Every laptop that is put through good use will need to have the screen cleaned frequently. Over time, your laptop screen will accumulate dust, fingerprint smudges and grime from many different daily situations. A dirty laptop screen can impede the usability of your laptop and can also just be annoying.
Keeping your laptop screen clean is pretty easy. Here are a few tips to make cleaning the screen an easy task and to keep from damaging the screen on your laptop during the process of cleaning.
Use a Cotton Cloth
The type of cloth that you use to clean your laptop screen is very important. It is best to use a cloth that doesn't contain any filaments that can scratch a laptop screen. 100% cotton is the best choice. An example of a 100% cotton cloth would be a piece of an old t-shirt or a sock, be sure to check the tags to make sure it is cotton.
Do not use any cloth that contains polyester, as the filaments in polyester can scratch a laptop screen. Paper towel and facial tissue are also bad options for a cleaning cloth. They can contain small fibers (or even lotions and other junk) that can either scratch your screen or make cleaning tough.
Don't Press Hard
Do not press overly hard on your screen when you are cleaning it with a 100% cotton cloth. Pressing too hard on an LCD screen can promote scratching and other physical damage of the screen.
Use Safe Cleaning Liquids
The most safe cleaning liquid to use on a laptop screen is isopropyl alcohol which contains 90-100% pure alcohol, with the remaining part de-ionized water. Mix one part alcohol and one part distilled water to make a cleaning mixture. This cleaning solution is cheap and will be effective at cleaning smudges and dust. This particular solution is great for any type of electronic device because it will evaporate quickly and will not leave a residue.
Never use cleaning products that contain ammonia on your laptop screen. Ammonia can have negative effects on the surface of your screen. Never use tap water either. Tap water can contain minerals that will have a negative effect on the surface of your laptop screen as well, and can also leave smudges.
Never Spray Cleaning Solutions on the Screen
Spray the isopropyl alcohol and distilled water solution on a cotton cloth to dampen it, then use the cloth to wipe the screen lightly. Do not spray the solution directly on your screen. You might run the risk of water or moisture working its way into other parts of your laptop computer.
Try to Keep Your Screen Clean
The best cleaning tip for any laptop screen is to care for your laptop in a way that prevents you from needing to clean it often. Try not to use your laptop in an overly dusty or dirty environment. Try not to touch your laptop screen. Turn your head when you sneeze. Don't eat food excessively near your laptop.
If you can keep your screen clean, you won't need to involve yourself with the risks of scratching and damaging your laptop screen when trying to clean it.
Luke Petterson is a long-time computer user and risk taker, which has led him to many interesting computer-related situations, good and bad.