The Home Crew · Northern Johannesburg
Solar panel cleaning in Johannesburg
Cleaning for accessible residential solar arrays across our Johannesburg service area. Send the panel count, roof height and access details. Cleaning follows the panel manufacturer's care requirements.
Why panels lose output
The Highveld is dry for months at a time, and fine dust settles on every horizontal surface, roof panels included. Add pollen in spring, leaves after storms, and the debris a hail season leaves behind, and the glass that was built to catch sun is working through a dirty window.
We won’t quote you an output-loss percentage; it depends on how dirty your panels actually are, and anyone who gives you a number sight-unseen is guessing. What is certain is the physics: light through a clean panel beats light through a dusty one, and the clean costs a fraction of what the panels did.
Doesn’t the rain clean them?
A good Highveld thunderstorm rinses loose dust off the glass, and that’s where it stops. What builds up between storms is a fine film of dust mixed with pollen and city grime, and rain driving over it stirs the film and leaves a dried ring where every drop lands instead of lifting it off. Rain is free, and it isn’t a clean.
What solar panel cleaning costs
| Per panel (residential system, under 100 panels)unit cleaning rate; a minimum visit charge and access costs may apply | R35–R50 |
|---|---|
| Large arrays (100+ panels), per panelunit volume rate; a minimum visit charge and access costs may apply | R25 |
| Minimum visit charge, where applicableconfirm the complete visit price; do not add a minimum already included | from R750 |
These are market-sourced guide ranges, not closed quotes: the price is confirmed once we’ve seen the array. Prices reviewed 2026-09-28.
Per-panel prices may exclude a minimum visit charge, access equipment or travel. Confirm the total payable for your array; multiplying the panel count by the lowest unit rate may understate the bill.
How we clean, and what we don’t do
Two methods, both standard for panel glass: a water-fed pole from the ground where the array allows it, and soft non-abrasive brushes from the roof where it doesn’t. The rinse runs on purified water: tap water carries minerals that dry onto the glass and spot it, and a panel’s job is to let light through, not to wear a mineral film. No harsh chemicals, no high-pressure blasting at the glass, no abrasives, and nothing is ever scraped off: bird droppings and the hard film from sprinkler overspray come off with the brush and the rinse, because scraping is what scratches the coating.
Roof height, pitch and safe access determine whether a pole or specialist access equipment is needed. Confirm the method before booking; avoid climbing onto the roof to inspect the panels yourself.
Every clean includes a visual check of the panels so you know if anything looks cracked or shaded before the next one is due.
Service limits. We clean panels; we don’t sell them, install them or repair them, so we won’t quote you on hardware. And scrubbing with the wrong brush can damage the coating on the glass, which is why the soft-brush method exists. If your installer’s paperwork says anything specific about cleaning, keep to it.
Why we book panel cleans for the morning
Cleaning must follow the panel manufacturer's instructions, including water temperature, tools and electrical safety. Do not rinse damaged modules or exposed wiring. A roof-mounted array needs safe access even when the cleaning itself appears straightforward.
The six-monthly plan
Cleaning frequency depends on visible soiling, the installation environment and the manufacturer's guidance. Ask for the total visit price and review the need for repeat cleaning from the array's condition.
Cleaning addresses surface soiling. It cannot promise a fixed output gain or correct shading, electrical faults or damaged modules.
How the job runs, and what you get
WhatsApp the panel count and your suburb (a photo of the array helps) and you get a guide price before an inspection. The crew arrives on the day booked, and before we leave you get:
- the full array rinsed with purified water and soft brushes only: nothing scraped, nothing blasted at the glass;
- the panel count cleaned, so nothing gets skipped on a bigger array;
- a visual report on the state of the panels, with anything cracked or shaded photographed and sent to you, and if we spot damage, you get a recommendation to call your installer.
Same visit as your gutters
Panels and gutters sit on the same roof and need the same ladder. When your panels are due, gutter cleaning rides the same visit: one mobilisation, one safety setup, both jobs done. If the driveway has gone green in the meantime, pressure washing can join the day as well.
Where we clean panels
Northern Johannesburg has the roof space and the load-shedding history that made home arrays common: Fourways, Dainfern, Lone Hill and Midrand especially. We clean arrays everywhere on our patch, including Fourways, from weekly garden and gutter routes. Not sure whether yours is in range? Send the suburb and panel count and we’ll say straight.
Questions we get asked
How much does solar panel cleaning cost in Johannesburg?
Use the applicable per-panel guide and confirm the minimum visit charge, safe access and array size. A small array may be charged at the visit minimum; do not add that minimum again when it already covers the clean.
How often should panels be cleaned?
Base the schedule on visible soiling, local dust and bird activity, safe access and the module manufacturer's guidance. Check performance and condition before arranging a clean; there is no single interval suitable for every array.
Does cleaning actually restore lost output?
Cleaning removes the dust and debris that was blocking the light, so output recovers to whatever the panels can still produce. How much was lost depends on how dirty they were; we won't guess a percentage, but a dirty panel versus a clean one is not a close race.
Can solar panel cleaning be bundled with gutter cleaning?
Yes, and it should be: same roof, same ladder. The crew sets up once, cleans the panels and clears the gutters in one visit, and you pay one mobilisation instead of two.
Will cleaning void my panel warranty?
We can't quote your warranty's terms; check the paperwork your installer gave you. What we can say is that soft brushes and water-fed poles are the coating-safe way to clean panel glass; abrasives and harsh chemicals are what damage it, and we don't use either.
Do you repair or install solar panels?
No, cleaning only. We don't sell panels, mount them or replace cracked glass, so there's no upsell hiding behind the brush. If a visual check turns up damage, you'll get a photo and a recommendation to call your installer.
Before you book
Photograph the array from the ground and share the panel make if known. Cleaning cannot correct shading, inverter faults or damaged panels; those need the appropriate installer.
Scope in detail
Illustrated comparison
Removal of visible surface soiling from the same array. A photograph cannot establish an energy-output improvement.
Generated illustrations explain the work shown. They are not photographs of completed customer jobs.
Solar panel cleaning in your area
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