Can you clean solar panels yourself?

The honest answer

Yes, many people in Malta and Gozo can clean their own panels, and some do it well. But two things decide whether you should: how safely you can reach them and whether you have the right kit. Clean glass is not worth a fall.

After a dry Maltese summer, panels are usually coated in fine dust, Saharan sand, salt if you are near the sea and bird droppings. That is not hard to remove with the right tools, but it is easy to make worse with the wrong ones.

When DIY is reasonable

DIY cleaning makes sense when:

• the roof is flat, with a solid parapet at least waist high on every side you will be near,
• you can reach every panel from the roof surface with a pole, without climbing on anything,
• access to the roof is easy, through a door rather than a ladder or hatch,
• the panels are undamaged and there are no exposed cables,
• someone else is at home while you are up there.

When to leave it to a professional

Book a cleaner if:

• the parapet is low, missing or crumbling,
• panels are on tall frames, a pitched roof, a washroom roof or over the edge,
• you would need a ladder to reach them,
• the roof is shared and the panels next to yours belong to someone else,
• you are not comfortable working at height, or the roof is slippery.

Never stand on panels or frames

This is the most important rule. Solar panels are glass. Kneeling, standing or leaning on them can crack the cells or the glass, sometimes with damage you cannot see. Frames are designed to hold panels, not people, and standing on them can bend the rails or loosen fixings. Damage caused this way may also not be covered by the manufacturer. See does cleaning solar panels void the warranty.

The right tools

• A soft brush on an extension pole. A water-fed brush is ideal, but a soft car-wash brush works for small systems.
• Purified or deionised water. Malta’s tap water is hard. It dries into white spots that dull the glass. A small filter or bought deionised water for the final rinse helps a lot.
• A soft squeegee or microfibre cloth on a pole for any spots you can reach.
• Mild soap only if needed, rinsed off thoroughly, and only if your panel instructions allow it.

Do not use:

• pressure washers,
• scouring pads, scrapers or stiff brushes,
• strong chemicals, solvents or household glass sprays,
• hot water on cold glass, or cold water on hot glass.

How to do it

1. Pick the time. Early morning or late afternoon, when the glass is cool. Never in midday summer sun. Water evaporates instantly and leaves spots, and the glass is too hot to handle.
2. Check the panels first. If any are cracked or have damaged cabling, stop and call your installer.
3. Brush off loose dust with the dry brush.
4. Soften bird droppings with water and let them soak for a few minutes before brushing gently. Never scrape. Our guide on bird droppings on solar panels has more.
5. Wash from the top down, working along each row with the soft brush and plenty of water.
6. Pay attention to the bottom edge, where mud lines build up.
7. Rinse with purified water and let it dry naturally.

How often

Once or twice a year suits most homes: after the summer in September or October, and in spring. Add an extra clean after red rain. See the best time of year to clean solar panels in Malta.

How to tell if it worked

Compare your inverter or app readings on similar clear days before and after. If output barely changes, the panels may not have been very dirty, or something else is going on. Our guide on why solar output is low explains what else to check.

When a professional makes sense

A professional clean is worth it when access is awkward, on shared roofs, after heavy red rain or when droppings have baked on. Cleaners bring purified water systems and long poles, and know how to work on Maltese roofs safely. If your panels sit on raised frames, see cleaning solar panels on flat roofs and raised frames.

We arrange solar panel cleaning across Malta and Gozo. If you would rather not go up on the roof, get a quote.