Solar panel cleaning — by arrangement
Keep the panels doing what you bought them for.
Gentle clean, no harsh chemicals
Solar panel cleaning is not on every home, and I keep it honest: it's listed as "by arrangement — ask me" because I bundle it with a gutter clean when the access, ladder position and roof condition make it safe and sensible. You save a trip, I save set-up, and the panels get a careful wash on the same visit.
Pricing is quoted per array after I see the layout, angle and access. Glass is washed with soft tools and clean water; I stay off the panels and work from the roof edge or rail where possible, staying clear of fixings and cabling. No pressure blasting near seals. If lichen or bird droppings have set, I soak and lift rather than grind — same patience reviewers mention for gutters, applied to glass.
MoneyHub's directory lists this service word-for-word the same as a competitor's description, so treat the formal wording as template-pending until we confirm on site. What I can promise is the same standard: the job is done by me, the price is quoted before I start, and the place is left tidy. If I think a specialist height crew is more appropriate for your roof, I'll say so.
Christchurch gets enough clear sky for panels to earn their keep, but dust, pollen and gull droppings cut output quickly — studies often cite 10–20% loss when glass is left filmed for a season. I clean panels the same way I clean gutters: patiently, with clean water and soft tools, and from a position where I am not standing on the glass or pulling on a rail.
Preparation matters. Before I touch a panel I check the roof for safe access, the array for loose clamps or cracked glass, and the isolator for a clean shutdown where required. If the roof pitch, height or the panel manufacturer's warranty suggests a roped team rather than a ladder, I will say so rather than improvise. This is why the service is "by arrangement" — I bundle it only when the ladder is already set for the gutter and the conditions suit a careful wash on the same visit, saving you a separate call-out.
On the day, panels are soaked to soften grit, then washed with a soft brush and squeegee, not a pressure nozzle near seals. I rinse from the top edge so dirty water does not dry back onto the row below, and I check the output reading or the app with you if you have one. One customer called me back because "he left the outside areas perfectly clean and tidy" — the same standard applies on the roof, with no slurry left on the gutter I just cleaned.
- Bundled with gutter service to save a trip
- Soft wash with clean water
- Careful around fixings, rails and cabling
- No pressure near seals or junction boxes
- Soak and lift for lichen or droppings
- Straight answer if safe access isn't available