Gutter Cleaning in Kenosha County & Lake County, IL
Those black stripes down the front of your gutters are not dirt, and they will not come off with a hose.
There are two completely different jobs called “gutter cleaning”.
Clearing out the trough
Pulling leaves, seeds and shingle grit out of the inside so the water runs. Important work, especially in autumn — but Code 3 does not do it, and we would rather tell you that now than after you have called.
Cleaning the outside faces
The part everybody actually sees from the street. We remove the black tiger striping from the gutter faces along with the soffits, fascia and siding around them, so the whole line at the top of the house looks right.
If your gutters are overflowing or full of leaves, you want the first one. If they look dirty, streaked or stained from the kerb, you want the second — and that is what most people are actually looking at when they search for this.
Tiger striping is not a cleaning you missed.
Rain coming off the roof picks up fine grit, pollen, roof granule residue and whatever is in the air. As it pours over the front edge of the gutter, surface tension drags a thin film of it back underneath the lip — where it stops running and dries instead.
Every storm leaves another layer. Over a few seasons it bonds into the weathered finish of the aluminium, which is why it turns up as those evenly spaced vertical stripes rather than random dirt, and why the house next door has them too.
It is the single thing that makes an otherwise well-kept house look neglected from the street, and almost nobody knows what it is called.
Your gutters are already included in a house wash.
House washing is a soft-wash of the whole exterior, not just the siding. The gutter faces, soffits, fascia and exterior trim all come as part of it. So the thing you came here looking for is not a separate service we would sell you — it is one part of a job that also takes the algae off your siding and the cobwebs out of your corners.
That is usually a surprise, because most people have never heard the phrase “house washing”. It is worth knowing about: cleaning the gutter faces on their own leaves you with a bright white line across the top of a house that has not been touched, which tends to make the rest look worse rather than better.
What a Code 3 house wash covers
- Gutter faces — tiger striping and weathered staining removed
- Soffits and fascia
- Siding, from the foundation to the roofline
- Exterior trim
- Algae, mould, spider webs and frass
- Pre- and post-rinse of the surrounding planting
Real before-and-after results.
Every image below is matched to the service shown. Actual Code 3 project photography only.
Straight answers.
Do you clean the inside of the gutters?
No. Code 3 does not remove leaves, debris or blockages from inside the trough, and does not install or service gutter guards. What we clean is the outside — the faces you see from the street, along with the soffits, fascia and siding around them.
What are the black stripes down the front of my gutters?
That is tiger striping. Rain running off the roof carries fine grit, pollen, roof granule residue and airborne pollution with it. Surface tension pulls a thin film of that water underneath the front lip of the gutter, where it sits and dries instead of running off. Every storm leaves another layer, and it bonds to the weathered finish of the aluminium.
Why will not a hose or a pressure washer take it off?
Because it is not loose dirt sitting on the surface — it has bonded into the oxidised finish. Plain water runs straight over it. Pressure hard enough to shift it would damage the coating and dent the aluminium, and would drive water behind the fascia. It takes the right detergent and dwell time, worked by hand along the face.
Will it come back?
Eventually — it is caused by weather, so weather brings it back. On most properties around here it is noticeable again in a couple of years, faster under heavy tree cover or near a busy road. That is why it is included in the house wash rather than sold as a one-off.
Can I just do it myself?
Plenty of people try. The usual outcome is a ladder, a long afternoon, streaks that are lighter but still visible, and sometimes a dulled patch where a household cleaner stripped the finish. The product matters more than the effort.
Do I have to have the whole house done?
Gutter faces are part of a house wash rather than a separate service, so in practice they are cleaned when the house is. If the gutters are the only thing bothering you, say so on the estimate and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth doing on its own.
Find out what it costs before anyone knocks on your door.
The Instant Estimate measures your property from aerial imagery and gives you a price range for a house wash in about a minute. No visit, no appointment, no salesperson.
Exterior gutter cleaning — what that means.
Included
- The outside face of the gutter, including black tiger striping
- Downspout exteriors and the brackets
- Fascia and soffit in the same run
- A look at how the gutters are sitting while we are up there
Not included
- Clearing the inside of the gutter — debris removal is a different job
- Gutter repair, resealing, re-hanging or replacement
- Downspout unclogging or underground drain work
- Gutter guard installation
Saying what is not in the price is not a weakness. A surprise at the end of a job costs more goodwill than an honest line on a website ever will.
Every job runs the same way.
Consistency is most of what separates a professional job from a cheap one. This is the sequence, on every property.
Establish which job you actually need
There are two completely different services that both get called gutter cleaning. One is removing leaves and debris from inside. The other is cleaning the outside face so it stops looking streaked. We do the second, and we will tell you plainly if what you need is the first.
Protect what is underneath
Landscaping and siding below the run get pre-rinsed and rinsed again after.
Treat the striping
Those vertical black stripes are not dirt that rinses off. They are an oxidized bond of road film and organic residue that needs a cleaner and a dwell time to release.
Work the full run evenly
Gutters run in long straight lines and the eye follows them, so a section that got less attention is obvious from the street. The whole run gets the same treatment.
Rinse and report
Rinsed down, and if we noticed a gutter pulling away from the fascia, a bad seam, or standing water sitting where it should be draining, you will hear about it.
The things you were going to have to ask.
Insured
Code 3 Cleaning carries insurance. Certificates are available on request, and commercial accounts and property managers can have them on file before work starts.
Guaranteed
We do not stop until the job is right. If something is not right when we are done, it gets fixed — that is the whole policy and it does not need small print.
Estimates, usually same day
Most estimates go out the same day. If not, inside 24 hours. You should not have to chase a contractor for a number.
Pay how you want
Cash, check, card, and the common payment apps. Whatever is easiest on your end.
Code 3 Cleaning is firefighter-owned and based in Pleasant Prairie, now in our fourth season. You are dealing directly with an owner, not a call center — which is also why the guarantee above is worth something.
What those black stripes on your gutters actually are.
Almost every home in Kenosha and Lake County develops vertical black streaks down the face of the gutters, and they are not dirt. Rain running off a roof carries road film, shingle grit and airborne residue, and it collects and oxidizes at the lip of the gutter where the water breaks. Once it has bonded, plain water will not touch it — which is why people hose their gutters down and see no difference at all.
It shows up worst on homes near a plowed road and on any elevation facing the prevailing weather. It is also the detail that makes a freshly washed house still look tired, because the streaking runs in a line right at eye level across the whole front of the property.
Worth saying plainly: this is the cosmetic job. If your gutters are overflowing, if water is coming over the front edge in a storm, or if there are plants growing in them, that is debris inside and it is a different service. We will tell you which one you are looking at.
Straight answers.
Do you clean the inside of gutters?
No. We clean the outside face — the part that has gone streaked and black. Clearing leaves and debris from inside is a separate service and we will say so rather than let you find out on the day.
Why will hosing them down not fix it?
The staining is an oxidized bond of road film and organic residue, not loose dirt. It needs a cleaner and time to release. This is why people assume the streaks are permanent.
Is this included in a house wash?
Yes. Gutter faces are part of a Code 3 house wash. This page exists for people who want the gutters done on their own.
Will the streaks come back?
Gradually, over a couple of years. They build from the same road film and run-off that put them there the first time.
How do I know if I need the inside done instead?
Water spilling over the front edge during rain, sagging sections, or anything growing up there. If you are unsure, we will look while we are on site.
Can you tell if my gutters need repair?
We can tell you what we noticed — a section pulling away, a failed seam, water standing where it should be draining. We do not do the repair, but knowing beats not knowing.
Are you insured?
Yes. Code 3 Cleaning carries insurance and certificates are available on request. Commercial accounts and property managers can have them on file before work starts.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes. We do not stop until it is right. If something is not right when we are finished, we come back and fix it.
How fast will I get an estimate?
Usually the same day, and inside 24 hours at the latest.
How can I pay?
Cash, check, card, and the common payment apps.
How long has Code 3 been doing this?
We are in our fourth season. Code 3 Cleaning is firefighter-owned and based in Pleasant Prairie, and the owners are the people doing the work.
What customers say about Code 3.
Real Google reviews from customers who trusted Code 3 with their property.
“My house looks great thanks to Code 3 power washing. Not only did they do a great job, they were very professional, they arrived when they said they would and went the extra mile to make sure the house looks great !Thanks Matt”
“Matt power-washed our house and garage today and the result was absolutely amazing! Our house looks "brand new". We couldnt be happier with the results. Matt responded quickly to our initial inquiry and on the day of our appointment he came promptly at the designated time. The price he charged…”
“We could not be more impressed with Code 3 Cleaning! From start to finish, Matt was professional, honest, attentive, and genuinely committed to doing an exceptional job. He did an incredible job washing and cleaning the exterior of our home and patio, and the results exceeded our expectations. Everything looks…”