If you want to avoid gutter and downspout cleaning twice a year, then you might want to look into a gutter guard system. Gutter guards are a way to keep some or all debris from ever getting into your gutters, thus eliminating the chances of clogged gutters. If there is not debris to clean out then your gutters might not need cleaning as often. Of course, dirt and dust will still make their way into your gutters, but the integrity of your home are not at risk if the dust goes without cleaning for a few years.
There are a few different styles of gutter guard systems to choose from. Some will keep out only large debris while others will keep out virtually everything except dust particles. The effectiveness of the gutter guards is directly correlated with cost. The more stuff you keep out, the more expensive the protection. The simplest gutter guard is just a screen over the top. The holes in the screen will let the water in but keep out the leaves and large tree pieces. Depending on how big the mesh is, some amount of debris will get through. That means that you will still have to clean your gutters, but not as often.
The more advanced gutter guards will ensure that you will never have to pay for gutter and downspout cleaning. This type of guard uses the principle of water adhesion to make sure that the water makes its way into your gutters, but nothing else. The guard system has a piece of aluminum or plastic that extends from the edges of the roof to the very edge of the outer side of your gutters. There is just a small slit between the cover and the gutter system. As the water runs across the cover and reaches the edge, it will adhere to the cover as the debris runs off the side. That small amount of adhesion is just enough to make sure that the water falls into the gutters.