Cleaning laptop and LCD monitor screens is different from cleaning the usual CRT screens and requires some additional care and safeguards. A large part of this is because the traditional CRT screen is made up of glass, so it is a lot less prone to scratches from dust particles then your LCD screen.
You can follow these steps and guidelines while cleaning your laptop or LCD monitor to keep out of harm’s way and have a sparkling clean screen.
Materials you would need
- A soft lint free cotton cloth (microfiber cloth works best).
- Distilled Water. Isopropyl Alcohol or white vinegar (if there are oil stains)
- A bottle (atomizer bottle works best)
How to Clean Your LCD Monitor
- If it is just dust you are getting rid of, distilled water would be sufficient and you don’t need any other cleansing agent. If there are fingerprints on the screen or some oily stains than the best thing to use is a solution of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol. Note that you should NEVER clean off the screen with a dry cloth. This way the dust particles can easily scratch the surface of the screen.
- If you are going to need Isopropyl Alcohol, you should make a solution consisting of equal amounts of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.
- You then need to put this solution (or just distilled water if that is the case) into an atomizer bottle.
- Spray the contents of the bottle onto the soft lint free cloth, DO NOT spray directly on the screen, make sure that you are holding the cloth away from laptop when spraying. A damp cloth (or perhaps an edge of cloth) is what we are looking for, we don’t need to soak it in the solution.
- Gently wipe the screen with the cloth. Horizontal and vertical movements work best, however if there are areas that need a little extra attention or streaks going along the screen, you can concentrate on the area with some circular movements.
What you should not do
I have been pointing out the Do’s and the Don’ts all along, and here are some more absolute NO-NO’s:
- Never use cleansing agents like window cleaners, soap solutions etc. These contain chemicals that can harm the screen. In particular you should avoid anything that contains the likes of ammonia, acetone, toluene or ethyl alcohol.
- Don’t spray directly on the screen. If you can’t find an atomizer bottle, you can pour some liquid onto the cloth just make sure it is not soaking wet. Again do all this away from the laptop
- Do not use tissue papers, newspaper or shower towels to clean the screen. You can easily scratch the screen with these.
- Don’t use tap water, it always contains some dissolved salts that can harm the screen.
- Don’t clean while the laptop/computer is powered on. Turning off not only gives you a nice black screen that lets you see the stains easily, you also avoid the risk of damaging your computer accidentally.
- Don’t put too much pressure on the screen while cleaning. Doing so can permanently damage the screen.
How do you clean your LCD monitor or laptop screens? Any ‘top secret formula X‘ that you might want to share in the comments? We won’t tell anyone. Promise!
Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/
Related posts
- Verdict: Microsoft ClearType Tuner is Totally Worth It (2)
- Use One Keyboard & Mouse For Two Computers (PC Only) (23)
- Two Replacements For The Windows Laptop Battery Meter (12)
- The Laptop Buying Guide For 2009 (20)
- Synergy- Multiple Computers On One Mouse & Keyboard (16)