Gutter and solar panel cleaning keeps rainwater goods clear and PV arrays producing, using roofline access planned under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Optus Glean UK clears gutters and washes solar panels nationwide, favouring ground-based reach-and-wash access, with DBS-checked (Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland), PAYE-employed operatives.
Why it matters: water damage and lost yield
Blocked gutters overflow, and standing water tracks into walls, insulation and stock, so gutter clearance is really building protection. On solar arrays, dust, moss and bird fouling shade the cells and reduce output, so panel cleaning is about recovering generation. Both are periodic tasks that sit alongside our pressure washing and facade cleaning for a complete exterior maintenance programme, and complement high-level cleaning on industrial roofs.
Access planned to the Work at Height Regulations 2005
Rooflines and roofs are work at height, so this service is governed by the Work at Height Regulations 2005. We follow the legal hierarchy: avoid being at height where practicable, prevent falls with a safe place of work, then mitigate the consequences, with collective protection before personal fall arrest. In practice, most gutter clearance and panel washing is done from the ground with pole-fed vacuum and reach-and-wash systems, exactly as we plan our window cleaning. Our working at height guide sets out the reasoning.
How we clean gutters and panels
Gutters are cleared with pole-fed wet-vacuum systems and camera-inspected so blockages are confirmed removed; downpipes and hoppers are checked at the same time. Solar panels are washed with pure water to avoid the streaking and mineral residue tap water leaves, using panel-safe methods that respect the manufacturer's guidance. Every job carries a method statement and risk assessment, and any products used fall under our COSHH procedures.
Directly-employed, vetted teams
This is height and lone work on client premises, so competence and vetting are non-negotiable. Every operative is PAYE-employed, trained to our documented standard, and background-checked (DBS, or Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI) before assignment, with lone-working managed under our lone-working procedures.
One national contract for exterior upkeep
Gutter and panel cleaning is easy to forget until it causes a problem, so we schedule it within a single commercial cleaning contract, alongside pressure washing and window cleaning, delivered to the same documented standard across every UK site, on one invoice.