For smart gardeners, solar lights have become a popular way to light up their gardens. Apart from being a cost-effective source of garden lighting, solar-powered garden lights are also environmentally friendly and eliminate the need for expensive garden wiring.
Unfortunately, like any other outdoor gadget, solar panels can get very dirty with time due to the harsh weather conditions and other various elements they are exposed to. These elements, which include dew, dirt, grime, dust, and bird droppings, will eventually affect the performance of the panels.
Luckily, simple maintenance steps can help clean the solar panels and restore their efficiency and visual appeal. This comprehensive post will guide you step-by-step on how to clean solar panels on garden lights to maximize their performance and lifespan.
Step-by-step Guide On How to Clean Solar Panels on Garden Lights
Cleaning your solar panels on garden lights will increase the efficiency of the panels and cause the outdoor solar lights to shine brightly by allowing more photons to hit the cells.
The following steps will help to remove the sand, dust particles, and dirt on the protective glass layer of the solar panels.
Get your cleaning materials
Before you begin the cleaning process for your solar panels, you need to gather all the cleaning materials you need. These include a sponge, a soft cloth or sponge, a soft brush, mild detergent or dish soap, a spray bottle (optional), vinegar (for very stubborn dirt), and water.
Turn off the outdoor lights
Next, you need to turn off the light switch. This is very important to ensure safety and prevent any electrical issues that may occur when you want to clean solar lights.
Get rid of loose dirt
Add detergent to some water in a bowl or bucket. Stir the water gently until it forms a lather. Dampen the soft cloth with the soapy solution and use it to wipe the surface of the solar panel gently- you may need to apply a slight force.
This should remove any loose dirt or dust from the surface of the solar panel.
However, if you haven’t cleaned your solar outdoor lights for a long time, you may have stubborn dirt or grime on the surface of the panel. If that is your case, fear not, just move on to the next step.
Get rid of stubborn dirt and debris
Dip the sponge or soft brush into the soapy solution and use it to gently scrub the panel’s surface in a circular motion, applying more effort if necessary. The soft brush will also remove any dirt hiding in crevices.
To save time, you may need to apply the soapy solution using a spray bottle, especially when you need to clean multiple panels.
Get rid of very stubborn dirt
If there is any stubborn dirt on your panel that will not get out even after you have carried out the steps above, don’t panic; we’ve got you covered.
Mix a cup of vinegar with a teaspoon of mild detergent in a bowl and scrub the panel’s surface with it using a soft brush. The mixture acts as a mild abrasive cleaner and should effectively remove the stubborn dirt without causing damage to the solar cells.
To be sure that the mixture will not damage your solar panels, you can try it on a small corner of a panel first. Try as much as possible to avoid using bleach.
If you live in hard water areas, you may have white mineral deposits on top of your solar panels. You can easily remove this using a water and vinegar solution. Simply dampen a soft cloth with the solution and gently wipe the panels in circular motions.
You can also clean solar panel with toothpaste or nail polish remover.
Apply a little toothpaste to a soft microfiber cloth and rub it gently on top of the panel. You can also use a soft brush.
If you have a nail polish remover, add a small amount to a soft cloth and wipe the panel clean. Be very careful, and don’t allow the polish remover to get into the panel’s electrical components.
Rinse with clean water
After washing or scrubbing the panel, rinse the surface of the solar panel properly with clean water to remove the soap residue and dirt.
Do this carefully so that water or soapy solution does not go into other parts of the solar garden light, especially the battery compartment, as this could lead to major damage.
Wipe the panel with a dry, soft cloth
After rinsing the panel with water, wipe it thoroughly clean and dry with a soft, dry cloth. Leaving the panels wet can quickly attract dust and dirt. Also, if you are in an area that has hard water, the water residue on the panel will eventually form a white mineral patch on the panel’s surface.
N/B: Avoid using a hard brush on the panel to prevent any scratches. Also, please don’t use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on the panel, it can damage the surface of the panel. Finally, don’t apply too much pressure on the panel’s surface to avoid breakage.
Conclusion
As you can see in the article above about how to clean solar panels on garden lights, cleaning your solar panels is very important for the overall performance of your outdoor solar lights. Debris and dirt on your solar panels can prevent sunlight absorption, which can lead to a loss of performance.
Luckily, cleaning garden light solar panels is an easy task that can be done with eco-friendly materials. By carefully following the steps outlined in this post, you can be sure that your solar panels are functioning efficiently.
Read our article on how to get rid of slugs in your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Clean your solar panels regularly, more frequently during seasons with increased dust. We recommend that you clean the panels every six to 12 months if you are in a dust-free area. However, if your panels are located in a dusty or dirty area, you may need to clean them once or twice a month.
Yes, it is safe to clean your panels with rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol), especially if you need to remove grease stains that can’t be easily removed through other methods.
If you don’t clean your panels, they will accumulate dust and dirt, and this will diminish their performance over time.