Everyone who has a device with a monitor knows how dusty and dirty it can be. No matter if you clean your apartment regularly or not, it seems that dust is constantly everywhere. This also means that all the devices in the house that have monitors will be covered in dust. To be honest, dust can’t damage your computer or TV so easily but if you don’t clean their monitors regularly, the risk of dust piling up is increasing. Apart from this, after some time, you will notice strange stains on your monitor, fingerprints, etc. If those stains stay there for too long, they will become quite difficult to remove.
Modern TVs and desktop computer monitors are slim, bright, sharp and very responsive but these advantages come with one downside and it is their sensitivity. They look amazing and they have amazing performance but they aren’t as durable as those big old TVs and desktop computers. The screen of the modern TV/computer is very delicate and it can’t survive severe handling. When you clean your monitors regularly, you can get rid of the dust and stains with gentle wiping but if you let the dust pile up and let the stains harden, you may need to wipe the monitors roughly in order to get rid of them and the monitors may get damaged during the process.
Cleaning monitors is, in fact, simple process and if you stick to the basic rules, it can be done in less than 5 minutes, including the preparations. Dust and stains themselves can’t damage your devices but they make your computer/TV look messy and dirty and it can be quite unpleasant and unattractive to use them in that condition. This is why it is necessary to clean them on a regular basis and save a lot of time and money. Also, this is the reason why we have prepared this article in order to explain to you all the things you should know about this process.
What Do You Need?
As we have just said, cleaning monitors is very simple and very cheap. You won’t need an expensive cleaning kit to clean your computer or TV properly. In case you have to remove only the dust, you can use only a microfiber cloth. It is the best fabric because it actually attracts the dust and dirt and it removes it completely even after one move without scattering it in the air. Paper and ordinary cloth usually scatter the dust, it flies in the air for some time and then it falls on your monitor and furniture all over again.
In case there are some stubborn stains or more serious dirt on your monitor, you may need the help of some mild liquid such as distilled water or 50:50 water-vinegar mixture. The water (and vinegar) will dissolve the stain and the vinegar will even sanitize the surface, leaving it completely clean.
Of course, if you don’t believe these simple methods will work, you can always buy some special screen wipes or some special mixture for cleaning monitors that can be found in any well-equipped tech store. It will be more expensive than a cloth, water, and vinegar but still very affordable and also less expensive than a new computer/TV.
Step by Step
Prepare your device
When we say “prepare it”, we actually mean “turn it off”. Every stain, every particle of dust is more visible on a black monitor than on a colorful one. We also recommend you not only to turn the TV or computer off but also to disconnect the monitor from the housing/unplug it. The thing is, the device heats when it is plugged into a wall socket or any power source. This means that the pixels will also be heated/fired up and that wiping the monitor, especially with a wet cloth in this condition could damage the screen and even cause an electrical jolt. In order to prevent this, turn the device off, disconnect the monitor, let it cool down for a few minutes and then you can start cleaning it.
Wipe it
As we have mentioned in the text above, the best way to clean your monitor is to use a microfiber cloth as it is anti-static and it won’t leave any residue or scratches and it will collect all the dirt /dust.
In case you need to remove only the dust, the cloth will do the job just fine but if you are dealing with some stubborn stains, put some distilled water on the cloth and wipe the screen it. If you want to kill the germs and bacteria and completely clean the surface, add some vinegar to the distilled water. In case you can’t remove the stains immediately, we recommend repeating the process as many times as necessary and being gentle and patient every time. The stains will eventually come off and your device won’t be damaged.
In addition, wipe the surface from the top to the bottom or from the left to the right (or vice versa). Never use circular movements or press the surface too hard as it may make dents, buffed out spots and cause similar damages. Also, don’t spray the cleaning mixture directly on the screen as it may cause serious discoloration and disable normal use by damaging electronic components.
Clean it’s frame
Computer and TV frames are usually made of durable plastic that can be cleaned with products such as window cleaning liquids. You don’t have to be so gentle with the plastic parts either, they can survive rougher treatment than screens. However, don’t spray the cleaning product directly on the plastic surface as it may reach electronic parts or the screen itself and damage it. Also, don’t use alcohol-based cleaning products because strong chemicals like these can damage the color and the material.
Cleaning housing is a bit more demanding than wiping the monitor. You need to wipe the device’s base, the rear panel but also clean every button, every hole, and every cable. In order to clean the holes, you can use a toothpick wrapped in a piece of thin cloth and in order to clean the cables, we recommend disconnecting them first in order to clean them thoroughly and avoid damaging or breaking other parts of the device.
Let it dry
The last step but definitely not the least is drying the cleaned device. This is actually very important step because proper drying can prevent serious malfunctions and damages. The best way for any device to dry is to let it air dry. However, this requires more time than other methods so you can also take a dry microfiber cloth and wipe the device in order to accelerate the drying process.
The most important rule here is to make sure all the components are completely dry before you plug in and turn on the device again.
Important Warnings
In the end, we just wanted to say a few words about the products you should never use for cleaning your monitors and explain why they shouldn’t be used.
When people first think about cleaning monitors, they usually think about using window cleaning products. However, these “obvious” products contain chemicals that can damage your device so seriously that you would need to buy a new one.
One of the basic rules of monitor cleaning is to avoid all the products that contain ammonia, acetone or alcohol. These products have negative impact on the monitor surface, especially if it has an anti-glare coating. It is also not recommendable to use soapy water, soap-based products or even tap water because they can leave residue and mineral deposits on the screen or even cause screen discoloration.
The second important rule is to avoid using paper towels or rough cloth for wiping the screen surface because they can leave scratches on the monitor due to their abrasive nature.