How Often Should You Clean Gutters in Northern Illinois?

The two cleanings that matter

The fall cleaning clears the season's leaves so the gutters go into winter empty, which keeps ice from building on a frozen pile of debris. The spring cleaning clears seeds, catkins and whatever blew in over the winter, just before the wettest months: NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Rockford airport list 4.18 inches of rain in May and 5.23 in June.

When to add a third

• Oaks over the roof: oaks hold leaves into late fall, so an early-December pass catches the last drop.
• Silver maples: their seed crop can fill a gutter by itself in late spring.
• Water already spilling over the front of the gutter in an ordinary rain.
• Gutters that sagged or leaked at the last cleaning, which collect debris faster.

When once a year is enough

A newer home with no large trees nearby, or gutters fitted with good guards, can often go a year between visits. Guards still need checking; see do gutters with guards need cleaning.

Housing age is a decent clue to tree cover in this area: older neighborhoods were planted decades ago. Each town page shows the share of homes built before 1960.