Have you noticed that your aluminum rain gutters are looking grungy? When you care about keeping your home or building well-maintained you know that your rain gutters are a critical component in good home maintenance. But aluminum has a tendency to oxidize and look dirty and grimy over time – and dirty gutters can detract from the appearance of any home.

It’s easy to tell if your aluminum gutters are oxidized – the gutter’s painted finish will have a chalky grey cast, have lost its luster, and appear faded. To keep them looking their best, you’ll want to remove the oxidation. But first, you’ll need to clean the gutter system to remove dirt and debris. Then you’ll be ready to tackle the actual oxidation.

How to Remove Oxidation From Aluminum Gutters

This is what you’ll need to do to remove oxidation from your aluminum gutters:

1. Prepare Your Workspace and Gather Your Supplies

You’ll need: 

  • Large Tarp – Lay out the tarp in a convenient spot near the house. This will be the staging area where you’ll set out all your supplies. If you have prized landscaping near your home, also cover the plantings with tarps so they won’t get damaged from the aluminum cleaning or vinegar solutions.
  • Tall Sturdy Ladder – Since you’ll be working up high, it’s critical to use ladder safety precautions. Make sure your ladder is strong and use a ladder stabilizer so the ladder’s weight will rest on the roof, not against your aluminum gutters. At all times, be sure your ladder is positioned on even ground.
  • Gloves – Gutters can accumulate sharp seeds, cones, and twigs. Gloves will help prevent getting scratched or cut as you’re pulling out debris.
  • Safety Glasses – Even household detergent can harm your eyes, let alone commercial aluminum cleaners. Protecting your eyes is a must when you’re cleaning your gutters.
  • Soft-bristled Scrub Brush – Don’t use a metal-bristled scrub brush or steel wool. It will scratch the aluminum surface and finish.
  • Clean Rags – You’ll use clean rags to apply undiluted white vinegar and can also use them to buff out the clean gutter finish as it dries.
  • Dish Detergent – Your usual dish detergent is a terrific cleaning agent for dirty gutter surfaces. It will break down dirt and oils before you tackle the oxidation.
  • White Vinegar – Amazingly efficient at cleaning most things around the house, white vinegar will do a number on oxidation.
  • Aluminum Cleaner – It’s your choice. You can use white vinegar or a specific aluminum cleaning product.
  • Garden Trowel – Handy for scraping dry caked-on dirt from inside the gutters.
  • Bucket – You’ll use the trusty bucket to dilute detergent, then white vinegar in water. 
  • Garden Hose – Before you start the job, be sure your garden hose is long enough to reach the gutters.
  • Hose Nozzle – A nozzle with a jet option will make rinsing go faster.

2. Clean the Debris From the Gutter Troughs 

Clean out the loose leaf litter by hand. You may need to use a garden trowel to clean out the caked-on mud and dirt at the bottom of the trough.

3. Clean the Outside Surface

  • Once the gutters are cleaned out, use a soft-bristled brush to clean the outside surface of the gutters. 
  • You can either use a simple homemade gutter cleaner that consists merely of a few squirts of dish detergent in a bucket of warm water – or a commercial aluminum cleaning product. 
  • If you use a commercial cleaning product, choose one that doesn’t have ammonia or TSP. Ammonia and trisodium phosphate (TSP) will react with the aluminum, counteracting your job of removing oxidation. 
  • Also make sure the commercial product doesn’t contain abrasive particles, or paint removing substances. 

4. Rinse

Thoroughly rinse the gutters inside and out.

5. Remove the Oxidation 

Once the gutters and downspouts are thoroughly washed and rinsed, you’re ready to remove the oxidation. 

  • Fill a bucket with one cup of white vinegar to three gallons of warm water. Use more vinegar if necessary. 
  • Gently scrub the oxidation with a soft-bristled brush. 
  • If the oxidation is particularly bad, you can soak a clean rag in undiluted vinegar and wipe down the gutter.
  • Although a white vinegar solution or straight vinegar works well, instead you can apply a commercial aluminum cleaner to make your aluminum gutters look like new. Make sure the cleaner is specifically formulated for aluminum. 

6. Remove “Tiger Stripes”

If your shingles contain asphalt, it’s likely your gutters have black stains which are known as tiger or zebra stripes. These stains are caused by a chemical reaction between the anodized aluminum gutter and the asphalt in roof shingles. An electrostatic bond develops between aluminum and asphalt. You’ll have to break the bond while at the same time protecting the paint finish on the gutters.

The most efficient way to clean tiger stripes is to use a special product designed to break the electrostatic bond. White vinegar probably won’t work. Be sure to follow the product instructions for the best results.

Now that you’re clear on how to remove oxidation from your aluminum gutters, you’ll probably agree that gutter cleaning is a messy and time-consuming job. If cleaning oxidation from your aluminum gutters sounds like too much of a pain, Spout Gutter Pros can quickly connect you with a trustworthy aluminum gutter cleaning pro. We vet all the pros in our network so you can be assured they’re licensed, insured, and dependable.

When you hire a reputable gutter cleaning crew, you won’t have to risk climbing up and down a ladder and you’ll get your weekend back to do the things you enjoy. Your gutters will be inspected, cleaned, and oxidation removed. You’ll be amazed at how clean gutters can improve the overall look of your home, plus, they’ll do a better job of efficiently protecting your home or building from water damage.

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Ready to find some help to clean the oxidation from your aluminum rain gutters? Spout Gutter Pros connects you with reliable and responsible gutter cleaners. Get a fast free quote now!