How to Clean Out Your Gutter Downspouts

Knowing how to clean out downspouts is the key to protecting your home from costly water damage.

When downspouts become clogged with leaves, debris, and sediment, they can’t direct water away from your foundation. These clogs can lead to basement floods, eroded landscaping, and even structural damage to your home’s exterior.

Regular maintenance helps prevent these problems before they start, saving you thousands in potential repairs. If you notice water overflowing from your gutters during rain, hear unusual gurgling sounds, or see water pooling near your foundation, it’s time to clean out your downspouts.

In this article, we’ll explain how to handle this task yourself using common tools you likely already have on hand.

In this article:

• What is a Gutter Downspout?
• Why Downspout Maintenance Matters
• Signs Your Gutter Downspout is Clogged
• Safety First: Checklist Before You Begin
• Diagnosing the Clog Location
• Essential Tools and No-Tool Alternatives
• Step-by-Step Gutter Downspout Cleaning Methods
• Underground and French Drain Guidance
• Preventing Future Gutter Downspout Clogs
• Your Downspout Care Plan
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Gutter Downspout?

Downspouts are vertical pipes attached to your gutter system that channel rainwater down the side of your house and away from your foundation. They include an “elbow” extension at the bottom that directs water several feet away from your house.

Without downspouts, water would simply collect in your gutters until it overflows, completely defeating the purpose of having a gutter system at all. Homes have one downspout for every 40 feet of gutter, and they’re usually made from the same materials, giving the gutter system a unified look.

Why Downspout Maintenance Matters

Clogged downspouts can have severe consequences. Blockages often occur at the elbow joints, where debris accumulates, creating a clog that backs up water in your gutters. This overflow can cascade down your siding, seep behind fascia boards, and pool directly against your foundation. Over time, standing water can crack your foundation, flood your basement, damage your landscaping, and even compromise your home’s structural integrity, leading to costly repairs.

Regularly cleaning out your gutters is essential to help prevent the buildup that can cause clogged downspouts. For even more protection, fitting your gutters with the LeafFilter surgical-grade stainless steel micromesh gutter guards creates clog-free gutters, guaranteed.

Signs Your Gutter Downspout is Clogged

It’s best to clean out your downspouts whenever you clean out your gutters. In general, we recommend cleaning out your gutters at least twice a year—more frequently if your home has a lot of overhanging trees and experiences blowing debris as a result. Sometimes, though, gutter downspouts may get clogged between cleanings, or if you forget or delay a cleaning.

The following signs could indicate your gutter downspout may be clogged:

• Water isn’t flowing out of the gutter downspout in a rainstorm.
• Water flows over the edges of your gutters instead of through your gutter downspouts.
• Your gutters are sagging from the weight of water and debris.
• There are leaks in the seams or joints of your gutters or downspouts.
• Water is staining your siding.
• No water flows through the gutter downspout when you test it with a stream of water from a hose.
• You notice leaks and/or water damage in your basement.

Safety First: Checklist Before You Begin

Cleaning out downspouts involves working at heights and handling debris, so by taking safety precautions, you can help prevent injuries or accidents. From ladder placement to personal protective equipment and working with an assistant, there are a few things you can do to increase your safety.

Review this safety checklist before getting started:

• Stable Ladder Placement: Use a sturdy, properly rated ladder on level, firm ground. Position it at the correct angle (one foot out for every four feet up) and consider using ladder stabilizers to prevent slipping.
• Fall Protection: Always maintain three points of contact when climbing. Avoid overreaching, and reposition the ladder frequently rather than stretching to reach distant areas.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Wear heavy-duty work gloves to protect against sharp edges and debris, safety glasses to shield your eyes from falling dirt and insects, and non-slip footwear for secure footing on ladder rungs.
• Electrical Hazard Awareness: Before setting up, scan the area for overhead power lines. Keep all tools, your body, and ladder components at least 10 feet away from electrical wires.
• Helper or Assistant: Have someone on the ground to steady the ladder, hand you tools, monitor your safety, and call for help in case of emergency.

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Diagnosing the Clog Location

Before you start disassembling your downspout system, it’s helpful to identify exactly where the blockage is located. There are a few simple tests you can try at home to save time on your cleaning process by showing you exactly where to target your efforts.

• Splash-Back Test: During or immediately after rainfall, observe where water is backing up or overflowing. If water spills over the gutter edges near the downspout opening, the clog could be at the top of the downspout or in the gutter itself.
• Elbow Tap Test: Gently tap along the length of the downspout with your hand or a rubber mallet. A hollow sound indicates clear sections, while a dull thud suggests buildup.
• Hose Flow Test: Insert a garden hose into the top of the downspout and turn the water on. If water flows freely out of the bottom, your downspout is clear. If water backs up and overflows at the top, the blockage is likely in the downspout, possibly at an elbow joint. If water exits the downspout but then pools around the foundation, your underground drain pipe could be clogged and require separate attention.

Essential Tools and No-Tools Alternatives

Before you start cleaning out a clogged gutter downspout, gather the essential tools to stay safe and work efficiently. These tools provide the reach, protection, and power necessary for most blockages, especially those caused by leaves, grit, and roof runoff sediment.

Your toolkit should include:

• Sturdy extension ladder
• Work gloves
• Protective eyewear
• Garden trowel
• Garden hose
• Hand auger
• Helper or assistant

In addition to traditional tools, you can try to clear minor clogs using a no-tools technique with household items:

• Flexible Pusher: A simple method is to make a flexible “pusher” by taping an old wire hanger or flexible vinyl tubing to the end of a broom handle, allowing you to break up debris from the top opening of the downspout.
• DIY Pressure Nozzle: Use a plastic soda bottle pierced with small holes, attached to your garden hose, to create a DIY pressure nozzle that flushes blockages from the bottom upward.

These improvised methods work surprisingly well for light to moderate blockages. Household items such as a hand auger, plumbing snake, pressure washer, or wet/dry vacuum can also be used to combat clogs.

A hand auger can be effective for compacted debris and offers good control, while a plumbing snake’s flexibility is good for reaching deeper buildups. Those with a pressure washer on hand, or willing to rent one, have a fast-acting tool that can be useful if clogs recur. A wet/dry vacuum is also handy and versatile for tackling wet clogs, but it may require the right adapter.

Below, we’ve outlined how each of these household tools compares, weighing the pros and cons to help you decide which option best fits your needs:

Step-by-Step Gutter Downspout Cleaning Methods

Traditional 5-Step Cleaning Method

Once you’ve gathered the necessary tools, take the following steps to clean out your downspout.

1. Remove the gutter downspout extension.

This is the part of the gutter downspout that includes the “elbow.” Remove the elbow and the extension if there is one. You may need to loosen and remove a couple of screws. If your gutter downspout extension is buried underground, we recommend having a professional clean out your downspouts to avoid damage.

Be sure to stabilize your ladder before accessing the gutter.

2. Clean the extension area. 

Put on your gloves and eye protection, then insert a garden trowel into the bottom of the gutter downspout and remove any leaves or debris you can reach. Do this with any elbow extensions, as well. Then, using a garden hose with an in-line jet nozzle, spray water up into the downspout to dislodge any remaining debris. Spray it through any elbow pieces, too, but don’t spray it down into a buried section. (This could make an underground clog worse.)

3. Clean the entire gutter downspout from the top. 

If your gutter downspout is still clogged, carefully place your ladder next to it, climb up, and have a look. Ask a helper to steady the ladder and hand you the hose when you’re ready. (You can also tie a rope to the end of the hose so you can take it with you as you climb.)

Place the end of the hose into the gutter downspout and ask your helper to turn on the water on. If water flows out the bottom of the gutter downspout, all is well. Allow it to flow a minute or so to carry out any remaining debris, and you’re done.

If the gutter downspout is still clogged or if water is only trickling down, you’ll need to take additional steps. Start by slowly climbing down the ladder while gently knocking on the side of the gutter downspout as you go. (You can use a broom handle for this.) Then, climb back up the ladder and rinse the downspout out again. Adding a straight in-line jet nozzle to the end of your hose increases the water pressure to dislodge any stubborn clogs.

4. Use a garden auger tool. 

If your gutter downspout is still clogged, you may need to use a handheld garden auger tool. Feed the auger into the downspout opening and turn the drum clockwise. Put it through as far as possible, then pull it back until the clog is loosened. Use a back-and-forth motion to help break up any blockages. You can also do this from the bottom up if needed.

5. Clean away any remaining debris. 

Once the gutter downspout is cleaned out, remove any other leaves and debris that have gathered at the bottom so that the water can flow freely at ground level.

If the above process doesn’t clean out the gutter downspout clog—or if you would rather try another method—here are some alternatives.

No-Tools Unclogging Technique

Start by feeding a garden hose up from the bottom of the downspout until you feel resistance at the clog, then turn the water on full blast to break up and flush it out. For added control and easier retrieval, attach a rope or cord to the hose nozzle before inserting it. The rope allows you to pull the hose back out and prevents it from getting stuck if the clog is particularly stubborn.

You can also use a drain bladder, which attaches to your hose and expands when filled with water, creating a seal that forces water pressure directly against the clog.

Safety Tips: Always wear safety glasses, as water and debris can spray back forcefully when the clog breaks free. Before getting started, make sure your ladder is stable if you’re feeding the hose from the top.

When to Contact a Professional

Some gutter situations simply require professional expertise and equipment. Contact LeafFilter if your clog is in underground drainage pipes that you can’t access, if your downspout system has buried or hidden elbows, or if you’re dealing with a multi-story home where ladder work is dangerous. Professionals are experienced in diagnosing and removing complex clogs and have specialized equipment such as motorized augers and high-pressure water jets.

If clogs are a regular issue, consider LeafFilter gutter guards, guaranteed to prevent clogged gutters and are backed by a lifetime transferable warranty.

Underground and French Drain Guidance

If water flows freely through your downspout but pools near your foundation, the clog could be underground.

To confirm, start by locating your underground cleanout access points. They’re usually green or black plastic caps at ground level near where the downspout meets the ground. Unscrew or pop off the cap to expose the underground pipe and inspect for visible blockages like compacted leaves, roots, or soil infiltration.

To clear underground clogs, insert a drain bladder into the cleanout opening, attach your hose, and slowly turn on the water. The bladder inflates to create a seal and forces pressure against the blockage. For safety, stop immediately if water backs up toward your home rather than flowing away. It’s best to use caution during this step, as forcing pressure into a severely blocked system can flood your basement.

If the clog doesn’t clear within a few minutes of moderate pressure, call a professional with camera inspection equipment to locate and safely remove the blockage.

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Preventing Future Gutter Downspout Clogs

The most effective way to avoid downspout clogs is to stop debris from entering your gutter system in the first place. When selecting gutter protection, look for these key features in a gutter guard system:

• Material: Surgical-grade stainless steel micromesh outperforms plastic or aluminum in corrosion resistance and durability.
• Compatibility: Verify the system fits your existing gutter size and roof pitch. A poor fit creates gaps for debris to enter or causes water to overshoot during heavy rainfall.

Additional Measures:

• Drain covers: Wire ball-shaped devices that insert into gutter outlets to block large leaves. However, debris piles up around them quickly, requiring more frequent gutter cleaning.
• Downspout filters: Installed inside the vertical pipe to trap debris before it reaches elbow joints. Require monthly inspection and cleaning to remain effective.
• Upsize your downspouts: Upgrading from standard 2×3-inch to 3×4-inch allows larger debris to pass without jamming. Only works if your gutter size supports the larger outlet, and it won’t prevent clogs from smaller debris.

Taking these measures and combining them with seasonal maintenance helps guarantee your gutters function throughout the year. Below, we’ve outlined what a seasonal maintenance plan can look like for you, depending on which climate zone you’re in.

Your Downspout Care Plan

Keeping your downspouts cleared out doesn’t require professional expertise, just a commitment to regular maintenance. Make checking your gutter downspouts part of your home maintenance checklist by adding it alongside other seasonal tasks like HVAC filter changes and smoke detector testing. This proactive approach takes less than an hour per session and can prevent hours of intensive work required to clear blockages or repair costly water damage.

Sustained performance over time comes from treating gutter and downspout care as preventive maintenance instead of an emergency response. A well-maintained drainage system helps protect your foundation, preserve your landscaping, prevent basement flooding, and extend the life of your roof and siding, making it one of the highest-return investments of time and effort you can make as a homeowner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I clean my downspouts without a ladder?

Yes, clogs often form in the bottom of the gutter downspout, so you may be able to clean them out without a ladder. One of the easiest methods is flushing from below with a garden hose fitted with a high-pressure nozzle. Start by securing the hose so it won’t kick back, then insert it a few inches into the bottom of the downspout to push debris upward and out through the gutter.

Another option is using a wet/dry vacuum with a downspout attachment or a homemade duct-taped reducer. Start by placing the vacuum at the bottom opening to pull out leaves, pine needles, and compacted sludge.

It’s important to pay close attention to safety. High-pressure water can whip a hose unexpectedly, so brace it against the ground or use a helper to keep it steady. Make sure the downspout is fully accessible and that you’re standing on stable, dry ground. If water immediately backs up or the obstruction feels solid, stop immediately. Forcing debris can damage the downspout or hidden underground piping.

How often should I inspect and clean my downspouts?

You should inspect and clean out your downspouts at least twice a year — once in the early spring and once in late fall. Homes in heavily wooded regions or areas with heavy rain may require more frequent cleanings and inspections. In snowy climates, a pre-winter inspection helps prevent freeze-and-thaw blockages, while arid regions may only need annual cleaning.

Use our seasonal gutter maintenance table as a guide and adjust the intervals as needed based on your roof type, local weather, and the number of nearby trees.

What do I do if my downspout is buried underground?

If your downspout connects to an underground drainage line, start by locating any existing cleanouts. They’re usually capped vertical pipes near the foundation or along the drainage route. These access points allow you to inspect the line and flush out debris without digging. If water backs up, a hose bladder (also called a drain flusher) can help clear clogs by pressurizing the line and pushing obstructions toward the outlet.

If the blockage persists, the pipe collapses, or you can’t locate the underground run, it’s best to call a professional. Improper DIY clearing can crack older PVC, dislodge joints, or unintentionally redirect water toward the foundation, increasing the risk of flooding your basement or causing structural damage.

Are drain covers or filters worth the investment?

Drain covers and downspout filters can be worthwhile if clogs are becoming a frequent occurrence. Adding protection to your gutters can help screen out leaves, twigs, and debris. Covers are simple and affordable but may need more frequent cleaning. While inline filters trap finer debris and require periodic removal and rinsing.

Before purchasing a drain cover or filter, check compatibility with your gutter and downspout size, and plan on inspecting them at least once every couple of months during heavy debris seasons.

Will LeafFilter gutter guards help reduce the need to clean my downspouts?

Yes, our award-winning gutter protection system is designed to help keep leaves and debris out of your gutters and help keep your downspouts clog-free. Our patented technology is engineered to help prevent common debris from entering gutters. This minimized buildup means less time dealing with clogged gutters and fewer cleanings. LeafFilter gutter guards are backed by a lifetime transferable warranty for long-term peace of mind and added value to your home.