Magic Gutter Bags: Quack Gutter Protection
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and Magic Gutter Bags definitely fall under this category. The idea is great: these are biodegradable bags filled with clay and enzymes that are ostensibly able to clear the gutters of debris and moss once they are activated by the first rain. If magic gutter cleaner bags worked as advertised, they could save you the hassle of climbing up a ladder to clear out your gutters, or from the need to install gutter guard. You just throw the bags up there twice a year, and they do all the work for you, totally effort free. Unfortunately, magic gutter cleaning bags just do not work at all.
In the many years of Grayson’s gutter maintenance services we have seen some weird and down-right freaky attempts to keep gutters from blocking up. However, if you’re looking for the worst quack idea in the history of gutter protection, then the Magic Gutter Bags are it.
The History of Quackery
“Quack doctors”, and the history of quackery goes back to before the Middle Ages. In the absence of proper scientific facts, merchants and other ambitious traders would slap together little bottles of magic pills and potions capable of curing all kinds of illnesses, both real and imaginary. One classic example was during the 1910 approach of Halley’s Comet, when there was a sudden panicked buying of “anti-comet pills” and “anti-comet umbrellas”. Earth had actually passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet and there were reports that we could be hit by deadly gas clouds. Clogged gutters are absolutely a real problem, but the solution does not lie with quackery…
The Quackery of Magic Gutter Bags Debunked
You only have to browse the Amazon reviews to see how many people regret purchasing these little pouches! According to most customers’ experiences, biodegradable gutter cleaner bags don’t do anything at all. The bags require rain in order to dissolve, so as long as the rain doesn’t come they are completely useless. Even worse, they often do not dissolve at all even after a downpour. According to one reviewer, wild animals seem to like the magic gutter bags, so you can also expect that they might get stolen before they get a chance to totally dissolve.
Then there is the simple issue that the gutter bags don’t actually save you the need to climb up on a ladder or clean your gutters. The retailers of the bags suggest that you can simply throw them up into your gutters, but that suggestion is ridiculous on its face. You would need to have incredible aim to actually land them, so in most instances you will still need to take the risk of climbing a ladder in order to position them correctly.
And then, while they may dissolve some debris, that doesn’t give you complete freedom to forget about your gutters. You still need to examine them a few times a year, at which point you will inevitably discover they do require some maintenance and cleaning despite the bags.
The Real Problems of Gutter Bags
Beyond the small fact that Magic Gutter Bags are a waste of money, they can also pose some actual problems:
- Since the bags cannot dissolve instantly, during the first hard rain they might get washed away down the downpipe which will lead to a clog and can cause serious damage down the line.
- In more narrow gutter channels, the gutter bags themselves could be what ends up blocking the water flow, which will lead the gutters to overflow.
- If there are many trees around this could also cause significant leaf litter build up. This is especially worrisome in Melbourne, where gutters must never be impeded because heavy thunderstorms with flash flooding are so frequent.
- The biological agents in the magical gutter bags are supposed to dissolve leaves, mud and moss, but there is no guarantee that won’t cause a build up of yet-to-be-dissolved silt that will also impede gutter flow.
- While the agents in the magic gutter bags are purportedly safe for rain water tanks, we should point out that they contain sodium chloride. This is not good if your tank is used for tap water or to water gardens, since the salt will have both health implications and a harmful effect on your plants.
The Effective Way to Keep Gutters Clear
If unkept, the roof and gutter system on a single house can contain hundreds of kilos of mud, leaf matter, rubbish and debris. Keeping gutters completely clear and free flowing is not a simple matter. Don’t trust quack ideas!
If you really want a long-term solution that will save you from needing your gutters cleaned regularly, then you should opt for a full gutter guard solution. Gutter guards create a protective layer over your gutters that prevents any debris from getting inside and blocking them, and they are designed to last for years.
It’s important that you choose the right gutter guard for your home, which is where we can help! Get in touch with us or give us a call on 1800 GUTTER, and we will find you the ultimate solution to all of your gutter-related needs.