How to Clean an LCD Screen With Common Household Products
Author: Wes Waddell
How to Clean an LCD Screen With Common Household Products
Lots of us, Kathy and I included, have began to move to the new
computer LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens for our desktop
PCs. They're not only for laptops anymore.
With that move came the problem if keeping them clean. I know our cats love to make a mess out of ours. Did you know that you can damage the screen and it's display abilities if you use the wrong cleaners or chemicals on them? It's actually quite easy to mess them up.
That said, Kathy and I had to do a little research, but we found a great recipe for a safe home brew (cleaner) just for our new LCD monitors.
Here's what you need to make own LCD screen
cleaning kit to get that shiny new look back.
Step one: gather the materials.
My guess, is that you probably already have all these things in your house. Here's what we found you need:
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1 bottle of isopropyl alcohol
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1 bottle of distilled water (has all the hard minerals and chemicals removed)
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1 cotton or lint free cloth (make sure it's natual fibers or you'll scratch your screen) an old T-Shirt works well.
Instructions:
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Dilute isopropyl alcohol into a mix with no more than 50% alcohol and the rest distilled water.
Expensive store bought products such as Kensington Screen Guardian contain the same mixture of alcohol and water.
3M's Antistatic Cleaning Solution contains this same mix plus Ethylene Glycol.
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Apply a small amount, as needed just to get the cotton cloth damp... NOT WET!
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Wipe your cloth against the screen, in a gentle consistent motion.
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If you apply too much (cloth is drippy/overly damp), wipe off with a dry soft cloth and apply less next time.
Tips:
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Disposable Tissues will likely leave flakes of paper on your monitor. Better to not even try it.
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You don't want mineral or chemical spots on your screen so don't use tap water.
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Using a 100% cotton cloth or shirt alone, without the alcohol mix, can sometimes produce the same smudge-free results without going to the trouble of mixing your own solution. But, with our cats greasy paws... not a chance.
Warnings:
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Do not drink Isopropyl Alcohol. It is NOT grain alcohol. It is toxic.
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Do not use cheap paper towels. You will scratch the LCD screen.
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Avoid using products like Windex which contain ammonia that can degrade the LCD panel.
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Shut down your monitor or laptop before cleaning it.
About the author:
Wes Waddell is the co-founder of
http://www.PrincessCrafts.com.