My Hunt for Solar Panel Cleaners

Alright, so the other day I was looking up at my roof. Those solar panels, man, they were looking pretty rough. Covered in dust, some bird droppings, you know how it gets. I kinda felt like maybe they weren't pulling in as much sun as they used to. Seemed logical, right? Dirty windows don't let light through, same idea.

So, I figured it was time to get 'em cleaned. First thought, maybe I could do it myself? Climbed up on the roof? Nah, not really feeling like risking my neck or messing up the panels with the wrong stuff. Decided to find someone who actually knows what they're doing.

Pulled out my phone and did the usual thing. Typed in something like solar panel cleaning companies near me. Got a whole list back, naturally. Some looked like big operations, others just local guys. A few seemed like general pressure washing outfits that just added "solar panels" to their list. Made me a bit wary, didn't want some high-pressure jet blasting my expensive panels.

Making Some Calls

I picked out maybe three or four that looked like they specialized in panels, or at least mentioned it prominently. Started making calls. Had to explain my setup each time:

• How many panels I got.
• If the roof was steep or easy to get on.
• How dirty they actually looked up close (or as close as I could tell).

Some gave me a rough price over the phone. One guy insisted on coming out to take a look first, which felt a bit more thorough, I guess. The prices were kind of all over the place. One seemed super cheap, made me wonder what corners they'd cut. Another quote felt way too high, like they were charging a premium just 'cause it's solar.

I tried to get a feel for them on the phone too. Did they sound like they knew about panels specifically? Did they talk about using filtered water or special brushes? Little things like that. Didn't want someone just spraying tap water and leaving hard water stains, defeating the whole purpose.

Getting the Job Done

Ended up choosing a company that was somewhere in the middle price-wise. The guy I spoke to sounded knowledgeable and explained their process – used some kind of purified water system, soft brushes. Seemed legit. Scheduled a time for them to come out.

They showed up right on time, which was a good start. Two guys in a van with tanks and hoses and long poles with brushes on the end. They got up on the roof pretty efficiently, seemed careful where they stepped. Took them maybe an hour, hour and a half for the whole job. Didn't make a huge mess either.

When they finished, man, what a difference. The panels were actually black again, gleaming in the sun. Looked brand new. Paid the guys, they gave me an invoice, and that was that. Simple enough.

Honestly, glad I didn't try to DIY it. They had the right gear and knew how to move around on the roof without breaking anything. Feels good knowing they're clean and hopefully soaking up more rays now. Probably need to do it again next year or the year after, but finding someone wasn't too hard once I started looking.