How to Clean Skylights

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: May 28, 2021

Skylights bring natural light and a bigger sense of space to a home, and generally, they don't require too much maintenance. Over time, though, they can become cloudy and won't let in as much light. Clean a skylight with soapy water or vinegar only, like ammonia, alcohol, or petroleum-based cleaning solutions will irreversibly damage the materials used in just about every skylight.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting up the Workspace

1
Move furniture and decorations out of the room to prevent damaging them. You will be working with soapy water and possibly vinegar for particularly tough stains, and dry particles like dust and spider webs may come down when cleaning. Take furniture and wall decorations to another room while you clean.^{[1]
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- If moving furniture is too difficult for you, cover your furniture with a tarp instead to protect it from damage. You should still take pictures and small items out of the room.
2
Lay tarp or towels on the floor to catch dust, spider webs, and water. To both protect your floor and make cleanup much easier later on, lay some plastic tarp or large towels on the floor underneath the skylight. As you clean, water, soap, dust, dirt, and other things will fall from the ceiling, and if they fall onto a tarp or towel you can simply take it outside and shake it off rather than sweep it all up later.^{[2]
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- A plastic tarp is optimal as it covers a large area and you can fold it up at the corners without spilling any of its contents.^{[3]
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  Research source} Use a towel only if you don't have access to a tarp.
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3
Tie a rag to the end of a long pole to reach the skylight from the inside. Use an old rag that you don't care too much about, and tie it tightly to the end of an extendable pole or a long-handled mop.^{[4]
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Research source} If you choose to use a mop, you don't need to attach a rag, but if you choose an extendable pole, place the rag's center on top of the pole, then tie the adjacent corners together.
- You can also secure it to the pole with string. Place the rag on the tip of the pole, pull the sides down, and then tie a string tightly around all the corners to hold it in place.
- It's best to use a long pole instead of a ladder, but if you don't have access to one, set up a stepladder or regular ladder in a safe and balanced way.
4
Mix a few drops of dish soap and water together in a bucket. You will use soapy water for both the outside and inside of the skylight, so prepare in advance by mixing just a few drops of dish soap in a bucket full of water. Opt for a 1 US gal (3.8 L) bucket to get a good mix of detergent and water.^{[5]
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- Use regular dish soap without ammonia or specialty cleaning chemicals, as these chemicals will nearly always destroy a plastic skylight or the film over glass skylights.
- Use distilled water if you have hard water from your tap. That way, you won’t leave mineral deposits behind on your skylights.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cleaning Skylights from the Inside

1
Wipe the skylight with a dry rag to get rid of loose dust and debris. Using the rag tied to a long pole, gently sweep away any obvious dust, cobwebs, and other dry debris that you don't need soap and water to remove. Shake off the rag when you are finished, or run it under cold water before soaking it in soapy water so you don't contaminate the bucket.
- You can also use a long broom or a dry mop for this if you don't want to get your rag dirty before using it to wash the skylight.
2
Soak the rag-tipped pole or mop head in soapy water and wring it out. Dip the rag end of the pole into your soapy water bucket, making sure to keep the rag over the water so any drips go back into the bucket. Wring it out over the bucket before you begin washing the skylight or you will almost certainly get very wet.
- If the water in the bucket doesn't foam up, you may need to add more soap. Add a few drops at a time and mix the solution until the surface of the water begins to foam.
3
Drag the soapy rag or mop head over the surface of the skylight. Hold the pole straight up with the rag at the top and drag it across the skylight gently to wash away grime.^{[7]
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Research source} Use a mix of side to side, up and down, and circular motions to get every inch of the skylight.
- The interior of a skylight usually is not the dirtiest part of the skylight, so it should get cleaned relatively quickly.
- Take care not to poke the skylight with the pole or scrub too hard. Even with a rag attached at the end, the sharp tip of a pole could damage your skylight if you push into it forcefully.
4
Use a mix of white vinegar and water for tough grime. Mix ¹⁄₂ c (120 ml) of white vinegar in 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water in a bucket and soak a new rag on the end of a pole in the solution. Vinegar has very well known cleaning properties, which can help to clean stubborn marks or residue on the skylight.
- Vinegar works well for cleaning skylights in kitchens where grease may have spattered on them.^{[8]
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- If you don’t remove the grime right away, try using more vinegar.
5
Dry the skylight with a dry mop or dry towel attached to a pole. Take off the wet rag and wring it out over your bucket. Then, tie a dry towel to the top of the pole and rub it against the skylight to dry it off. This may take several attempts, depending on how saturated your washing rag was with water, so be patient and use multiple towels if necessary.^{[9]
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- A dry mop is a great alternative for this, as it absorbs water extremely well. Just make sure the mop is completely clean and hasn't been used recently or you'll just end up making the skylight dirtier.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cleaning Skylights from the Outside

1
Set up a ladder on the side of the house to access the roof. If possible, opt for a shorter part of the roof so you don't have to climb very high, reducing the risk of losing your balance and falling. Be sure to set up the ladder on even ground and make sure it feels sturdy before using it.^{[10]
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- If you have a way to get to the roof without a ladder, such as a bedroom patio that rises above the roof, simply climb onto the roof from the patio instead of using a ladder.
2
Soak a soft sponge in the cleaning solution and grab a dry towel. After setting up the ladder, soak your sponge in the soapy water so you don't have to bring the bucket up the ladder with you. Then, toss a dry rag over your shoulder and carefully go up the ladder to access the roof.
3
Wipe the exterior of the skylight with a dry towel to remove loose debris. Wipe the outside of the skylight with a dry towel to get rid of dirt and loose particles, like webs, rocks, and dust. This will make the skylight easier to clean and reduce the number of streaks you create while washing the skylight.
- You can also use a power washer to get rid of these things, but be careful when bringing power tools to the roof and consider spraying it from the ground if your power washer can reach it.
4
Wipe the soapy sponge over the surface of the skylight. Use the soapy sponge to remove surface grime, dirt, rain residue, and cloudy buildup. Start from the top of the skylight and wipe side to side. Then, work your way down to the bottom of the skylight to prevent dirty water from dripping on the areas you've already scrubbed.^{[11]
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- The exterior of the skylight is generally much dirtier than the interior, so be prepared to spend a few minutes scrubbing, and using a little more elbow grease.
- Don’t use abrasive cleaning pads since they could scratch or damage your skylight.^{[12]
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5
Use a mix of vinegar and water for stains like sap and hard residue. If there are any particularly tough stains, like droppings or tree sap, mix ¹⁄₂ c (120 ml) of white vinegar in 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water in a bucket. This helps to loosen tough marks, but you will need to wash it with your regular soapy solution afterward.
- Soak a microfiber towel in the solution before heading up the ladder so you don't have to climb the ladder while also carrying a bucket.^{[13]
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6
Climb down the ladder and spray down the skylight with a hose. Carefully climb down the ladder and grab your garden hose. Spray down the skylight with the "jet" setting on your hose nozzle to get rid of the soap.^{[14]
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Research source} Then, simply let it dry in the open air and your skylight should be completely cloud-free!
- If you don't have a "jet" setting on your hose nozzle, block 3/4 of the end of the hose with your thumb to build pressure in the hose and shoot out a jet of water.

Warnings

Never use ammonia, alcohol, or petroleum-based household cleaning products, such as Windex, on skylights, as they are usually made from materials like plexiglass, acrylic, or polycarbonates that react badly with cleaning products. Mild, soapy water is all you need to get a skylight clean, no matter the material.

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If you are worried about falling from the roof or damaging your skylight, consult a professional cleaning service who can do the job for you.

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If there are stains that don't come out with these methods, consult the manufacturer's guide to find out if there are any recommended chemicals to use with your skylight's material.

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