SKYLIGHT SAFETY
Skylight Cleaning Safety: What Every Bend Homeowner Should Know
Skylights let in that big Central Oregon sky, and they collect needles, pollen and smoke film fast. Here’s what you can safely clean yourself and when the job belongs to someone with the right equipment.
The Short Answer
Clean the inside of a skylight from the floor with an extension pole, never from the top of a ladder. Leave the outside to a professional, because it means roof work. Never step on, sit on or lean on a skylight. Most aren’t built to hold a person’s weight.
Why Skylights Are Risky
- They aren’t walkable. Workplace safety rules treat skylights like holes in the roof for fall-protection purposes, because people fall through them.
- Roof pitch and surface. Composition shingles get slippery with pine needles, pollen and morning frost.
- Bend weather. Snow and ice sit on roofs much of the winter, and frost lingers on shaded slopes well into spring.
- Height inside. Vaulted ceilings put skylights 15 feet or more overhead, which means long ladders on hard floors.
What You Can Safely Do Yourself
- Clean the inside glass with a microfiber pad or small squeegee on an extension pole, standing on the floor.
- Use a light spray of glass cleaner or mild soapy water, and keep drips off the drywall around the opening.
- Wipe the frame and any blinds or shades the same way.
- From the ground, check for needles and debris piled around the skylight curb that might trap water.
If the glass looks cloudy or foggy between the panes even after cleaning, the seal has likely failed. Cleaning can’t fix that; the unit needs repair or replacement.
When to Hire a Professional
- Any outside cleaning that requires getting on the roof
- Skylights over a vaulted ceiling you can’t reach from the floor
- Heavy needle buildup around the skylight curb
- Smoke or ash film after fire season
- Steep or high roofs, or any roof with frost, snow or ice
Our skylight and high-access window cleaning covers skylights, clerestories and second-story glass from late spring through fall. Skylights aren’t cleaned in winter, when roofs are snowy and icy.
Best Time to Clean Skylights in Bend
Early summer, after pine pollen has settled, and again in fall, after smoke season and before snow. See our seasonal timing guide for the full calendar.
Skylight Safety Questions
Can I stand on my skylight to clean it?
No. Most skylights aren’t designed to hold a person’s weight, and falls through skylights are a recognized workplace hazard.
How do I clean a skylight inside a vaulted ceiling?
From the floor with an extension pole and a microfiber pad or small squeegee. Avoid tall ladders on hard floors.
Why is my skylight still cloudy after cleaning?
If the haze is between the panes, the seal has failed and moisture has gotten in. That needs repair, not cleaning.
Can skylights be cleaned in winter?
Inside, yes. Outside cleaning should wait until roofs are free of snow, ice and frost.
CALL FOR WINDOW CLEANING
Skylights You Can’t Reach?
Call us and describe your skylights and roof. We’ll tell you what’s involved and give you a price.