How to Clean and Keep your Skylights Shining?

Skylights are the fenestration used for light transmission forming the entire or part of the roof of a building and it is mainly made for day lighting purposes. These were first used in ancient Roman architecture, but today seen in many houses that are following “green techniques” to save electricity in the morning.

However, these skylights are open to dirt, dust, pollution, wind and everything that can make it dirty. Preserve the enchanting view offered by your skylight with proper maintenance and it can be easily done by following some tips. You should however hire professional cleaners at least twice a year for cleaning skylights.

how to clean and keep your skylights shining

Tips for Cleaning Skylights

  • Remove all furnishings and the screen from the skylight before beginning the process of cleaning.
  • Use a few towels or ground cloth to catch the drips.
  • Buy a squeegee or an expandable mop to make the process of cleaning easy.
  • For your convenience, use a ladder for the cleaning purpose. While using the ladder, take proper precautions and be careful.
  • In a bucket full of water, say about a gallon, add ammonia (1/4 cup) and a pinch of dish liquid soap. An alternative method is to use a mixture of white vinegar (1/2 cup), organic detergent (1 tablespoon in powdered form). To avoid any deposition of mineral, distilled water is preferred.
  • After soaking the mop in the cleaning mixture, the excess liquid should be wrung out before cleaning the skylight. For slanting skylights, begin the cleaning process from its peak and move downwards.
  • In case of a new squeegee, clean it scrupulously before commencing the cleaning process to prevent streaks from being left behind. Make the squeegee slightly moist to prevent it from skittering. Start the cleaning process form right to the left and lapping over each stroke.  Clean the squeegee in between strokes.
  • Use a lint-free towel and cover the squeegee with it to catch the drips. Use a cotton towel in case of Plexiglas or plastic skylights instead of microfibre cloth to prevent scraping.
  • Clean the outer part of the skylight following the same steps after climbing onto the roof of the skylight safely.

Some More Suggestions

  • The first time a skylight is cleaned, the shielding film on it will produce strips due to cleaning. Continue the process of cleaning till the glass is devoid of those streak marks.
  • Kitchen skylights are more greasy, oily and certainly more dirty. In such cases, a stronger solution is required which can be obtained by adding vinegar or ammonia to the cleaning solution.
  • Only apply a cleaning solution with the sponge mop. Avoid spraying a cleaner as it can trickle down to the breathing space.
  • The solution may drip on you while you are cleaning, so consider shielding your eyes.
  • To catch the water as it is applied, you can cut a hole in an umbrella and attach it upside-down on the mop handle.
  • Ventilate the area well and consider wearing gloves and goggles when using ammonia.

Thus you can see, to keep your skylights prim and shining, it should be meticulously cleaned at least twice a year. Follow the above mentioned tips of cleaning for desirable results.

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