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Display technology has come a long way in recent years. OLED and LCD screens are brighter, more colorful and more responsive than ever, but at some point they all succumb to dust, dirt and grime. There are a plethora of cleaners that claim they can make your screen shine again, but we’ve found that the easiest route is actually the best. If you want to refresh all the screens in your home, from TVs to smartphones, we’ll show you the best methods that will help you do it right without damaging any of your equipment.
How not to clean your screens
Photo by Igor Bonifacic/Engadget
Before we get to cleaning a screen, there are several ways to don’t want to follow the process. The first, and most important, is that you don’t want to clean a screen with substances like isopropyl alcohol or Windex. Alcohol and ammonia-based cleaners can damage the anti-reflective coating on your screen. Repeated use of these substances may result in clouding and uneven coating.
Companies like whoosh make cleaning agents that won’t harm your screen, but in my experience it’s best to use distilled water. It’s more affordable than a dedicated cleaning agent and more versatile too since you can use it on a variety of surfaces. It also won’t leave any residue on your screen, which I’ve seen from time to time with products like Whoosh. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or Do it yourself with a few simple cooking utensils.
In a pinch, you can use tap water, but we don’t recommend it. Depending on the hardness of the water in your area and how your municipality treats it, there may be minerals and chemicals that will again leave residue or, even worse, damage the coating on your screen.
Once you have distilled water, you will need a separate spray bottle. One option is to reuse the one you already have at home, but if you don’t have a spare, Muji makes these handy travel bottles from 100ml, 50ml And 30ml sizes that are perfect for the task, and you can find similar bottles on Amazon.
Next, be careful what you use to wipe your screen. You want to avoid using paper towels, dish rags, and anything else that may have an abrasive surface that will damage your screen’s coating. You can use the sleeve of an old but clean t-shirt. That said, you’ll get the best results using microfiber cloths. This is because the fabric they are made from is extremely soft and attracts dust well. We suggest buying a pack so you always have a clean one on hand. The last thing you want to do is use a dirty one and transfer dirt and grime to your screen.
Finally, avoid spraying liquid directly on a screen. You’ll have a lot more control if you lay it on your microfiber cloth and it’s much easier to keep it from getting into the most sensitive parts of the screen.
How to clean your screens
Photo by Igor Bonifacic/Engadget
With all that out of the way, the actual process of cleaning a screen is simple. If you are dealing only with dust, use a can of compressed air or a blower turbine to dislodge him. You can also turn to a dry microfiber cloth.
For anything other than that, dampen your microfiber cloth with a small amount of distilled water, then gently wipe the screen. Once you have covered the entire surface, turn the cloth over and use the dry side to remove excess water. At this point, avoid polishing the screen or using excessive pressure. You don’t want any particles to penetrate the surface of the screen.
That’s it. You should have a clean screen now. Obviously, it will take longer to clean a larger screen, but you can apply the tips mentioned for all types of screens, including TVs, monitors, and smartphone glass screens.
