We learn in life that often times there are no black and white answers to problems. Screen cleaning is one of these areas where it would be impossible to get every manufacturer to agree on a cleaning method. Below we offer guidelines to help you avoid the greatest mistakes and hopefully allow you to clean your screen without fear of ruining its appearance or function.
Warning Note: We get calls every now and again from someone who is looking to see if we know how to fix the damaged antiglare coating on their screen. This is usually the result of having used Windex, Pledge or other similar product on their screen. Unfortunately we know of no way to repair this so please be advised that the antiglare coatings on most of today's screens need to be cleaned with solutions that are made for screen cleaning, such as the ones we offer on our web site.
 Photodon Screen Cleaning Ideas, Tips Guidelines:
You may be able to clean your computer monitor, laptop screen or TV type display with items you already have around the home or office. On the other hand, you may wish to purchase a specially designed kit for your screen display. Several options are mentioned below along with some pros and cons.
Please note: Treat any of the following screen types as you would an expensive camera lens, using quality cleaning materials and tested techniques. The biggest concern is the special anti-glare coatings applied to these surfaces and second would be the fact that many of these screen displays are made of plastic type materials.
LCD screens are made of plastic materials, unlike the big shiny curved glass tubes of yesteryear. The LCD surface is made of a soft plastic film that is vulnerable to scratches, damage by sharp articles and/or improper cleaners.
Most cathode ray tube (CRT) type monitors, HDTV's and add-on glare reduction screens have anti-glare coatings to help reduce reflections.
Many large screen projection type TV's have a screen made of a plastic or acrylic type material.
Plasma screens are made of glass substrate but are usually coated for glare reduction, also.**
All these screens require special attention to clean properly and safely.
Do Not:
- Work with the monitor turned on
- Press on the screen with your fingers or other objects
- Apply excessive wiping pressure
- Use dirty, abrasive or linty cloths
- Use any alcohol except isopropyl alcohol*
- Use any cleaners, such as acetone, which contain ketones as they will destroy plastics and the antiglare coatings quite quickly.
- Use ammonia as a cleaner
- Allow liquid to run into the edges under the frame of the screen or display
- Use Kleenex, paper towels, sponges or other coarse shop towels! These materials may contain abrasives that can scratch plastic, acrylic, poly carbonate surfaces or surface coatings. Also, you will find many fabrics to be quite dusty or linty, leaving the same on your screen.
Do:
- Work with the screen display turned off and cool.
- Wipe the screen using light pressure.
- Use clean, lint free cotton, microfiber cloths or low-lint wipes.
- Use water, diluted isopropyl alcohol (in moderation) or, ideally, a specially formulated, low impact screen cleaning solution.
- Apply solutions to the cloth, then wipe the screen with the cloth to avoid the possibility of excess moisture running into the frame of the device, thus the possibility of screen damage.
- Use canned air to remove dust from edges or corners.
Worth Repeating: Most screens have an anti-glare coating that can be permanently scratched or easily worn by excessive wiping pressure or from improper cleaning solutions. Make certain that the cloths you use are clean and do not contain any sand or grit.
The following are good general and safe methods for keeping your LCD screen clean without causing un repairable damage to the surface of the screen or display unit.**
Three levels of screen cleaning
The most common type of screen cleaning is large and small dust particles attracted to the surface of the screen.
Use a soft brush or cloth to gently brush away any larger dirt particles or use canned air to blow them away. Then use the cleaning instructions below.
A second type of screen situation is visible smoke and pollutants that have over time caused a hazy or yellowish look.
A third type would be the most severe as you have a combination of the above, plus fly droppings (little round dots), mucous from a sneeze or other unknown substances on the surface of the screen. If you have ink on the screen, see the special cleaning note further down.
Screen Size, Humidity, Temperature
- Size of the screen
- Humidity of the room
- Temperature of the screen surface.
On a small display you can reasonably clean the whole screen at one time. On a large screen you may want to clean half or a third of the screen at a time.
Trying to clean the whole surface of a large flat panel screen that is still warm will result in streaking and the likelihood that you will damage the screen coatings.
Using liquid cleaning solutions
Techniques when using any type of solution on your screen, including the use of water: The first is the standard, most recommended, method and the second is the advanced method.
Streaking is caused by not having enough solution on the screen to pick up the dirt that is on the screen. In this case the lack of enough solution is creating a paste or mud, and the cloth is spreading this paste leaving streaks. So the proper amount of solution is important and will vary depending on the amount of surface dirt.
The standard most recommended method: Spray the solution onto the cloth, first making the cloth quite damp, then wiping the screen with the damp cloth.
This eliminates the possibility of damaging the screen from solution running down the screen and
into the frame area. Pros: it is safer method. Cons: you use more solution and less solution actually goes to work on the screen. This may in some cases cause streaking.
The second more advanced method: If you have a good, fine mist sprayer on your solution bottle and some experience with using the sprayer, it should be safe to spray the solution directly onto the screen surface. It is recommended that you have your cleaning cloth in hand, ready to catch any runs that may develop before they reach the screen edge.
Pros: best use of the solution. Cons: you take the chance of getting moisture into the screen framework, possibly causing
damage.
Wiping Method
It has been recommended by some to wipe the screen from one side to the opposite in one direction only. This is suggested so as not to redeposit dirt particles back onto the screen surface. This technique is not very practical and with today's microfiber cloths is totally unnecessary. It is more important to start with a clean cloth, use light wiping pressure and to wipe any one area a minimal amount of times.
What is Microfiber Cloth?
Each filament of this subminiature fiber, which is much thinner than a human hair, is split into many wedge shaped strands, multiplying the surface area of and the osmosis / wicking power of each filament. With the proper combination of materials and the splitting of the already super fine fibers, these unique microfiber cleaning materials have been created. These fibers can be made into several types of cloths for different uses depending on how these fibers are knitted or woven together. Microfiber screen cloths can clean the surface of an LCD monitor far better than a cotton cloth material.
Safety Issue
Turn off your monitor or screen. This is a safety issue, most manufacturers recommend turning off the monitor and unplugging it. It is easier to see the screen surface against the darker background. It is also easier to work on a cool screen than on one that has just been turned off. This is because a warm surface will evaporate the cleaner solution before it has had a chance to loosen the dirt and before you have had a chance to wipe it off the surface of the screen. Microscopic dirt not suspended in solution as you wipe the surface can cause streaking and would be more damaging to the surface coatings.
Cleaning Techniques for different situations
Method one (least recommended): Use a soft, lint free, clean cotton cloth and water. A decent cotton cloth would be a clean, well used tee shirt. We mention the cotton cloth even though the better method would be to use a microfiber cloth or lint free wipe made specifically for screen cleaning. Make sure the cloth (cotton or microfiber) is damp but wrung out very well. If you have trouble wringing the cloth, simply allow it to dry for about half an hour.
Take the cloth and wipe the screen lightly. This will remove dust and most dirt from the screen. A cotton cloth is likely to leave lint. Also, it will not remove oily fingerprints and certain other surface contaminates. For these see the alternate methods.
Use a dry cloth or dry portion of the cloth and again use light wiping pressure to wipe the screen dry. Repeating this method and/or allowing the surface to remain damp longer may improve the results. If your screen has oily finger prints, streaks, smoky film and other hazy situations, see method two or three below. Microfiber cloth will lift more of the finer dirt particles as the actual individual fibers are a hundred times smaller than a human hair and microfiber is able to lift most fingerprints from a screen surface without solution.
* Method two:
The next, more aggressive technique and often suggested method is to use a 50-50% solution of isopropyl alcohol and water along with a soft cotton, lint free wipe or microfiber cloth. There are over 20 types of alcohol, such as rubbing alcohol, ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol. Most of these will leave smudges and/or likely damage the antiglare coatings of your screen. 70% isopropyl alcohol, a first aid antiseptic available at the drug store, can be safely used diluted 50-50% with pure or distilled water as a cleaning solution under the following circumstances. Alcohol should not be used often as it can deteriorate/dry and make plastic brittle.
As the effect on screen coatings is unknown, limit the frequency you use this method. Please note: 70% isopropyl alcohol also can be used to remove ink from screens.
Method Three ( recommended): With the monitor off, use a clean, high quality microfiber cloth and a specially formulated high quality cleaning solution available in kit form from Photodon.com. Make sure the cloth is clean and grit free before starting. We provide our kits in a re closeable zip-lock bag for clean storage between uses.
Spray a liberal amount of the cleaning solution onto one portion of the cloth. If you are confident of the sprayer and your ability not to allow liquid to run into the screen frame, you can apply the spray directly to the screen. See using liquid cleaning solutions
Using light pressure, wipe the screen to evenly distribute the solution on the screen.
Rotating the cloth to a dry portion, wipe the screen to dry. You may need to rotate the cloth a second time. Always use light wiping pressure.
Wipe gently and Do not over work or apply excessive pressure to avoid damaging the surface or surface coatings. Finally clean the edges and corners, lifting any dust or debris into the cloth.
How to Remove Ink or Permanent Marker from the Surface of the Screen
We get a lot of inquiries asking how to remove ink or permanent marker from the surface of the screen. This technique has worked for many users. Try a solution of 50-50% water and "70% isopropyl / rubbing alcohol", available in drug stores. If this does not work then use the 70% isopropyl alcohol full strength on a clean cloth this should remove most inks from the screen. Do not use this any more than necessary and rub lightly as it could cause damage if over used.
** Consult your manual for manufacturers recommended cleaning procedures before using any liquid cleaners on LCD / notebook screens.
Dear Photodon,
I just got my plasma TV cleaning kit, and I wanted to tell you that I
LOVE IT!!
You saved my plasma! I tried just about every product I could
get my hands on to get my TV as clean as when I got it, but nothing
worked. Not only did your plasma cleaner clean my screen perfectly, it
got rid of all the gunk that was left from the other cleaners I've
tried. The cloudiness and streaks are gone, and I am a very satisfied
customer.
Thank you!
D.T.J. New York NY
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* Before using any liquid cleaners on your screen, consult your manual for manufacturers recommended cleaning procedures.
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Hi Don,
I wanted you to know that your package arrived and I have cleaned our laptop monitor according to your directions. This is an excellent product! Our monitor was really in need of cleaning and I'm glad I held off using anything else on it. The cleaning cloth is also much higher quality than the microfiber cloth I've been using to dust the laptop.
Thank you for your fast service, great products, helpful instructions - and also for the written greeting and smiley on the front of the envelope!
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For questions or inquiries:
Call: 847-377-1185 9am to 5pm EST
Fax: 775-535-1646
Mailing address:
Photodon, LLC
2496 Potter Road E.
Traverse City, MI USA 49686-8599
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