Cleaning your Monitor

CRT Monitor

Ever wonder how to clean your monitor?  Well, these days, you need to know what type of monitor you have!  The old large CRT monitors have glass screens and can be cleaned with a paper towel moistened lightly with glass cleaner.

But these days, monitors (and laptops) are LCD, LED, or plasma. These have to be handled differently than the old days.

You will need a dry soft cloth. Do not use paper towels or even facial tissues as they can damage the surface.  You can use a microfiber cloth, a cloth for cleaning glasses or  an old, soft, cotton handkerchief, it must be ultra-soft.

This one needs cleaning!

You will need some distilled water or a mixture with an equal ratio of distilled water to white vinegar.  You don't want to have mineral deposits that can leave white streaks so don't use tap water.  Or purchase a special monitor cleaner such as the Screen Clean LCD Screen Cleaning Kit.  If you are considering your household cleaners, read the ingredients! Don's use cleaning products that contain ammonia (such as many major brand glass cleaners), ethyl alcohol, acetone, toluene, ethyl acid, or methyl chloride. All of these can permanently damage your monitor.

1. Now turn off the monitor. Yes, that makes the smudges easier to see.
2. Wipe with a dry cloth first. That may do the job. 
3. If not, wipe the screen very softly with your damp cloth (just a little bit.. spray the liquid on the cloth, not the screen as spraying on the screen may have it drip into the circuitry)
4. Do not press hard on the screen. Pressing hard can cause damage to the screen causing pixels to burn out.
5. Wipe the monitor down gently in a horizontal sweep and not circular (I don't know why.. I just read that somewhere.)
6. That is it.. be gentle, careful and be diligent not to touch your monitor. If you don't touch it, it is much easier to dust occasionally without doing damage.☺