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So okay I was an idiot about this stuff. I bought solar lights on sale one time and just shoved them in the dirt around my yard. Thought they’d just work forever and be free electricity basically. Cool right? Nope.
Like maybe three months in they started sucking. Really dim. I was pissed because I wasted like thirty bucks. I figured they were just cheap garbage and threw them in the garage mad. My dad came over and looked at them and was like “why is this so dirty” and I was like “I don’t know what you want from me” and he just wiped one with his hand and it got bright again and I was like oh wow okay so that’s a thing.
Turns out and I’m still annoyed at myself for not knowing this, the solar panel on top collects sun during the day and puts it in a battery. Night comes and the battery makes your light work. But when dust and crap covers the panel the sun can’t get through so the battery doesn’t charge right and boom, weak light.
Like it’s so obvious but I never thought about it. Of course dirt blocks sun. Of course less sun means less power. I’m dumb.
Anyway so now I clean them. Here’s what I learned which honestly isn’t rocket science but whatever.
It depends on where you live which sucks because nothing is simple
I live somewhere that rains like constantly so my lights get gross every two weeks and I hate it. My buddy lives in Arizona where it never rains and he cleans his maybe once a month. My mom lives somewhere dry and she forgets about hers for like six weeks and they still work fine.
If you’re dry like Arizona type dry then maybe clean them every three or four weeks. Dust just sits there with no rain and gets thicker and thicker until your light looks gray. It’s gross looking.
If you live somewhere wet and humid which is the worst, clean every two weeks. Rain doesn’t really help even though you’d think it would. It leaves spots. Minerals build up. Mold grows if your lights are under trees which mine are and it’s the worst. Shady plus wet equals like a mold factory.
Coast people, every week or two because salt from the ocean gets everywhere and it’s sticky and ruins everything. I have a friend near the beach and he complains about it constantly.
If you have trees over your lights which I do and it sucks, check them like weekly because leaves pile on top and birds poop on them and sap drips and it’s just disgusting. There’s always something falling from a tree. Always.
Desert people, every few weeks. Sand is worse than dust. Sticks better. But you get less rain so there’s that.
Your lights literally tell you when they’re filthy
- They get dim. That’s the first sign. You put them out and they’re bright. Then they’re not. That’s dirt.
- They turn on later in the evening. Like your light used to go on at like six pm when it started getting dark. Now it waits til like seven or eight. That means the panel didn’t charge fast enough because it’s blocked.
- They turn off earlier. Used to stay on til like one in the morning. Now they’re dead by ten. Battery didn’t charge enough.
- One just won’t turn on, clean it first. If that doesn’t work then the battery part is broken and you need a new light.
The stuff that gets on them is annoying
- Dust obviously. Everything gets dusty. Pollen in spring is ridiculous. Like if you have allergies you know spring is hell and solar panels are the same. They collect pollen like crazy.
- Bird poop. Birds love pooping on lights apparently. It dries hard and sucks to get off.
- Tree stuff. This is my problem. Sap drips. Leaves stick to the wet panel. Seeds land on it. Twigs pile on top. It’s constant. I’m basically under a tree so it’s basically always filthy.
- Mud splashes when it rains.
- Water spots and mineral stuff especially if you have hard water. White crusty buildup that looks nasty.
- Algae and mold which are alive and grow in wet shady spots. Like under trees or next to walls in humid areas. Spreads everywhere.
Cleaning takes like five or ten minutes and is stupid easy
Why don’t I do this more often honestly. It’s so easy.
- Get a cloth. Old t-shirt works. Microfiber is nice but not needed. Get some warm water and a tiny bit of dish soap. Dip the cloth. Wipe the panel. If stuff won’t come off let the soapy water sit on it for a few minutes and it softens up. Wipe again. Rinse. Dry. Done. Seriously that’s it.
- Don’t scrub hard or you’ll scratch the coating. Just gentle. If something is really stuck be patient. Don’t force it or you’ll wreck it.
- Never use pressure washers or harsh chemicals or those scrubby pads. You’ll destroy the panel and then your light’s dead.
That’s literally all there is to it. Takes like five minutes.
Do it in the morning when you can see
Morning is best because the sun is up and you can see what you’re doing and the panel isn’t hot. Don’t do it at night when your light is on because you might knock it over or whatever.
Don’t clean right before a rainstorm because the rain will just make it dirty again which is annoying. Actually rain after you clean kind of helps rinse stuff but whatever.
After big storms check them. Wind kicks stuff everywhere. Heavy rain leaves crap all over. One quick wipe and you’re good.
Spring and fall are the worst honestly
Spring everything blooms and pollen goes crazy. If you have trees nearby it’s non-stop pollen. Clean every one or two weeks. People with allergies hate spring and solar panels agree.
Summer is hot and humid. Water spots form. Mold loves it. If you’re getting thunderstorms constantly your lights are getting attacked. Every week or two.
Fall leaves drop constantly and pile on top of everything. If your lights are under trees clean them weekly because leaves completely block the panel. Like just leaves sitting on top blocking everything.
Winter is actually fine in most places. Less pollen. Fewer leaves. Less stuff growing. Maybe every three weeks. The bad part is frost and ice. Frost forms on panels in cold places and you gotta wipe that off or it blocks sun just like dirt. Snow is even worse.
Put them in decent spots at least
If you’re putting in new lights don’t put them under trees. I did and I regret it constantly. Sap drips forever. Move them away from trees and the problem mostly stops.
Don’t put them where mud splashes. Don’t put them next to garden beds where splashing happens constantly.
Angle them if you can so rain runs off and doesn’t sit there making water spots.
If you’re at the beach rinse them with fresh water sometimes to get salt off before it builds up thick and crushes everything.
Just set a phone reminder. Every two weeks or month depending on your area. When it pops up clean them. Takes like five minutes and then you’re done.
Keep your cleaning cloth and soap somewhere you can access it. If you gotta dig through junk you won’t do it. Easy access equals you actually cleaning them.
Sometimes they’re just dead
- If the panel is cracked or visibly messed up then cleaning won’t help. Water got inside. Light is done. Buy a new one.
- If you clean it and it still won’t work then the battery part is dead. Batteries last like three to five years. Time for a new light.
- If the plastic cover is all cloudy and yellowed from sun damage then it blocks light even when clean. New light time.
Just replace them every few years anyway. New ones are brighter and don’t cost much.
Summary
Just clean them every two weeks or month depending where you live. They get dirty fast. Takes like five minutes. That’s basically it. Dirt blocks the sun so the light dies. Wipe it off and it works again.
