What gutter cleaning and brightening does
Gutter Cleaning & Brightening washes the outside faces of the gutters. The tiger stripes on those faces are oxidation and grime. Exterior gutters are a surface on house and siding soft washing, listed with soffits, fascia, and painted trim. In the soft washing and pressure washing guide, screens, soffits, and gutters (exterior) are soft-wash surfaces.
Soft washing holds pressure under 500 PSI, about a garden hose. The solution is usually sodium hypochlorite, a surfactant that helps it cling, and water. On the house, that is a biodegradable, surfactant-rich detergent applied at low pressure. It dwells for several minutes and is rinsed gently. The rinse does not drive water behind siding panels, under trim, or into window seals, and it leaves a bright, even finish. That finish is the brightening on an oxidized, grimy gutter face. The same soft-wash dwell kills algae, mold, mildew, bacteria, and lichen at the root on the delicate surfaces it is used for.
Pressure washing is the other method. It uses a high-volume stream, typically 1,500 to 3,500 PSI, and the cleaning power is mechanical force. It fits concrete driveways, sidewalks, garage floors, brick and stone patios, paver walkways, concrete pool decks, and unsealed masonry. Flat concrete on the same property is a separate driveway and concrete cleaning job. One property often needs both: pressure on the flatwork, soft washing on what is vertical and fragile.
Gutters that drain keep water from pooling. Keeping gutters clean so water drains properly is the roof-care note that sits with trimming overhanging branches and adding zinc or copper strips along the ridge. Black streaks on the shingles are roof soft washing.
Surfaces
Exterior gutter faces are the surface. Downspouts are washed with them.
- Exterior gutter faces
- Downspouts
How a gutter-face wash is done
Exterior gutter faces are washed with the house. The house soft-wash steps are the ones that reach them.
- Every elevation is inspected first. Light fixtures and outlets are covered. Shrubs and grass are pre-wet so the detergent does not harm the landscaping. Plantings are rinsed before, during, and after the wash. Once the surfaces dry, they are safe for kids and pets.
- Low-pressure equipment coats the surface with the biodegradable soft-wash solution. It dwells for several minutes so it can lift grime instead of pushing dirt around the way high pressure does.
- The rinse runs from the top down in a wide, low-pressure stream.
- Stubborn streaks, soffits, downspouts, and shaded corners — the spots where buildup is heaviest — are hand-detailed and rinsed again to an even finish.
- We walk the property with you, confirm the result, and pick up so the only thing left behind is a brighter home.
On a roof soft wash, shingle condition, flashing, and gutters are checked before any solution goes on the roof. Plants, shrubs, and downspout beds are pre-soaked and covered, and the landscaping is tarped, because the cleaning solution is plant-sensitive and the runoff is accounted for first. After that wash, gutters, downspouts, siding, and landscaping are rinsed clear of residue, and the runoff is confirmed to have dispersed. Plants, the lawn, and the home are left unharmed, and the wash is safe for pets.
How often to wash exterior gutters
Exterior gutters are washed once a year, with the rest of the house. For most homes, one full exterior wash a year is the baseline. It takes off dirt, pollen, cobwebs, and the early algae growth that builds up over a season, before it stains. Late spring, after the pollen drops, and early fall are the windows in the Chicago area. Seasonal freeze-thaw, humid summers, and heavy tree cover are why that annual visit is the schedule used here.
Move the home up the schedule for heavy tree cover or shade, high humidity or a home near water, dust from nearby construction or a busy road, or a pollen-heavy spring. Shade keeps surfaces damp, and damp surfaces grow algae and mold faster. A fresh wash is one of the highest-ROI moves before listing. Green or black streaks, or a chalky film when you wipe the siding, mean the house is due regardless of the calendar, and the gutter faces are on that same visit. High pressure used too often wears delicate surfaces, and over-washing wood strips its finish, so those surfaces stay on a soft wash. A roof soft wash is folded in every few years — every two to three years is typical when algae streaks or moss show, sooner on a shaded roof. For the rest of the surface-by-surface schedule, see how often to wash a house.
Where gutter cleaning is available
Ernest Power serves Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area, including DuPage, Kane, and McHenry counties, and McHenry. Towns:
- Chicago
- Naperville
- Wheaton
- Hinsdale
- Oak Park
- Downers Grove
- Glen Ellyn
- Lombard
- Elmhurst
- Schaumburg
Don't see your area? Call — we may still be able to help.
Get a quote
The quote is free and has no obligation. Call (630) 403-0027 or email hello@ernestpower.com. The office is at 1429 Diehl Rd, Suite 200, Naperville, IL 60563. Hours are Monday to Friday, 7 am to 9 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 5 pm.
Send the property details from the contact page. House siding, driveways, decks, fences, roofs, and commercial washing are separate services.