Solar flood lights are an excellent solution for keeping your home and garden lit up at night, giving an attractive facade and extra security. However, as the panels and the lighting are outside, they are likely to attract dirt, dust and other debris, which over time will lower the amount of light they can emit. Here is a simple guide to keeping your lights clean and functional.
Solar Panels
The solar panel is the part that collects the sunlight and converts it into electricity. The siting of this panel is vital, as you want it to collect as much sunlight as possible—if you are experiencing disappointing results, you should consider moving it somewhere brighter.
Do not use anything abrasive to clean the panels such as scourers or cream cleaner. This could scratch the panel and inhibit its ability to collect light. Instead, use a damp paper towel to brush off any loose particles of dust or dirt, then gently wipe the surface to remove any build-up. Warm water should be enough to clean the surface; however, you could always use a glass cleaning solution if you think the panels are particularly dirty.
Batteries
Your solar flood lights should be weatherproof—after all, they are designed to be used outside. However, moisture and rain can sometimes gather inside the housing, and this can cause the batteries to corrode.
To check the battery, open up the housing and check it for corrosion. Any white powder that has accumulated around the battery and its housing can be removed with a soft brush. If it is too difficult to remove, use fine-grained sandpaper. If the battery is too far gone it may need to be replaced—they do not last forever.
Lights
As with the solar panel, the light cover will attract dust and dirt, and this will diminish the amount of light that it can emit. It is also possible that moisture or debris finds its way inside.
Fortunately, the light covers are very easy to clean. Use a damp cloth to remove any debris, and then clean either with warm water or with a glass cleaning solution. You should make sure that the light and the cover are completely dry before reassembling.
By regularly checking and cleaning the individual solar flood light components, you can ensure that your solar flood lights provide security and light to your home and garden for many years to come.
