What the price depends on
It’s priced per panel: how many there are and where they sit. A ground-mounted frame in the garden or a carport roof is easier than a steep roof reached by ladder or lift. The dirt matters too: a year’s film and dried bird droppings take longer than fresh dust. Labour rates are in the table.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Solar panel cleaning | 25–35 zł/szt |
Indicative prices. Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
A lift, if the panels can’t be reached without one, plus demineralised water and cleaning product when the handyman brings them, are paid separately. That is set out in the offer.
Price ranges and offers from tradespeople: apartment fit-out in Warsaw.
What panels are cleaned with, and what to avoid
Usually a soft brush on a telescopic pole and clean water is enough, ideally demineralised. Hard tap water leaves white marks on the glass, and dust sticks to them even more readily. Stubborn film comes off with a neutral cleaner that won’t harm the anti-reflective coating.
A pressure washer looks like a shortcut, but panel manufacturers generally advise against it in their manuals: a strong jet can damage the frame seals and force water into the connections. Abrasive sponges, scrapers and solvent-based cleaners are out as well. Check the manual for your own panels before ordering; it’s spelled out there.
Timing matters as well. Cold water on glass heated by the midday sun means a sharp temperature change, so cleaning is done in the morning, the evening or on an overcast day.
Safety first
A panel in daylight produces voltage, and switching off the inverter doesn’t change that. Cracked glass, a melted connector or a dangling cable are not cleaned. That is a job for an electrician with SEP certification who works on PV systems. The person cleaning the panels doesn’t repair the installation or touch the electrical side.
On a roof, this is work at height. Ask in the offer how the handyman will secure themselves; a steep or slippery roof may call for a lift. Don’t climb onto a wet roof with a hose yourself.
How the cleaning works
- The handyman inspects the panels from the ground or a ladder for cracks, chips and loose cables.
- Dry dust and leaves are swept off with a soft brush so sand isn’t dragged across the glass.
- The panels are wetted and washed with a brush and water. Dried droppings are soaked first, not scraped.
- A rinse with clean water so no streaks or product are left behind.
- Last, the frame edges and corners, where dirt clings longest, and photos of the result.
Common mistakes
- Washing at midday in the heat, cold water on hot glass.
- A pressure washer aimed straight at the frame seals.
- Scrubbing dry film without water, so the grit scratches the coating.
- Tap water with no rinse, leaving white marks all over the glass.
- Going up on the roof yourself, unsecured and in wet shoes.
What to prepare
- Photos of the panels from the ground: how many, where they are, how dirty.
- The number of panels and the model, if you still have the installation papers.
- Access to an outdoor tap in the yard or garden.
- Room for a ladder or lift: move the car, garden furniture and plant pots out of the way.
- A note if anything in the installation looks damaged.
Frequently asked questions
How often should solar panels be cleaned?
There’s no single schedule; it depends on what’s around: a road, fields, trees, birds. The inverter is a good guide: if output drops on clear days and the equipment is fine, it’s time. Spring, once the winter film is off, and again towards autumn is a convenient rhythm.
Doesn’t rain clean the panels anyway?
Partly. It rinses off dust but leaves droppings, pollen and the strip along the bottom of the frame. On panels laid almost flat, water runs off more slowly and dirt builds up faster.
Can panels be cleaned in winter?
Snow usually slides off by itself. Don’t chip at ice or scrape snow off with a hard shovel, as that easily scratches the glass. Better to wait for temperatures above zero.
Will the handyman check the installation too?
They’ll tell you what they can see: a crack, a chip, a loose cable. Measurements and repairs are done by an electrician with SEP certification as a separate job.
How to order
Describe in the app how many panels you have and where they are: on the roof, on the ground or on a carport, and add photos. Tradespeople near you will send offers with their own price and timing. Compare them by reviews and pick one; only that person sees your address.
You pay the handyman directly and they issue the invoice. They stand behind their own work: if streaks are left or a panel was missed, they’ll go over it again. Old cracks, installation faults and the state of the roof are not on them.
Clean solar panels yourself and comfortable on a roof? Create a tradesperson profile and pick up cleaning jobs in your own town. You work for yourself and choose your own business setup.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the app