Skylight Cleaning
Restore the natural light that dirty glass is costing you
Skylights can lose 30–40% of their light transmission when coated with pollen, mineral deposits, and organic debris — and most homeowners never notice because the change happens gradually over months and years. Professional skylight cleaning restores that light transmission completely and, importantly, gives a trained eye access to inspect the skylight flashing, frame, and seals for early signs of leaks that cause significant damage if left undetected. It's one of the most impactful single services for interior light quality.
Interior vs. Exterior Skylight Cleaning
Both surfaces matter — and they accumulate different types of contamination:
- Exterior: pollen, bird droppings, mineral deposits from rain, debris from overhanging trees — standard with annual professional cleaning
- Interior: dust, condensation residue, cooking grease (for skylights over kitchens or open-plan spaces), insect activity — often neglected because of height
- Combined interior + exterior is the recommended service for maximum light restoration
Safety Considerations
Skylight cleaning requires either interior access from a tall ladder or scaffold, or exterior access on the roof. Both involve meaningful fall risk. Professional window cleaning companies carry the appropriate insurance and equipment for both scenarios — never attempt exterior skylight cleaning on a pitched roof without proper safety equipment.
For interior cleaning of skylights more than 12 feet above the floor, professional equipment (tall ladders, scaffold towers, or water-fed poles) is required to reach the glass safely.
What Skylight Cleaning Reveals
A trained window cleaner examining a skylight at close range can identify early-stage problems that aren't visible from the floor:
- Cracked or separating flashing at the roof-to-skylight junction
- Compromised weatherstripping or sealant around the frame perimeter
- Condensation between double-pane glass (indicating seal failure)
- Staining on the frame or adjacent ceiling plaster indicating past or active water infiltration
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my skylight needs cleaning?
Stand beneath the skylight on a clear day and compare the light quality to what you expect from the sky. If the glass looks hazy, yellow, or significantly darker than open sky viewed directly, it needs cleaning. Water staining around the frame on the interior side indicates a seal issue that should be inspected at the same time.
Can skylights be cleaned from the inside only?
Interior-only cleaning improves clarity from below but doesn't address the exterior surface, which usually carries the heavier contamination load. For meaningful light restoration, both surfaces should be cleaned. Interior-only is a reasonable approach when roof access is impossible or cost-prohibitive, but expect 50–60% of the improvement of a full clean.
What's the cost premium for skylight cleaning vs. standard windows?
Skylights are typically priced at $50–$150 each, depending on size and access complexity. The premium reflects the additional time, equipment, and safety requirements involved in working at height on a pitched roof versus standing windows.
How often should skylights be cleaned?
Once per year is adequate for most skylights. Those over kitchens or in rooms that generate significant humidity may need interior cleaning twice yearly. If a skylight is beneath a tree canopy, exterior cleaning twice per year prevents sap and debris buildup from bonding permanently to the glass.
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