are free of dirt and debris, your pressure washing duty is done. And hopefully, you tackled all of that in only an hour or two!
Now, if there are some dirty spots or marks that just won’t come off, then you might have to move onto the final step.
(Optional) Step Three: Spray with Gutter Cleaning Solution
The final step to cleaning gutters with a pressure washer (only if you have some stubborn dirt and debris) is to spray the gutters with a gutter cleaning solution.
Ideally, your pressure washer will do the bulk of the work for you (especially if you regularly maintain your gutters 2-3 times a year), so a gutter cleaning solution shouldn’t be necessary.
But for gutters that have “been around the block” and haven’t been maintained for a while, they might need a little extra help to bring them back to life.
That’s where this gutter cleaning solution found at Amazon comes into play.
It is a harder cleaning solution that will help remove dirt, debris, algae, and oxidation marks from your gutters. All you have to do is spray this stuff on the outside of your gutters and wipe it off to remove even the toughest marks.
To see some of the before and after pictures of this product, check them out on Amazon here.
After you’ve sprayed your gutters with this solution, you can either wipe them down or use your pressure washer again and blast the remaining stubborn marks away.
Lastly, if all else fails, and your gutters are scraped/not looking the best even after being cleaned, you should think about painting them. After cleaning our gutters, we painted them (to change them from brown to white) and they look brand new again. You can check out my gutter painting tutorial here.
Other FAQs About Pressure Washing Gutters
To help you finish your gutter cleaning project better, here are some frequently asked questions about pressure washing gutters!
How Long Does It Take To Pressure Wash Gutters?
It takes 1 to 2 hours to pressure wash the gutters on a 1500 sq ft house. This includes cleaning out loose debris, pressure washing the inside of the gutters, and pressure washing the outside of the gutters. Add another hour if some of the gutters are on a two-story home due to the time it takes to move a ladder repeatedly.
How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned Out?
Gutters should be cleaned out at least 2 times a year (once in the spring and once in the fall). However, if a tree is directly over the gutters, then they should be cleaned out 3 to 4 times a year to allow proper drainage to occur.
How do I get my gutters white again?
The best way to get gutters white again is to pressure wash them and potentially wipe them down with a gutter cleaning solution. If cleaning doesn’t fully return them to white because the gutters are old, then painting them white will make them look brand new again.
(In case you missed it, I have a full gutter painting tutorial here.)
What Pressure Should I Clean My Gutters With A Pressure Washer?
To clean gutters without causing damage, a pressure washer should be set to medium-high pressure (1500-2000 psi). When in doubt, start with lower pressure and slowly increase it as you confirm that no damage is occurring at the higher pressure level.
Warning: Never stick your hand or foot in front of a pressure washer spray or aim it at another person. Severe bodily harm can occur. Always test the pressure in an inconspicuous area before fully cleaning to avoid property damage as well.
Final Thoughts On Pressure Washing Gutters
There you have it! A pressure washer makes cleaning gutters fast and easy.
And with clean gutters, your home will be well-maintained and stay in good shape for years to come!
Catch you in my next post!
By Christine
Christine is a blogger and DIYer who tackles home renovation and decorating projects alongside her husband, Adam, for their personal residence and rental properties. Although she successfully tackles large renovation projects to avoid expensive contractor fees and bring her vision to life now, her path to success was not easy.
Go here to read her story, “From a Clueless First-Time Homebuyer To A Confident DIYer Creating Her Dream Home One Project At A Time“.
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