How to Clean Gutters With a Pressure Washer Safely

When learning how to clean gutters with a pressure washer, you need to use specific techniques to keep your house free from damage and keep everyone nearby safe. Only clean the outside of your gutters with a pressure washer, and leave the inside to a pro to clean. Here’s how to get the cleanest gutters you’ve ever seen by using a pressure washer.

Why Should I Pressure Wash My Gutters?

Pressure washing is a simple and effective way to spruce up the exterior of your home. You shouldn’t pressure wash inside your gutters, but pressure washing the outside ensures a sparkling clean facade even if the insides of the gutters are still a little dirty from the old leaves. 

How to Clean Gutters With a Pressure Washer

Once you’ve prepped your gutters and your home for pressure washing and called a gutter repair company to fix some old damage, you can get started. 

1. Pick the Right Pressure Washer 

Unlike durable concrete driveways or vinyl siding, gutters require gentle pressure washing. If you pick a pressure washer with mega blasting ability, it can damage the gutters, compromise connections, or knock tiles off the roof.

Forceful gas-powered machines suitable for various pressure washer uses often offer over 3,000 psi (pound-force per square inch) of water pressure. While this ensures effective heavy-duty cleaning on durable, non-porous surfaces, a pressure between 1,500 and 1,800 psi is best for DIY gutter cleaning.

2. Select a Gentle Nozzle Attachment

Some low-pressure electric models only have one nozzle. Other models have multiple pressure washer nozzle types to choose from, and they are color-coded based on a universally accepted system.

Ideally, you want to avoid the red and yellow nozzles. They spray at zero and 15-degree angles for powerful directed sprays that will be too forceful for use on guttering.

Stick with the black 60-degree angle nozzle for soaping up with detergents and the white 40-degree nozzle for general cleaning and rinsing. For targeted cleaning of stubborn, stuck-on grime, use the 25-degree angle green nozzle with care.

3. Remove Gutter Debris

Remove as much leaf litter and other debris from your gutters as you can before you clean them with a pressure washer. Skipping this step can cause all your work on the exterior of the gutters to be useless. It only takes a small breeze for the grime in the gutters to fly out and stick to the outside.

Grab a ladder, brush up on your ladder safety tips, and put on some work gloves. Get to scooping.

4. Hook Up and Turn On Pressure Washer

Every model varies slightly in their setup. Always follow specific manufacturer’s instructions for how to use your pressure washer. For gutter cleaning, it’s worth investing in pressure washer gutter extensions—sometimes called gutter elbows. These allow you to safely reach up high without having to use a ladder or strain awkwardly.

Keep your pressure washer on a flat surface, check that the connections are secure, and keep the nozzle pointing away from you before turning it on.

5. Rinse Gutters and Surrounds

Avoid spraying directly up inside the soffits on the underside of your roof. This can encourage mold and mildew growth. Carefully target the outside of the gutters themselves. Rinse with water using the 40-degree angled white nozzle—if this is an option—a few feet away from the gutter surface. Let the water sit for a few minutes to help loosen any stuck-on grime before applying detergent.

6. Add Detergent

To leave your gutters sparkly clean, fill up the detergent tank with a solution specifically designed for pressure washers. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for quantities and application. Bleach is a no-no because it can compromise the gutter material. If your pressure washer doesn’t have a detergent tank, mix the solution with water in a bucket to siphon into the machine.

Use the black nozzle to apply the detergent with a wide 60-degree angle spray.

7. Wash Meticulously

Work methodically so you don’t miss sections. Work from one end of the gutter and slowly move along to the other end. Leave the detergent to work its magic for five to 10 minutes.

8. Rinse Detergent Away

Swap to the white nozzle again to rinse away all the soapy suds. Keep going until you see the water running clear off of the gutters.

9. Check for Missed Spots

Use a ladder to check there aren’t any stubborn spots of grime left on your gutters. If the grime isn’t lifting, try swapping to the 25-degree angle nozzle to hit those spots with a more targeted spray of water.

10. Empty the Pressure Washer Before Storing

fore stashing your pressure washer away until the next cleaning job, carry out a few steps for safety and to prolong the machine’s life.

1. Engage the safety lock to avoid any nasty spray surprises.

2. Don’t disconnect the pressure washer hose until you’ve turned the water off

3. Release the safety lock and pull the trigger to remove any water remaining in the hose and tank.

4. Engage the safety lock again, ready to safely start things up the next time you need to use the machine.

5. Wipe down the machine’s exterior to get rid of any soap scum.

6. Keep the pressure washer in a dry, indoor space.

Tips for Cleaning Gutters With a Pressure Washer Safely

Pressure washers are powerful devices. To protect your gutters (and yourself), make sure to follow these safety tips:

• Wear appropriate safety gear: To avoid injuries, be sure to wear ear protection, gloves, goggles, a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and boots when pressure washing.

• Don’t pressure wash from the top of a ladder or the roof: The force of the water can make a pressure washer hard to control. Using one while standing on a ladder or roof can make you less stable and put you at risk of falling. Instead, use an attachment or extension to reach the gutter while you’re on the ground.

• Be aware of electrical hazards: If you’re using an electric pressure washer, make sure the power cord stays away from water. Otherwise, you run the risk of electrical shock.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

Pressure washing is a common DIY task, and if you already own a machine or rent one, it can mean big savings. However, it isn’t without its risks. Carelessly blasting the spray can result in nasty injuries or damage to your property. Pressure washing elevated gutters is especially tricky to do safely. You might need to invest in pressure washer extension equipment, and it can damage these more delicate home parts if you use too much pressure.

When in doubt, hiring a professional pressure washing service near you saves any worries, especially if you have a multi-story home. The cost to pressure wash a multi-story house ranges from $400 to $1,800. The cost to clean your gutters alone is $170.