Samantha Hunter is a professional copy editor who has worked with Ms. Magazine, Spin and VH1. She has also written for MarthaStewart.com, Essence.com, Esquire.com, GoodHousekeeping.com, RealSimple.com ...

Although I know that regularly removing leaves and sludge from my gutters is an essential maintenance task, the reality is that I’ve never wanted to do it myself. So, I’ve spent the past few years ...