Cleaning Your LCD Screen

The major computer outlet stores are now starting to carry LCD cleaners for Flat Panel Monitors and Notebooks that do not contain the chemicals found in many commercial glass cleaners. These cleaners will do the job nicely, but you do have to purchase them. If you do not wish to purchase these factory made cleaners, then you can clean your LCD Screen in the following manner:

What You Can Use

- Water.
- Isopropyl Alcohol. 50%
- Commercial monitor cleaners that do not contain ammonia.

Apple recommends: a soft cloth (no paper towel or tissues) with a mix of 1 part distilled water and 1 part 90 - 98% isopropyl alcohol. (they say tap water will leave white smears)

What You Should Avoid

- Acetone.
- Ammonia - it will cause the screen to go cloudy.
- Ethyl acid.
- Ethyl Alcohol.
- Methyl chloride.
- Toluene.
- Any Commercial glass cleaners containing ammonia.

- Paper towels - they leave streaks and scratches.

How You Should Do It

1) Turn off the monitor or screen.
2) Apply the cleaner to a soft, clean cloth. (Micro-fiber Cloths made by 3M for cleaning eye-glasses work very well to clean LCD screens.)
3) Wipe the cloth across the display from left to right, moving from the top of the display down to the bottom of the display.

If your display contains grease or some other contaminant, then you should dampen your cloth with water instead of a commercial cleaner as the cleaner may smear the contaminants across the screen.

Points to Remember

*Never to spray any liquid directly at your screen.

*Too much pressure most likely scratch your display and could even burn out some of its pixels.