TIL I was cleaning my gutters the wrong way for 10 years

I always just sprayed water from my hose up into the gutters to flush out leaves and dirt. Figured that was good enough. Last month I had water leaking into my basement after a big storm and a roofer told me my downspouts were clogged because I was just pushing the debris downstream instead of removing it by hand. He showed me how big clumps form inside the pipes and now I scoop everything out with a trowel before rinsing. Anyone else made this mistake or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph5296d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that's one of those things where you think you're being efficient but you're really just kicking the can down the road. I had a similar thing with my car's air filter, I'd just tap it against the curb to knock dust out instead of replacing it. Worked for a while until the engine started running rough and a mechanic showed me how the filter was ripped and letting dirt through. Same with cleaning paintbrushes, I used to just rinse them under hot water but you gotta actually work the soap into the bristles or the paint dries and ruins them. We all take shortcuts because they feel faster in the moment, but the extra time upfront saves you a headache later.

ninamartin6d ago

@joseph529 that's a good point about kicking the can down the road. It's like how I used to just wipe kitchen counters with a damp cloth instead of actually scrubbing them, thinking it was fine until I noticed grease buildup in the corners. Eventually you learn that the quick fix just delays the real clean, and you end up paying for it later with extra elbow grease (or a mechanic's bill).