I don’t think there’s a single catchall answer for what works best for protecting or cleaning gutters, You kinda have to find what works best for your situation. IMO if you have trees and/or wind, some High Quality gutter guards are gonna be your best friend especially w/some of the newer technologies even filtering out sand/grit with the leaves. I install hinged guards at the ends for easy access to suck, blow or hose Gutter runs. I do like blowing from ground when a mess doesn’t matter but around courtyards or gardens or really messy gutters that need clearing, I prefer to use “Rigid Wet/Dry Shop Vac“ with extra hose, tubes and few gutter attachment’s. You can work from ground level walking under open gutters and suck leaves/sand out as you go. Or If they’re covered, you can lift one end and push the vacuum hose thru the gutter under the guards sucking or blowing as you go. For my “Valleys or Roof Flashings” i just tape the vacuum hose and tubing to end of my extendable prunning pole and run it up valley. With different vacuum head attachments you can Really suck clean debris from under roofing shingles or tiles where pressure washing, sweeping, or blowing might cause damage.
Another great user friendly tool for about $25-$50 is a high pressure telescoping wands with flexible spray/stream head that hooks to regular water hose. They’re great for clearing sentiment and spray cleaning walls, windows or anything else out of reach. Good luck….