How to wipe a computer monitor at home: 10 best cleaning products

During the operation of computer equipment on its surface, incl. The display collects dust, grease deposits, and other contaminants. As a result, the image loses quality. And a dirty gadget is very unpleasant to work with. Therefore, many are interested in how to properly clean a laptop screen at home. And also, what is recommended to wipe a PC monitor with and what cleaners should not be used for these purposes. The main thing in this matter is to use the most effective cleaning technique. And, of course, choose the right cleaning materials and auxiliary substances.

Types of pollution

Rags used to wipe dishes or cutlery are not suitable for cleaning the screen of a gadget; you should not spray the monitor with water or liquid for cleaning glass surfaces. How to wipe the display depends largely on the type of dirt.

Dust

Even if the floors are washed and cleaned daily, you still have to clean the monitor. Taking a piece of soft cloth or a dry sponge, you need to swipe the screen several times and this is enough to remove the settled dust.

Insect marks

Stains on the laptop are left by flies, midges that fly into the apartment through the window, and moths that live in cereals and flour. Traces are removed with a special napkin. To avoid scratching the screen, do not scrape off insect stains with a blade.

Mud tracks

It is not recommended to wash the monitor with water even when there are food residues, glue, or cosmetics on it, since the liquid flows into the compartments and openings. Old stains that cannot be removed with a napkin are cleaned with table vinegar and wiped dry with a rag.

Fat stains from fingers

To remove oil marks on a laptop or tablet monitor, a special liquid is sold in hardware stores. You cannot remove greasy stains with compounds that contain ethyl alcohol. It is better to wipe off the dirt with soap, but not with household soap, but with baby soap.

How often should you clean your monitor?

The frequency of cleaning electrical equipment depends on the coating material. It is not recommended to wipe liquid crystal surfaces frequently, since after each contact, even with a lint-free soft cloth, microscopic scratches remain on them. As a result, the display will dim after a while.

At what time intervals is it recommended to clean devices:

Once a week, wipe with a dry cloth;
Cleaning is done monthly using a damp cloth.

If the user ate food at the device today and left a lot of greasy stains on its surface, then there is no need to wait a month for cleaning. Otherwise, after a couple of such food meals, the picture on the monitor will no longer be visible.

What not to use

Having decided to start cleaning the monitor, it is worth finding out what means can render it unusable, which is strictly prohibited from being used for this purpose.

Plain paper napkins

Towels that are used to wipe dishes after washing leave lint on a smooth surface, and it is almost impossible to remove them. Paper may cause scratches.

It is not recommended to rub stains on the monitor with wipes soaked in ethyl alcohol.

Rough cloth and towels

Rubbing with a hard material leads to cracks on the surface and, over time, damage to the screen. When cleaning a tablet or laptop with a towel, lint sticks.

Foam sponges

To prevent stains from appearing on the monitor, which will then take a long time to wash, you need to know that such surfaces cannot be wiped with foam rubber. The sponge sucks up dirt, crumbs, lint that scratches the screen and leaves marks.

Dish and glass cleaners

Liquids, gels, sprays that do an excellent job of removing grease on plates, removing coffee and tea stains, wiping dust on glass, are not suitable for cleaning monitors, but are intended for washing dishes and cutlery.

Sharp objects

Blades and knives remove traces of chewing gum and the presence of insects, but touching the screen damages the coating.

Scotch

It is not recommended to use adhesive tape used in everyday life to wipe dust on a laptop, since it sticks to the surface, and removing traces left by tape is not so easy.

Wet wipes for personal hygiene

Do not clean the monitor with a melanin sponge, embossed materials, or old cloth. Some items contain abrasive substances, while others shed lint. Sanitary napkins leave marks.

Alcohol

The displays of modern tablets and laptops are covered with a special film, which reduces the effect of the sun's rays and removes glare that degrades images. However, the structure of such material reacts negatively to ethyl alcohol, acetone or ammonia, which are present in glass cleaners and dishwashing gels.

Some useful tips

Before you start cleaning your monitor or laptop screen, you should familiarize yourself with the following recommendations:

The use of water (drinking or distilled) is permissible only for minor contamination. Lightly moisten a lint-free cloth with the liquid and wipe the surface;
Removing moisture at the end of cleaning is a mandatory procedure. The exception to this rule is glossy monitors;
Before purchasing an industrial cleaning product, you should read the instructions for it and read reviews from other users. It is possible that the liquid is not universal and cannot be used on some types of screens;
It is strictly forbidden to use any aggressive chemicals for cleaning : alcohol, ammonia, acetone or any solvent;
Abrasives, scrapers and hard objects are also prohibited. You cannot scrape the surface with a knife.

These tips are also relevant for cleaning LCD TVs, more details here.

Popular products and liquids

To care for monitors, sprays and aerosols are produced that cope with any dirt, do not leave streaks, and do not damage the surface.

Cleaning wet wipes

Regardless of what you use to wipe the screen, it is worth disconnecting the computer from the network; moisture getting inside the case can cause a short circuit. Special napkins in plastic packaging, which are sold in technology departments:

remove dust and dirt from the display;
do not form divorces;
do not scratch the surface.

You can wipe off stains with such products on the screen of a smartphone or TV. It is advisable to do wet cleaning every month.

Buro Bu – Tscrl

The company, which has been present on the Russian market for many years, supplies office equipment, chargers, and accessories for gadgets. Buro brand wet wipes perfectly clean stains on glasses and monitors and do not leave streaks.

Fellowers FS-99703

A Russian company that sells household and digital appliances and peripheral devices supplies stores with alcohol-free cleaning wipes.

They wipe glass, are suitable for all types of screens, phone displays, cope with stains, and leave no marks.

Microfiber cloths

Polyester fibers are used to produce synthetic fabric that absorbs moisture and is highly durable. Microfiber napkins:

cleans stains and dirt;
repel dust;
do not leave lint.

Spray

Companies that produce office equipment also create products that clean the surfaces of monitors from dirt, fingerprints, and dust.

Buro Bu Screen

A spray with an antibacterial effect is sold in 250 ml plastic bottles under the brand of a Russian company. The screen cleaner contains:

nonionic active substances;
propanol;
antistatic.

The product is sprayed onto the surface and wiped with a napkin. When using it, streaks do not form and dust settles less.

Cactus CS-S3002

The spray of Russian origin gently cleans the surfaces of gadgets, keyboards, sprays well and dries quickly, and functions as an antistatic agent. The product is equipped with a dispenser, has no odor, is economical in use, and copes with dust and dirt.

Rules of care

To reduce the frequency of cleaning and take good care of your laptop screen or computer monitor, you should adhere to the following rules:

Do not touch the surface of the screen with your fingers or other objects. If there are small children in the house, they should explain the rules for using the device or remove it from public access;
Use gloves when cleaning. This not only protects the skin of your hands, but also minimizes the likelihood of accidental fingerprints;
Before starting the cleaning procedure, remove all rings and bracelets from your hands. Even smooth and rounded edges of decorations can damage the screen;
Do not place hot food or drinks closer than 20 cm from the monitor. The steam will settle on the surface and, as it evaporates, leave streaks and stains;
Try not to sneeze or cough on the monitor. Cover your face with your hand or a napkin from accidental splashes;
Do not use excessive force or friction to remove stains. Along with the dirt, the top layer of the screen will also disappear;
It is strictly forbidden to try to scrape off dried stains with a fingernail or any hard object. This will inevitably lead to scratches;
Clean regularly, once every two weeks. If fresh, strong stains appear, remove them immediately, without waiting for complete drying.

A computer or laptop monitor is a complex device that requires regular care and cleaning. Only by using suitable cleaning agents can you achieve high image quality and maintain the functionality of the device for a long time.

How and what to clean at home

After turning off the computer, you need to wait until the system unit and monitor cool down. Remove dust with a dry cloth, but if the surface is stained with grease or dirt, apply a cleaning agent to a damp cloth and wipe with a dry flannel cloth.

Traditional methods

If you don’t have a special spray at home, you can still remove stains and dust on your TV screen or monitor.

Soap solution

If you don’t have time to go to a hardware store, wipe the dirty surface of the gadget with a simple product, the preparation of which will require a glass of warm water and 20 grams of soap without dyes or alkalis. A rag is soaked in the mixture, wrung out and applied to the monitor.

Vinegar

Citric acid removes stains, traces left by insects, but you need to use the substance very carefully so as not to damage the screen. It is safer to mix 200 ml of heated water and 15 9% vinegar, apply to the surface with a cloth and be sure to rinse and wipe with a dry cloth.

Plastic bag

You can deal with dust that has settled on the screen in an unusual way. To electrify, cellophane must be rubbed with synthetics or pet hair. The bag must be applied to the surface of the monitor, and it will remove all the particles. Polyethylene attracts small debris.

Balloon

To get rid of dust on the screen, it is not necessary to use soap, cleaning wipes and sprays. You can remove dirt in the form of small particles without touching the surface. You need to inflate the balloon, electrify it with wool and bring it closer to the display.

Features of cleaning different surfaces of a laptop screen

Caring for desktop computer monitors and tablet monitors is not very different. But when processing a glossy finish, you need to take into account some nuances.

Matte

On such laptop screens, less dust settles and stains are not very noticeable. You can simply clean the surface with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water. Then the matte coating is wiped with a dry cloth. Dirt is easily removed from the screen when sprayed.

Glossy

A laptop monitor with LCD panels and a glossy finish will delight you with brighter tones, rich colors, and high color rendering. However, when using it, dust settles and any stains are noticeable. Caring for such a screen has its own nuances:

The surface cannot be cleaned with a dry cloth or cloth.
The flap should be washed after each cleaning, otherwise it will scratch the surface.
The coating is not rubbed in a circle, but in one direction.

The monitor should dry on its own. It is not recommended to rub your laptop with microfiber, which contains an abrasive substance.

What to do to ensure that there are no streaks left after cleaning your monitor

If the cleaning procedure is carried out correctly, dirty stains will never remain on the treated surface.

Recommendations for cleaning screen surfaces of household appliances without streaks:

First, the device is disconnected from the electrical supply.
If you only need to remove dust deposits from the monitor, use a soft cloth.
The surface is wiped clean with light circular movements. Moreover, without the use of excessive physical effort.
If the dirt deposits are not wiped off the first time, you need to repeat the process.
Do not spray liquid cleaners onto the screen surface, incl. special mixtures. Only the fabric is impregnated with them.
Cleaning must be done carefully to prevent the gadget from falling with the screen down.
When the dirt cannot be cleaned, apply a cloth soaked in the product to it for 1-2 minutes. After this, the dirt can be easily wiped off with a dry cloth.
The material used must be clean and not wet, but slightly moistened.
During the cleaning process, not only areas with obvious dirty spots are wiped, but also the entire surface of the laptop screen.
To remove heavy stains, use 2-3 wipes.
To clean hard-to-reach areas, a toothpick pre-wrapped in a rag is recommended.
Electrical equipment is connected back to the power supply only after drying.

In this way, you can clean liquid crystal coatings from dust deposits, light dirt deposits, grease stains or biological fluids.

It is forbidden to remove dirt deposits from the laptop display with your own saliva if you are too lazy to get a special cloth and product. This method is the fastest, but it has disadvantages. It will not be possible to completely clean the surface, as stains will remain, so you will have to do additional cleaning. There is not enough saliva to clean the entire screen surface. If you find dust or any other contaminants, it is better to take a break for a couple of minutes and thoroughly wipe the technical product.