How to clean all the screens in your home

Whether you’re talking about the screen of an old laptop or that brand new OLED TV you just bought, all displays get dusty and dirty over time. You may be hesitant to give the screens in your home a thorough cleaning; the fact there are so many products claiming to do it best certainly doesn’t help. In my experience, the best approach is the simplest. If you want to refresh all of the screens in your home, I’ll outline the best way to clean them.

How not to clean your screens

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Before we get to how to clean a screen, there are a few ways you don’t want to go about the process. The first and most important is that you don’t want to clean any display using substances like isopropyl alcohol or Windex. Alcohol- and ammonia-based cleaners can damage a screen’s anti-reflective or glossy coating, and using those substances repeatedly can lead to clouding and the coating becoming uneven.

Companies like Whoosh make cleaning products that won’t damage your screen, but in my experience, you’re better off using distilled water. It’s more affordable than a dedicated cleaning agent. Plus, it’s more versatile since you can use it on a variety of surfaces. It also won’t leave behind any residue on your display, which is something I’ve seen products like Whoosh do occasionally. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware.

It’s possible to use tap water, but we don’t recommend it. Depending on the hardness of the water in your area and how the municipality you live in treats it, there may be minerals and chemicals that will leave behind residue or, worse, damage your display.

Once you have some distilled water, you’ll want a separate spray bottle. One option is to reuse one you already have at home, but if you don’t have a spare, Muji makes handy travel bottles in 100ml, 50ml and 30ml sizes that are perfect for the task. You can also find similar options on Amazon.

Next, be mindful of what you use to wipe your screen. You want to avoid using paper towels, dish rags or anything else that may have an abrasive surface that will damage the display’s coating. You can use the sleeve of an old (but clean) t-shirt, but you’ll get the best results using a microfiber cloth.

Microfiber is extremely soft and good at attracting dust. We suggest buying a pack of rags so that you always have a clean one ready. The last thing you want to do is use a dirty one and transfer any dirt and grime onto your display.

Lastly, avoid spraying any liquid directly on a display. You’ll have a lot more control if you deposit it on your microfiber cloth and it’s much easier to avoid any of it making its way into the more sensitive parts of the display.

How to clean your screens

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

With all that out of the way, the actual process of cleaning a display is straightforward. If you’re only dealing with some dust, use a can of compressed air or an air blower to dislodge it. You can also turn to a dry microfiber cloth.

For anything more than that, dampen your microfiber cloth with a small amount of distilled water and then gently wipe the display. Once you’ve gone over the entire surface, turn over the cloth and use the dry side to remove any excess water. At this stage, avoid buffing the screen or using excessive pressure. You don’t want to work any particles into the surface of the screen.

That’s it. You should have a clean display now. Naturally, it will take longer to clean a bigger screen, but you can put to use the tips mentioned for all types of displays, including TVs, monitors and glass smartphone displays.

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