# Venting: am I the jerk? Cleaning 30 foot high up gutters sans safety equipment **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655 "2023-11-24T23:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/61 "2023-11-26T15:13:41Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Impresses me as pretty over-the-top precaution. It took me longer to read your post than it would to don a respirator and a pair of nitrile gloves – both of which many/most of us probably have on hand after the pandemic. Can’t hurt, might help. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/62 "2023-11-26T15:18:06Z")
We have about 90 ft of gutters with leaf guards in place. After a time they do collect sludge from composting leaf litter filtering down into the gutter. Every year my spouse gets on the roof to clear it of debris and tries to scrape the schmung off the gutter tops. He stays the hell away from the exposed edges with a significant drop. But the gutters continue to collect gunk and a few were damaged. Had a gutter company come out to inspect it and they wanted to replace our Leaf guards, reposition and add support to the gutters. $3800 sale today only! Workers knocking on our door the next day when we never signed or agreed to anything. Nah knock it off we done here. They left. Decided to call the number on a road sign that said gutter cleaning. These signs popped up everywhere in town. The guy came out said our leaf guards were fine just need cleaning, repositioning and supports added. Turns out he’s also a leaf guard independent installer. He was here 4 hours solo, on a big ladder up and down up and down fixing the gutters. Uprooted trees and a colony of moss out of the gutters too. He also did a few minor roof repairs.$900. Said he’d come back to clear the roof anytime $75. Deal! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/63 "2023-11-26T15:33:46Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Can’t hurt, might help. By that standard, perhaps you out to wear them 24/7? 😉 And no, I own neither. Not even sure what “nitrile” is. What percentage of folk do you believe own respirators? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/64 "2023-11-26T15:36:41Z")
An N95 is plenty helpful. It’s apt that you invoked the Slippery Slope argument on a thread about the dangers of being out on a roof 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/65 "2023-11-26T15:49:26Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > And no, I own neither. Not even sure what “nitrile” is. What percentage of folk do you believe own respirators? Nitrile gloves are non-latex protective gloves commonly used for body substance isolation (BSI) by medical workers or to handle chemicals and waste. A respirator mask like an N95 or KN94 should be familiar to the public at this point, and helps to prevent inhaling fungal spores and microbial pathogens found in the fecal waste of rodents, birds, and other animals. Yes, I too once cleaned chicken coops, mucked cow barns, and cleaned clutter from rodent-infested workshops with bare hands and an uncovered face, and wondered why I felt poorly for days afterward. With what is now known about microbial pathogens in such environments I take the basic precautions of wearing a respirator and some kind of hand protection (leather work gloves are fine if you aren’t dealing with liquids) and thoroughly showering and washing clothes afterward. YMMV. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/66 "2023-11-26T15:58:46Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Nitrile gloves are non-latex protective gloves commonly used for body substance isolation (BSI) by medical workers or to handle chemicals and waste. A respirator mask like an N95 or KN94 should be familiar to the public at this point, and helps to prevent inhaling fungal spores and microbial pathogens found in the fecal waste of rodents, birds, and other animals. > > Yes, I too once cleaned chicken coops, mucked cow barns, and cleaned clutter from rodent-infested workshops with bare hands and an uncovered face, My mistake - I had not assumed your use of “respirator” to mean an N95 mask. Tho I still think it pretty much overkill for cleaning gutters. I think it would be a pretty unusual set of gutters that would be comparable to _chicken coops, mucked cow barns, and cleaned clutter from rodent-infested workshops_ - in addition to the fact that, being outdoors, there is greater air circulation. I guess I would need to research how readily microbial pathogens pass through skin absent an open wound. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/67 "2023-11-26T16:20:12Z")
My husband wore gloves mucking out the gutters. He didn’t wear a respirator. And yes, we have a couple of boxes of them lying around. On dry days i sometimes don one to mow the lawn, to keep dust out of my lungs. On damp days the lawnmower doesn’t stir up much dust, and i don’t bother. I’m dubious he needed a respirator. There’s excellent ventilation with his head up above the gutters, open to fresh air on every side. But I’ll ask him how much gunk he thought he was breathing, and suggest he consider it next year. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/68 "2023-11-26T20:14:15Z")
Even though I’m sure our gutters need cleaning, and all of them can be easily reached with a stepladder, I seriously doubt I’ll be getting up there myself. If I did, it would involve heavy-duty rubber (not surgical) or leather gloves, just based on the various sharp and/or disgusting things I found in them last time. I’d also be likely to wear an N-95 mask. I used to get a sinus headache that lasted 2 or 3 days after any dust- or pollen-intensive job, but if I wear one of the good masks, it’s not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/69 "2023-11-26T21:39:10Z")
I wouldn’t dream of cleaning my gutters without gloves. The gutters are filled with wet leaves, needles, dirt, and squirrel droppings. It’s cold and wet. They’re not sloped correctly and almost always have standing water. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/70 "2023-11-27T04:19:29Z")
Somewhat to my surprise, my husband thought it was a good idea to wear a respirator next time he does the gutters. They tend to be full of damp stuff that doesn’t especially volatilize, though. So i doubt it matters. On the other hand, respirators are cheap, and if it doesn’t get in his way, why not. I agree that it would be gross to do it without gloves, and there might be something sharp lurking in there, which would make it also dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/71 "2023-11-27T04:43:28Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I agree that it would be gross to do it without gloves, Not just gross, but late in autumn when the leaves have all dropped it’s effing cold, and hard to grip the ladder with frozen wet fingers. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/72 "2023-11-27T05:55:43Z")
35 years ago, our then-CEO broke his hip falling off his roof cleaning gutters. He had a cellphone (that was early to have one!) bit it was in his car, because it was a bag phone back then (remember those?). No problem, he thought, I’ll just drag myself over there. Nope. He lay there for an hour until his wife wondered where he was. The only good news was that none of us ever had to clean our own gutters after our SOs heard that story! I don’t even use a ladder without my wife knowing what I’m doing and how long it should take, or making sure a neighbor is outside to see me fall. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/73 "2023-11-27T12:42:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Not just gross, but late in autumn when the leaves have all dropped it’s effing cold, and hard to grip the ladder with frozen wet fingers. But do the thin sanitary gloves keep your hands warm? I have thought of gloves. As you say, it is cold and wet. But work gloves would get wet, and anything other than sanitary gloves would (IMO) make it more cumbersome to reach your hand around inside the gutters. And we haven’t mentioned the folk who use leaf blowers! 😉 I’m just kinda amazed at the gutter hazards you guys encounter that I’ve managed to avoid in some 50 years of gutter cleaning! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/74 "2023-11-27T18:12:45Z")
I tended to use the rubberised cotton gloves they sell for handling diesel etc. The thin medical ones wont last five minutes up there before they get torn. I walk about on the roof without any fall protection, but it’s a gentle pitch, and I wont get up there at all if it’s rained recently. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/75 "2023-11-27T18:24:29Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > My (in the process of becoming an ex) decided it would be a good idea to have my son clean the gutters. Ya know, just climb out the master bedroom window, walk around on the roof with garbage bags, and scoop the gutters. Had I a child, I can’t possibly imagine ever telling him to do something like that. To do the job, he has to go right down to the edge of the roof where the gutters are. The slightest slip say, on a wet leaf, and a tragedy ensues. Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/76 "2023-11-27T18:33:29Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > We lost his twin in a tragic household accident in January. I Say no more. You are absolutely 100% not being unreasonable. Not that it seems particularly unreasonable without this. But in this situation this seems a completely reasonable, very calm, response to the situation. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/77 "2023-11-27T19:06:56Z")
Recently cleaned out my the gutters at my moms house. All one story though. Could do it on a ladder from the ground. Used a leaf blower. One guy hold the ladder, the other blow out the gutter. We got about 10-12 feet at a time that way. Move ladder, rinse and repeat. What we also did was use the leaf blower to blow leaves up from the bottom of the down spouts. That worked great. No, it’s not scrape it with a putty knife clean, but it’s pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/78 "2023-11-27T19:10:39Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Say no more. You are absolutely 100% not being unreasonable. > > Not that it seems particularly unreasonable without this. But in this situation this seems a completely reasonable, very calm, response to the situation. I work from home. I’m 62yo. There are stairs in the house. I don’t go anywhere without my cell phone. My mom died from a simple fall in her house. The fallen and I can’t get up button that she was not (and would not) wearing was 6 feet away. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/79 "2023-11-27T19:25:35Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > material that may have been sitting there for months is often full of fungal spores and potentially rodent and squirrel droppings, so you really should wear gloves and a respirator when cleaning them. Yellow jacket nests, too. Ask me how I know. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655/80 "2023-11-27T20:06:02Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Yellow jacket nests, too. I once found a sizable garter snake in a roof gutter. I assume he liked the shingled roof for warming up at night and found a steady diet. I had to chase it along until it reached a downspout, and then basically force it down. Snakes…I hate snakes. Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venting-am-i-the-jerk-cleaning-30-foot-high-up-gutters-sans-safety-equipment/993655.md?page=5)