I've found twice a year usually does the trick—once in late spring after all the pollen and tree debris settles, and again in late fall once the leaves are mostly down. Telescoping wands are handy, but keep an eye on the joints...they can leak or lose pressure over time.
"Telescoping wands are handy, but keep an eye on the joints...they can leak or lose pressure over time."
Interesting point about the telescoping wands—I recently bought one thinking it'd simplify things, but I noticed exactly what you're describing. After just a couple uses, the joints started dripping, and it seemed to lose some pressure. Maybe it's just the brand I got, or perhaps I'm not tightening it correctly? Still figuring that out.
As for timing, being a first-time homeowner, I'm still experimenting. Last year, I cleaned the gutters only once in late fall after the leaves dropped. But by spring, I noticed a fair amount of debris had built up again—mostly pollen and those little helicopter seeds from the maple trees nearby. So your twice-a-year schedule might be something I'll adopt going forward. Have you found any particular method or tool that's especially effective for handling smaller debris like pollen and seeds?
I've had similar experiences with telescoping wands. Thought I'd found a great deal on one at a local hardware store, but after a few uses, it started leaking at the joints too. I tried tightening it more, but honestly, it didn't seem to help much. Eventually, I wrapped some plumber's tape around the threads, and that actually helped reduce the dripping quite a bit. Might be worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet.
As for timing, I used to do gutters just once in late fall like you mentioned—figured that was enough since most leaves were down by then. But after a couple of years, I noticed the same thing: springtime brought pollen and those maple seeds (we've got two big maples right next to our house). Now I'm doing twice a year as well—once in late fall and again in early spring. It seems to keep things clearer overall.
For smaller debris like pollen and seeds, I've found that just spraying water doesn't always cut it. Sometimes it just turns into a soggy mess that sticks even more stubbornly. What I've started doing is using an old kitchen spatula or even a small plastic scoop to loosen up the gunk first before rinsing it out with water. It's not fancy, but it's cheap and effective. I've also heard good things about gutter scoops specifically designed for this purpose, but haven't personally tried one yet—still debating if it's worth spending extra money on something specialized when my makeshift tools seem to do the trick.
Anyway, sounds like you're already on the right track figuring out what works best for your home. It takes some trial and error for sure...but you'll get there!
I've had pretty mixed luck with those telescoping wands myself—always seem to leak eventually no matter what. Good tip about the plumber's tape though, I'll definitely try that next time mine starts dripping.
As for timing, I used to wait until late fall too, but honestly, I've started checking them more often now. Even mid-summer, after storms, I find random twigs and debris clogging things up. A quick check every couple months saves me from bigger headaches later...and it's free peace of mind, ya know?
Yeah, plumber's tape saved my sanity more than once—cheap fix, too. I usually stick to spring and fall cleaning, but you're right about summer storms. Might need to rethink my lazy summer routine...fewer gutter waterfalls would be nice.
