I use a 7 foot step ladder and long handled extendable arm with one of those very soft RV brushes. I also have a squeegee I can use with it if I need to get water off the slide. I want to get up high enough I can actually see the slide roof. I have found that, even with the best brushing, small items don't always brush off easily. Sometimes, those small items stick to the roof, and the brush has to break things free. A simple brush over the top when you cant can't see the top can still result in stuff being left on the top, and those small things could potentially punch hole and damage the rubber roof and the rubber seals. So, I always want to climb up on the ladder and see what's going on. And I keep brushing until everything is completely off before retracting the slides. This is just me. So I don't mind the ladder. There may come a day I cannot get up there any more. When that happens, I may trade for a camper with no slides.... who knows?