8 Best Gutter Cleaner Tools of 2024 – Reviews by DIYers

What is a Gutter Cleaner?

Gutter cleaners are tools designed to scrape, and often wash, gutters. Depending on the type of dirt that builds up in your downpipes, gutters, and rooftops, different types of gutter cleaners are required, but they all share a few common features:

• Extendable or telescopic poles
• Purpose-made heads (brushes, scrapers, spray nozzles)
• Hose or pole fittings, to easily attach to your existing kit

What to Look for When Buying a Gutter Cleaner

While most gutter cleaners come with telescopic poles and compatible fittings, some of the best gutter cleaning tools are simply attachments to existing tools.

For example, rather than buying a full pressure washer set, you can purchase purpose-built pressure jets to fit the end of existing pressure washer pipes.

Or, if you’ve got extendable window poles, you can easily attach affordable gutter cleaning attachments in place of window scrapers to wipe out easy-to-budge dirt and leaves.

Different Types of Gutter Cleaners

If we break it down, there are really just two types of gutter cleaners, but within each category, there are dozens of cleaning methods and tools that can be used.

The first, and most common, are dry gutter cleaning tools. These are designed for scraping, brushing, and dislodging dry dirt that has fallen into gutters, and could cause blockages later down the line. For much of Australia, that’s all you’ll ever really need.

However, if you miss that mid-autumn window where dry leaves have dropped into the gutter, but the rainy season hasn’t met its full swing, you’ll need to employ the help of pressure washers, or hose attachments for wet gutter cleaning.

How to Use a Gutter Cleaner

When using any gutter cleaner, it’s important to make sure you’re safe. That’s why 99% of gutter cleaners are compatible with telescopic poles or pressure washer pipes.

By staying on the ground, rather than up a ladder, there’s no risk of falling, making the whole process much easier these days. However, one unexpected safety consideration with any gutter cleaner is to keep out of the drop zone. 

Not only will you get covered in falling dirt, there can be some pretty nasty bacteria in your gutters, which can harbour everything from stagnant water to bird poo, which not only smells but can cause health problems if it falls or splashes into your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Tip: As well as regularly cleaning your gutters at least once a year, install gutter guards to stop leaves from clogging your downpipe. Gutters will still need cleaning, but you’re much less likely to suffer from serious problems down the line.

1. Gardena Combisystem Gutter Cleaner

Designed for use with the Gardena combisystem handle, this simple tool is great for any type of gutter cleaning, but does require a fair bit of manual work.

Effectively, the Gardena gutter cleaner is a brush and a scraper with a narrow raked end. It can be easily angled for better pressure but does require an extension pole for any cleaning work from the ground.

However, thanks to its useful hose nozzle fitting, it can be used for both wet and dry cleaning of any gutter, in any circumstance, making it one of the most versatile, and definitely, best budget gutter cleaners there is.

2. Kärcher Gutter and Pipe Cleaning Kit

Karcher’s purpose-built gutter cleaning kit is designed for minimal effort, and maximum efficiency. The sled runs freely across gutters, blasting dirt away underneath, and forcing leaves and residue out to the back and side as it speeds along the gutter.

With a simple clamp included, it’s easy to fit in place, then all you need to do is turn on the power and watch.

This gutter cleaning kit does require a pressure washer but works reasonably well with low-pressure systems too.

3. Hoselink Long-reach Pivot Gutter Cleaner

Of all of the gutter cleaners we’ve reviewed at Aussie Green Thumb, it’s worth stopping for a moment and considering this model from Hoselink. It doesn’t have the scraper arms or scrubbing attachments of most gutter cleaners, but it's not designed for that sort of heavy use.

This clever gutter cleaner is designed for those of us who like to keep up appearances and regularly keep on top of those fiddly house jobs before they get too big.

By regularly using this water jet gutter clean, with a durable and extendable arm, you can maintain the state of your gutters without ever needing to scrub them.

4. Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool

Gutter Sense have designed a brilliant budget gutter cleaning tool here, with easy fittings that attach to pretty much any broom handle or telescopic rod with a threaded end.

The simple tension mechanism uses two strings to control the grip of the grabbing arms, which get hold of a decent handful of leaves in each scoop.

While the Gutter Sense gutter cleaner isn’t ideal for wet dirt, or spring gutter cleaning after winter, it’s ideal for regular maintenance of any gutters with nearby deciduous trees.

5. Fiskars QuikFit Gutter Cleaner

It doesn’t get much simpler than the Fiskars gutter cleaner. While the brush and scraper end of this basic tool are adjustable and can be swivelled round to different angles, it is a very, very basic tool.

With no hose attachment, and no pole included, this gutter cleaner will get the job done, but not better than a toilet brush on the end of a broom handle. 

There are more advanced gutter cleaners, with more versatile features for cheaper, but at least you know you’re buying quality with Fiskars, and that it can hold up to heavy use.

6. Kärcher Extra Long Angled Spray Lance

Like everything Karcher makes, it’s made to precise specifications, and works impeccably. If you’ve got any Karcher washer between the K2 and K7 range, this simple spray lance gives you enough reach to jet wash any ground floor gutter with ease, and completely blast away any worn-in dirt from old guttering, without putting any weight on the gutter itself.

Simply stand back a little, and turn on the pressure, then just walk along and watch the gutter wand do the rest.

7. Chavor High Pressure Gutter Washer Attachment

Chavor’s multi-directional gutter cleaner is designed to fit most commercial and domestic pressure washers, with a quick-locking hose fitting and two adjustable spray nozzles so you can clean quickly.

The stainless steel pipe is durable enough to be used without other supports and makes this a long-lasting tool with great cleaning abilities.

8. Orbit Telescoping Gutter Cleaning Wand 

While the Orbit gutter cleaning wand is designed for use in US gardens and therefore has incompatible fittings for most Australian hoses, this is one of the most effective gutter cleaners you can buy without splashing out on more expensive tools for big brands.

The sweeper spray nozzle doubles up as a scraper, and included a full 1.7m extendable rod, making gutter cleaning a doddle.

The Gardena Combisystem Gutter Cleaner is perfect for any domestic setting, but will require a telescopic rod for most gutter cleaning jobs. However, with the incredible versatility of the tool itself, it’s worth investing in one so you have peace of mind knowing that you’ve got everything in place next time your gutters get gunked up.

From clearing dry debris to scrubbing down a winter’s worth of dirt, and even helping to direct hose flow without any need for expensive pressure washers, this has to be the best gutter cleaner on the market right now for 99% of Australian homes.

If you want the very best, and are happy to pay for it, then the best premium gutter cleaner out there in 2024 is the Kärcher 20m Gutter Cleaning Kit, Pressure Washer Accessory.

While the Karcher gutter cleaning kit requires an existing pressure washer (we recommend the K7 but feel free to check our reviews of Karcher pressure washers for more options), it’s an incredibly efficient, low-effort way to completely blast away any dirt from any gutter without breaking a sweat.

With 20m of hose included, a simple, easy-to-use clamp, and a pressure washing sled all in one package, there’s nothing more you could possibly need to keep your home looking at its best all year round.

Gutter cleaning is nearly never a pleasant task, and too often the last resort when they become blocked. This gutter cleaner is designed to prevent that from happening, by making it easy to maintain your gutter regularly with little to no effort. 

Simply connect the Hoselink Long-reach gutter cleaner to your hose, and angle the head properly. After that, all you need to do is rinse out any light debris before it builds and becomes a problem.

Gutter Cleaner Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best thing to clean your gutters with?

White vinegar or gently acidic cleaners are ideal for cleaning gutters without damaging paintwork and helping to remove any built-up dirt and grime. Obviously, most people just use a simple gutter brush, but hose attachments for telescopic cleaners often have detergent compartments to clean gutters more thoroughly.

What time of year is best for gutter cleaning?

You should always try to clean your gutters in spring or fall, when leaves and debris have built up, particularly from deciduous trees, but in spring there’s a high chance of built-up leaf litter from conifer and pine needles.

Over winter, the higher rainfall typically keeps gutters clear.

How do you clean gutters without a ladder?

Telescopic poles and telescopic gutter cleaners are ideal for cleaning gutters without a ladder. For first or second-floor gutters, ladders do help give you a better idea of what’s going on, but if you prefer to stay safely rooted to the ground, telescopic gutter cleaners are the best way to clean gutters without a ladder.

How long can you go without cleaning your gutters?

Homes without overhanging trees should still clear their gutter regularly, at least once a year, and ideally twice a year. Birds drop food leaves and nesting materials in gutters over time, and plants can grow from the smallest specs of soil residue in your gutters, so I wouldn’t advise going longer than twelve months without cleaning your gutters.

How do I know if my gutter needs cleaning?

If water is spilling over the side of your gutter it definitely needs cleaning. The same goes for sagging gutters, or birds regularly feeding from your gutters. All of these can be signs of built-up soil, dirt, weeds, leaf litter, or even ant nests.

How do you clean gutters that are high up?

Cleaning high-up gutters is a challenge, but with a good quality ladder, or an extendable telescopic gutter cleaner you can safely clean gutters at any time of year.

If you have a wet/dry vacuum at home, attach a flexible pipe to the tube to create an extra-long vacuum pipe that’s capable of getting the worst debris out of tall gutters when you can’t reach it any other way.

Is it worth cleaning your own gutters?

Cleaning your own gutters is easy and massively reduces costs. With some telescopic gutter cleaners costing quite a lot, it can seem like it’s not worth it, but over the years you’ll save literally hundreds of dollars in gutter cleaning fees!

What happens if you don’t clean gutters?

If you forget to clean your gutters for a few months, it’s not the end of the world, but if you forget to clean them for a year or more, they can get blocked, causing staining and dampness on your walls, and potentially even falling off under the weight of built-up dirt.

Should you walk on the roof to clean gutters?

Unless you have a modern house with a sturdy flat roof, walking on the roof to clean the gutter is never something you should do. Always try to clean gutters from ladders or the ground unless more serious maintenance is required and you know exactly what you’re doing.

How do you clean blocked gutters?

Completely blocked gutters are harder to clean than those with light leaf litter in them. If water is visibly spilling over the gutter, or your downpipe isn’t draining, you’ll need a flexible pipe cleaner to unblock any hidden blockages, and a stiff gutter cleaning brush to remove visible blockages.