Florida is a high-soiling environment disguised as a rainy one. We get plenty of rain, but rain is a poor cleaner: it rinses loose dust while leaving the bonded film of pollen, salt and organic residue in place, then dries with its own dissolved minerals.
Schedule by environment
- Oceanfront or within a mile of the beach: every 3-6 months (salt film)
- Under oak or pine canopy: every 6 months (pollen, needles, sap, bird activity)
- Near farmland, dirt roads or active construction: every 6 months (dust)
- Standard suburban inland lot: every 12 months
- Ground-mount arrays with sprinkler overspray: every 6 months (mineral spotting)
Florida's four soiling seasons
- Late winter to spring: oak and pine pollen coats everything
- May and September: lovebug swarms leave acidic residue that bakes onto glass
- Summer: daily storms plus humidity feed organic growth on panel edges
- Fall: leaf drop and debris accumulation in and around the array
If you only clean once a year, schedule it for late spring - after pollen season and the first lovebug wave, and right before the highest-production summer months.
Signs your array is overdue
- A visible haze, film or water spotting on the glass when you look up
- Production down 5% or more year-over-year in comparable months
- Bird droppings, nesting material or leaf litter between panel rows
- It has been more than 12 months, or you have never had it cleaned
The cheapest option is a schedule
The homeowners who get the most out of their systems are the ones who stop thinking about it - panel cleaning on a set rotation, ideally bundled with roof or gutter work that needs doing anyway. That is exactly what our Club Fresh plan is built around.