To clean solar landscape lights, wipe the solar panel with a soft cloth dipped in warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap, rinse it with clean water and dry it completely. Clean the lens over the bulb the same way, and check the battery compartment for corrosion while you have the light apart. Skip abrasive pads and household cleaners, which scratch or cloud the plastic panel. A dirty panel is the most common reason solar lights get dim, so it is worth cleaning them every month or two while they are in use.
Why dirty solar lights get dim
Each solar light has a small panel on top that charges a rechargeable battery during the day. At dusk, a light sensor switches on the LED and the battery runs it. Dust, pollen, leaves, bird droppings and hard-water spots all block sunlight from the panel. Less light means less charge, so the light comes on dimmer and shuts off earlier. A battery that is undercharged night after night also wears out sooner, so a clean panel helps the battery last too.
What you need
- A bucket of warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap
- Microfiber cloths or a soft sponge
- A soft brush, such as an old toothbrush, for edges and crevices
- A spray bottle of clean water for rinsing
- White vinegar mixed with an equal amount of water, for mineral spots
- Cotton swabs for the battery contacts
How to clean solar landscape lights step by step
Step 1: Take the lights apart
Turn the light off if it has a switch. Pull the stakes out of the ground so you can work on a table. Separate the light head from the stake, then remove any lens cover or shade. Put small screws in a cup so they don’t get lost. Brush off loose dirt, cobwebs and leaves with a dry cloth or brush before you add any water.
Step 2: Wash the panel and lens
Wipe the panel and the lens with the soapy cloth. For bird droppings or caked-on dirt, let the soapy water sit for a few minutes and then wipe again. Use the soft brush around the edges of the panel, where dirt collects. Don’t press hard on the panel. Don’t soak the light head in the bucket or spray it with a hose nozzle, because water can get past the seals and into the electronics.
Step 3: Treat cloudy panels and hard-water spots
Spray the vinegar mix on mineral spots, let it sit for a minute and wipe it off. Many inexpensive lights have plastic panels that turn cloudy or yellow from sun exposure, and washing won’t fix that. A plastic polish (the kind sold for cloudy car headlights) can clear light hazing. Some people add a thin coat of clear lacquer after cleaning to slow it down. If the panel is cracked or deeply clouded, the light is due for replacement.
Step 4: Check the battery compartment
Open the battery cover and look for white or green crust on the contacts. Clean it off with a cotton swab dampened with the vinegar mix, then dry the contacts fully. If a light still runs short after a full sunny day with a clean panel, the battery is usually worn out. Replace it with the same type and capacity printed on the old one. Most use rechargeable NiMH AA or AAA cells. Don’t use regular alkaline batteries, which can’t be recharged.
Step 5: Rinse, dry and put them back
Rinse everything with the spray bottle so no soap film is left on the panel. Dry each part with a clean cloth and let the pieces air dry before you close them up, since moisture trapped inside causes condensation and corrosion. Reassemble the lights and put them back in the ground, panel facing the sky.
Clean them in the shade or on a cloudy day if you can. In direct sun, the soapy water dries too fast and leaves streaks.
How much sun do solar lights need?
Most solar landscape lights need 6 to 8 hours of direct sun to charge fully. On a full charge, most run for 6 to 8 hours or more. They still charge on cloudy days from indirect light, but more slowly, so after a few gray days in a row expect them to be dimmer and shut off earlier.
Where you put them matters as much as how clean they are:
- Face the panel south, with a clear view of the sky for most of the day.
- Keep it out of the shade of trees, shrubs, fences and the house. A spot that gets full sun in June can be in shade all day in November, when the sun is low.
- Keep the panel away from porch lights and streetlights. The light sensor may decide it is still daytime and never turn the light on.
- For a spot under a deck or a tree, choose a model with a separate panel on a cord, so the panel can sit in the sun while the light sits where you need it.
In a New England winter, short days, low sun and snow on the panels mean many solar lights run for much less time, and some won’t come on at all. Brushing snow off the panels helps, but it won’t make up for the short days.
Solar or low-voltage LED?
Solar lights are fine for a few path lights along a sunny garden bed. On a larger property, low-voltage LED landscape lighting powered by a transformer and run by a timer is the better long-term choice, for a few reasons.
- It works every night. A transformer delivers the same power on the shortest day of December as it does in July. Solar output depends on how sunny yesterday was.
- It is much brighter. Low-voltage fixtures can light a large tree, a stone wall or the front of the house. Solar spotlights rarely have the output for that.
- The fixtures last. Professional fixtures are solid brass, copper or heavy aluminum with glass lenses and sealed housings, built to stay in the ground for many years. Most solar stakes are plastic, and their panels and batteries wear out.
- You put the light where it looks best. Fixtures can go in shade, under trees, on the north side of the house and up in trees, since none of them need sun.
- You control it. A transformer with an astronomic timer, or a lighting control system like Lutron or Savant, turns the lights on at sunset all year and lets you split the property into zones.
- There is less upkeep. There are no panels to clean or batteries to replace. Upkeep is mostly re-aiming fixtures and trimming plants as they grow.
The trade-off is installation. Low-voltage lighting needs cable buried to each fixture and a transformer on a GFCI-protected outlet or circuit, so it costs more up front than a box of solar stakes. If you are setting one up yourself, our guides to sizing a landscape lighting transformer and setting a landscape light timer walk through both parts.
Common questions
Can I use household cleaners on solar lights?
No. Glass cleaners, degreasers and abrasive cleaners can cloud or scratch the plastic panel. Mild dish soap and water, with diluted vinegar for mineral spots, is all you need.
What if water gets inside the light?
Open it up and let it dry completely somewhere warm and dry before you put it back together. Moisture inside causes corrosion on the contacts and the circuit board.
Why does my solar light stay off even after cleaning?
Check that the switch is on and the battery is seated properly. Cover the panel with your hand to see if the sensor turns the light on. If it does, the battery is probably not holding a charge and needs to be replaced.
When a professional system makes sense
If you find yourself replacing solar lights every couple of seasons, or you want lighting that works in January as well as July, it is worth looking at a designed low-voltage system. A designer aims each fixture, sizes the transformers, buries the cable and sets up the controls, and the result needs very little attention afterward.
Planning a landscape lighting project?
We design and install low-voltage LED landscape lighting for homes across Greater Boston, the South Shore and Rhode Island. Book a free consultation or read more about our landscape lighting.
