Flat screen monitor cleaning?

Rick in KY

Rick in KY

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Aug 29, 2002
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I have a flat screen monitor for my computer.

You know the type...it has a kind of textured shield on the surface of the viewing screen.

Anyway, it needs a cleaning, but I'm not sure what is the best method. I have wiped it with a dry cloth and was rewarded with smears.

I'm worried about using some kind of glass cleaner, for fear it will "stain" the screen.

Any thoughts?
 
I've used spectacle cleaner on LCD screens in the past but the problem with using something thats not specifically designed for cleaning computer screens is the risk of damaging the surface.

If you go to staples or somewhere you can pick up packs of screen wipes.
 
Peter Atwood said:
I've heard that you can ruin the flat screens just by touching them, is this true?
Click to expand...

It is fingernails which are the problem and will dent the surface. Any impact type blow will alter how the image displays.

I recently looked at purchasing a second-hand flat screen monitor for a friend. I looked at 4 and purchased a new one!
 
The main difference between old style CRT monitors and LCD monitors when it comes to the front bit is basically CRTs are a big lump of glass (hard and strong!) and the front of most LCD monitors is a plastic film (thin and film like!). I dont recommend you press on them, but if you do you see the colors change under your finger, thats because its putting pressure on the layer of liquid inside the screen thats actually making the picture. if you press too hard you can damage the layer of liquid crystals, or break one of the plastic or thin glass layers and allow the liquid to leak out. This will ruin at least the affected part of the display and possibly the whole screen.

Some high end LCD displays have a thicker glass front on them to protect them and provide better picture quality. An option for normal LCD screens is to get an LCD screen filter (usually glass) carefully clean your LCD screen and then fit the filter, then you just have to clean the more robust and much cheaper filter rather than the screen.

LCD screens arent impossibly fragile however, they last for years in most PDAs and lap tops with a bit of care. The problem with desktop screens is because they arent folded up like a lap top when you arnet using them they tend to collect muck more quickly!
 
Thanks for the advice.

I looked for a manual in my computer's document. Nothing addressed it.

I called the manufacturer of the computer (and monitor...one of the package deals). The outsourced phone guy :rolleyes: there told me, in broken English, to use, "...a small amount of water or alcohol..."

Figured I'd get a 2nd (at least ;) ) opinion.
 
Rick in KY said:
Thanks for the advice.

I looked for a manual in my computer's document. Nothing addressed it.

I called the manufacturer of the computer (and monitor...one of the package deals). The outsourced phone guy :rolleyes: there told me, in broken English, to use, "...a small amount of water or alcohol..."

Figured I'd get a 2nd (at least ;) ) opinion.
Click to expand...

Vodka would work OK.
 
Please don't use alcohol of any kind (isopropyl, vodka...). Alcohol and ammonia can screw things up as bladefixation2 said. I believe most modern screens have an anti-glare coating that may be stripped off from these substances.
 
A little water and a microfiber towel will usually clean up an LCD nicely. I've also used isopropyl alcohol and it's perfectly fine. Most LCDs do NOT have an anti-glare coating, but rather rely on the surface texture of the plastic film.

In addition, most anti-glare coatings do not have issues with alcohol. If you want something stronger than water but still don't want to use straight isopropyl alcohol, you could use lens cleaner (which is essentially water and alcohol anyway, but it doesn't smell as bad):
http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/ulclarlenspr1.html
 
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