How Do You Clean LCD Screens?

I have one at work and await the answer. At least I've convinced the boss not to plaster it with his gosh darn Post It notes.

I wouldn't even squirt a glass monitor with windex, Phoenix. The electrostat charge on some of them attracts a microfine dust that runs and can stain the surrounding plastic.

I believe monitors, TV screens, scanners, etc. must be cleaned with anti-magnetic cloth which can be purchased in any fine Wal-Mart or Target stores for a few dollars.

Ajax and Brillo pads works for me...

SealPoet- How about a sander? That should take off the tough fingerprints.

Daddy has a Harbor Seal
Cleaned its monitor with a sander
Just when you thought that Microsoft
Windows couldn't get blander.

LOL. I never used windex on mine, I just use a lightly damp bounty paper towel. It has to be bounty because it's the softest and it works much better than sandpaper

Well, I do it as the instructions of mine say: just clean it with a soft washcloth (dry, I suppose, ... my 17'' isn't dirty yet).

Phoenix32890 - The documentation that came with the LCD probably has some info. Here's what mine says:

"Be sure to unplug the power cord from the power outlet before cleaning your monitor.
"Clean the LCD screen with a soft cloth. If you use a glass cleaning liquid, do not use any type of cleaner containing an anti-static solution or similar additive as this may scratch the LCD screen'scoating.
"Clean the cabinet, panel, and controls with a soft cloth lightly moistened with a mild detergent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder, or solvent, such as alcohol or benzine.
"Do not rub, touch, or tap the surface of the screen with sharp or abrasive items such as a ballpoint pen or screwdriver. This type of contact may result in a scratched picture tube.
"Note that material deterioration or LCD screen coating degradation may occur if the monitor is exposed to volatile solvents such as insecticide, or if prolonged contact is maintained with rubber or vinyl materials."

Good luck with the monitor. My first $600+ SONY LCD lasted about 9 months. Thankfully, it was still under warranty. The 1995 IBM is/was a dream machine! The SONY power unit failed twice within the first 6 months and had to be shipped from the East Coast to the West Coast for repairs both times!!! The old IBM ... you guessed it, NEVER. I wanted a new super sized IBM, but they're made only in black. I just couldn't.

Charli- I bought a Samsung, and got the three year warrantee (from what you said about YOUR LCD, it sounds like the warrantee was a good idea). Thanks for the info.

The stuff in the book that came with the LCD is less clear than the instructions that come with Microsoft products. There is a help section on the CD that came with it, but I have not checked it out yet.

Already I nearly had a hissy fit. I must have hit a wrong button, because I got a message that there was no connection from the monitor, and to check my cable connections, My husband played around with it for awhile,and figured out that I had hit a button that I shouldn't. It would have been nice if the book that came with the monitor had a description of what all the buttons were for. When I had hit the button, the CD with the help section was of no use, 'cause I could not get a picture!

Thanks again, and Happy New Year!

I don't recommend liquid of any soet applied directly to an LCD or CRT. I moisten a fresh, soft paper towel, then use that to gently wipe the LCD or more vigorously wipe a CRT. A final gentle buffing with another clean bit of paper towel, or, my personal pick, a micro-fiber cloth, finishes the job. I'm a smoker, so gunk builds up on my monitor screens, and to a lesser extent on my TV screens. I clean them frequently, using a roughly 50/50 mix of distilled water and denatured alcohol. Commercial window cleaners can leave unwanted residues, so avoid them. There are commercial solutions specifically labled for cleaning viewing screens, but I've been using my home-made mix for years with seemingly satisfactory results. A laptop with an LCD screen appears fine after three years of such care, and one TV is coming up on 15 years old, showing no evident ill effect.



timber

I need a shoulder to cry on. (See my post above.) Two hours on the phone tonight with SONY: The mouse went kaput!!! Made the cursor travel only in the center of the monitor, top to bottom. No fixing it; it's garbage! The one I'm using is from my 1995 IBM. At least the problem isn't/wasn't IN the computer. 'Tis awearying. Next time, buy a "BLACK" IBM and spray paint it! Thanks for listening.

Here's what I recommend:

1. DON'T use commercial cleaners for glass etc., or anything with either ammonia or alcohol in it. Ammonia and alcohol can both attack the LCD screen. If you've used such a cleaner on it once and you've got a few minor streaks, don't sweat it -- just DON'T do it again!

2. DON'T use paper towels. They're abrasive. They'll quickly start to wreck the anti-glare coating on an LCD screen.

3. To clean, use a well-washed and -worn pure cotton T-shirt (or similar -- natural fibers if possible, and always well-worn; most people have several of these lying around, sometimes being used for general cleaning). Moisten a portion of it slightly with water, wipe surface gently, and then immediately wipe again with a dry part of the T-shirt. This has always been the best strategy for me. For touch-ups, I use my breath and a T-shirt cloth.

4. Make sure your cloth hasn't been softened with dryer sheets, liquid softener, etc. Leaves residue that's hard to remove. Should be washed in nothing but detergent, double-rinsed, and then dried.

5. Resist the temptation to touch your LCD screen between cleanings. The less you touch it, the less you'll need to clean it.

You can also research certain types of cleaners that are specifically formulated for LCD screens. Remember, these little blighters cost up to several thousand dollars to replace if you break 'em out of warranty protection. Treat your LCD screen with kid gloves!

Woody

Thanks for the disrecommendation, Charli. My computer has been getting a bit balky lately (Locking up). I may not replace it with IBM, but I just put Sony on my 'never buy' list.