How to Clean Monitor Screens?

[phrog]

I know that the white-out we use for spelling corrections sure does not come off easily.
capncarl

I've heard that paint-scrapers work very well but would not guarantee that it will not affect the screen.

[phrog]

I think that I'm getting some conflicting info. Guess it's time to drag out the non-functional monitor and do some testing. Thanks for all the responses and suggestions.

[cabinetman]

I think that I'm getting some conflicting info.

You sure are...sorry about that. After some info here was edited, I checked with a friend of mine who is an independent consultant for NASA, Hewlett Packard, Monsanto, and DuPont Chemicals. He has doctorates in both chemistry and industrial design, and works as an active engineer in both of those capacities. He agrees with the distilled water only, and white vinegar mix as a cleaning agent. And, he said a factory would never ever use plain water or paper towels for cleaning.

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[woodturner]

I think that I'm getting some conflicting info. Guess it's time to drag out the non-functional monitor and do some testing. Thanks for all the responses and suggestions.

Yes, it seems some people have an opinion or an imaginary friend to cite.

Like everything else one reads on the internet, the reader ultimately has to evaluate the information and decide for themselves. Really, you have no good way to know that some of us (like LCHIEN and myself) are engineers with actual knowledge and experience with electronic design and manufacturing, while others are apparently copying and pasting from the internet (since their sentences are easily found online with a phrase search).

You can do your own searching on the internet to confirm the information we posted. If you want to learn about the cleaning processes in semiconductor fabs, including LCD fabs, search for "no clean" processes. Water is the only solvent that can be used, given ISO-9000 requirements - other solvents leave residue that affects circuit performance, especially at high frequency. Even the factory techs know that - so if you know anyone that works in a fab, at essentially any level, they can confirm as well.

As a practical matter, using distilled water instead of tap water won't hurt, it just doesn't make any difference in home use. It's acids like vinegar and solvents like alcohol that will damage the screen. Be aware the damage is subtle and the initial damage is only visible under a microscope. Over time and use, though, the damage accumulates to the point that it is visible and affects image quality.

[Stytooner]

I gotta say that I have many LCD monitors in use and some get incredibly dirty. In the shop. I spray Windex on a soft terricloth and have done so for years with no ill effects. It cuts the grease and dust and leaves a pretty much spotless screen. Dirtier screens will require a couple cleanings to get it all.

[woodturner]

I gotta say that I have many LCD monitors in use and some get incredibly dirty. In the shop. I spray Windex on a soft terricloth and have done so for years with no ill effects. It cuts the grease and dust and leaves a pretty much spotless screen. Dirtier screens will require a couple cleanings to get it all.

According to ehow, Windex contains "Isopropanol, 2-Butoxyethanol, Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, water, fragrance and blue dye." In other words, it's alcohol, water, and grease solvents. Older formulations also included ammonia. We don't know whether or not the solvents are compatible with all the materials used for LCDs, since we don't use them in the manufacturing process and there don't seem to be any studies or papers evaluating compatibility of those solvents with the materials used for LCD coatings.

The issue is whether the LCD is made with a material that is compatible with the cleaner used. The majority of LCDs (the screen itself, not the assembled monitor) are made by one manufacturer - but there are other manufacturers, and they do specify different materials for the anti-glare coating. So while Windex may be OK for most LCDs, it could damage others, and there is not a good way for the consumer to know if a particular screen is compatible, especially since the monitor vendor may use different brands of screens in different samples of the same monitor part number.

One could also check the documentation that came with the monitor or the monitor manufacturer's website for cleaning guidelines. That way you know you are using what that vendor recommends for their monitors. Different vendors seems to recommend different guidelines, even for products I know use exactly the same LCD panels. The only prevailing theme seems to be to avoid acids like vinegar, which are known to damage some LCDs.

One could test compatibility, at the risk of losing a few pixels. The cleaning solution could be tested in a small spot with a cotton swab, perhaps in the upper right corner or other area where any damage would be less noticeable to the user. If putting a drop of the cleaner daily for a week doesn't produce any noticeable effect, it's likely safe to use the cleaner on that screen.

Screen protectors are also available - thin plastic sheets that overlay and cling to the screen. They also provide some protection to pressure damage, such as someone touching the screen, which can cause pixel damage. The protectors can be cleaned in place or removed for cleaning and are compatible with most of the common glass cleaners, etc.

[cabinetman]

I gotta say that I have many LCD monitors in use and some get incredibly dirty. In the shop. I spray Windex on a soft terricloth and have done so for years with no ill effects. It cuts the grease and dust and leaves a pretty much spotless screen. Dirtier screens will require a couple cleanings to get it all.

There are probably many members here without specific knowledge on what to use and how to clean screens. One of those members states: "I don't know whether or not the solvents are compatible with all the materials used for LCDs". As a result of doing an internet search the member found this: "According to ehow, Windex contains "Isopropanol, 2-Butoxyethanol, Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, water, fragrance and blue dye." In other words, it's alcohol, water, and grease solvents. Older formulations also included ammonia". That's quite a mix.

As a precaution you could do what I did to just use an empty Windex bottle and fill it with 50/50 white vinegar and distilled water. It's less expensive than using Windex. It's a safe effective cleaner. And you were smart to not use paper towels.

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[Stytooner]

The reason I use Windex is because I have used it to clean every single Shark Guard that has left here for about 10 years now. That is what the manufacturers of the Polycarbonate I use suggest. That or a mild soapy water solution, which doesn't dry as fast as Windex, nor is it filmless. You would have to be able to rinse it to get the same results.
Fine for some things, but not a monitor.

I think some makers may receive kickbacks for recommending certain products in their manuals. That may be the reason various recommendations for cleaning for the very same material.

Reading the manual will get you some good info on what to use, but often that isn't the only thing that will do the job well.
They may find one product that works and stop looking further. Extensive testing may or may not have been done.
Different environments may require different cleaners. Like in my shop.

Sometimes it boils down to just using the knowledge and experience you already possess for your particular application.

When I have had monitors fail, it was not because of the way the screen was cleaned.

[cwsmith]

Personally, I've never scratched any screen that I've ever owned. My current laptop is now six years old and is my everyday computer, and is located here in the basement shop. While I keep it turned off and stored in a drawer when I'm running the tools, it's on and active much of the time as it is where I keep my plans, figures, etc.

So, my daily cleaning is simply to use a "make-up" brush to clear away any airborne dust. On those splatters (resulting from the humor here on the forum, I'm sure ), I use a cheap version of Windex from the local discount store and I simply use a paper napkin! Towels are much too abrasive and tissue is too dusty. Napkins seem to be the softess without leaving debris or having any risk of scratch. (I've used them for years to clean my eye glasses, after unsuccessfully using other items.)

I think much depends on the type of screen you have and as said, it's important NOT to spray directly on the screen. This particular laptop is a Medion and uses some kind of film-like LED screen.

I've used those pads made for screen cleaning, but I've never been particularly happy with them, as they to leave debris. No expert here, but I've been using a computer since 1978. Worst screens I ever had were back in the mid-80's when a few of the mfg's used a fine nylon-like mesh over a conventional glass tube. That would trap everything and was almost impossible to clean!

CWS

[capncarl]

On the Marine base where I work we use a packaged towelett like the moist towelettes at bar-b-q restaurants, and Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers. I think that they are mfg. by Allegro and are sold by safety equipment suppliers.

[ironhat]

Most of us have cleaning solution for eyeglasses and microfiber cloth so that it won't scratch the lenses. Works for me for years.