The Very Best Way To Remove Pine Needles From Your Gutters If You Live in Black Forest, CO (Or Elsewhere)

Living in Black Forest, CO is incredible. Cleaning the gutters of your home may be less so. The pine needles in your gutters present special challenges, and in this article, I cover methods to avoid, five pro tips based on my experience cleaning gutters in Black Forest, Colorado, and I’ll give the best process to get those pine needles out of your gutters.

Ways Not To Clean Your Gutters

Before I share my top five tips for removing pine needles from your gutters, let me give you the two methods I don’t recommend.

Only Blowing Or Flushing The Gutters Out

Some products claim cleaning your gutters is as easy as vacuuming your carpet or running your garden hose. There is no easy button for getting pine needles out of your gutters. While these products and methods could offer an option if a homeowner doesn’t want to get on a ladder, they will create a mess over your windows and house. This mess comes from the gunky and wet environment that pine needles combined with standing water create. There is one other concern that this method doesn’t address.

Pine needles and debris tend to build up in the corners of gutters and cover the downspout outlet. The downspout outlet is the part of your rain gutter system that allows the water to flow from the gutter to the downspout. I don’t see how a wand or vacuum would be able to remove needles in that area. The best way I’ve found to clean this section is by sticking your hand in and pulling out any debris, followed by a water flush once the downspout outlet is clear.

Throwing the Debris On The Ground

The second method I’ve seen in a video from another cleaning company and I just shake my head at is to throw the leaves and debris from the gutter onto the ground. Most homeowners don’t want the gunky and funky wet mess that pine needles and water create on their siding or windows. Or in their yard. Or on their patio furniture or deck.

By throwing the pine needles from the roof to the ground, you can ensure that the areas of your home and yard will get covered in that gunky, funky mess. Not to mention, this way creates more clean-up when you’re off the roof.

Five Tips To Clean Your Black Forest, CO Gutters

So we’ve covered what not to do, let’s explain the best way to clean pine needles from your gutters. The first pro tip begins with a great and inexpensive tool.

Use a Gutter Tool With An Extension Pole

The single most important tool I use to get pine needles out of gutters is – The Gutter Tool. Also known as the Gutter Hawg, it fits easily in most standard gutters and attaches to most extension poles. The magic comes in it’s design – one side allows you to pull debris under the hangers and the other makes it easier to pull debris closer to you. The Gutter Hawg works well with pine needles, as they tend to bunch together. For an excellent video on how to use the Gutter Tool, head over to our friend’s Homestead Roofing YouTube channel – https://youtu.be/Yyw2XN5Z-24?si=waf5gF4lnbsH3W-g.

Prepare For A Mess

I have yet to clean gutters full of pine needles and not get caked in dirt, grime, and dust. While gutter cleaning by its nature is a dirty job, pine needles create an environment in the gutter that is really dank and gross. So wear old clothes and consider putting down a tarp or drop cloth at the ground level to catch any debris that misses your bucket. Also, make sure you have eye protection on. You will get some of that mess on your face.

Have Lots Of Trash Bags

You know you love gutter cleaning, when you track the number of trash bags a job requires. On average, for gutter cleaning jobs that involve pine needles, we use about seven trash bags. This large number stems from both the weight of the pine needles and the amount we pull out from a client’s gutters. Pro tip – Use outdoor lawn and leaf bags for this chore. I’ve found that regular kitchen trash bags lack durability and tear more easily.

Consider Using Double Gloves

I’ve mentioned it several times in this article already, but pine needles create a mucky mess in your gutters. Removing that mess is a little easier with the right gloves. The best combination to keep your hands dry and avoid being poked by pine needles is to use two pairs of gloves.

Use a disposable nitrile glove for the first layer. Brands I recommend include Grease Monkey and Project Source and I’ve found both to be durable and fit well. The second layer or outer layer will be something sturdy like a Milwaukee Level 1 Dipped glove.

Using two pairs of gloves really makes a difference, especially if those gutters are being cleaned in the winter. Pro tip – gloves also help protect your hands from insects. I’ve seen spiders, fire ants, earwigs, and wasps all in folks’ gutters.

Consider trimming the branches closet to your home

This tip makes sense – the closer a tree is to your house, the more leaves or needles will get in your gutters. I’ll admit to not thinking about it until I started to do some research for this blog article. In addition, branches and limbs can scratch paint from those gutters and can damage your home in other ways. For more details about trimming those trees, visit Peppers Home and Garden’s excellent write-up here – https://peppershomeandgarden.com/how-to-keep-pine-needles-out-of-gutters/.

So to recap, here are the best ways and tools to remove pine needles from your gutters, especially if you live near Black Forest, Colorado. Use a Gutter Hawg. Bring lots of trash bags for the job. Consider using a double-layer glove set up and trim or have someone trim the trees back that are closest to the gutters. Finally, make sure you’re prepared for a mess with clothes that can get dirty, eye protection, and consider putting a tarp down at the ground level.

The Basics Work – Though It’s Hard Work

The basic process of cleaning gutters works well for pine needles. First line a bucket with a trash bag. Then when you’re at the gutters, use that Gutter Hawg to pull any pine needles closer to you and put them in the bucket by hand. It won’t be easy work and you’ll probably get pretty dirty. After the debris is removed, consider flushing the gutters out with either water or using a blower. Pro tip – This flush step ensures that the downspout and connecting elbows are clear, so your gutters will work as designed.

Removing pine needles is one of the necessary chores homeowners have to do. With the way pine trees drop those needles, this chore should be done at least twice per year. While there are other methods, like using a wand, that claim to be easier, the best way to remove pine needles from your gutters is by hand. Use the tips here to make that job easier and safer.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about COS Exterior Services, feel free to visit our website.

If you’d like to know how often to clean your gutters and are near Black Forest, CO – this article answers that question.

If you only have some dirt and leaves in your gutters, then this other blog article may help.