How to Clean Laptop Screen Safely

Cleaning a laptop screen seems to be a simple task but doing it in the wrong way can damage it beyond repair. Whatever precautions we may take, the screen is bound to get affected by dust, smudges, or fingerprints (in the case of touchscreens). The modern-day screens are more delicate and sleek with the launch of Ultrabooks in the market. So you need to handle them more carefully. A lot has been written about cleaning kits and procedures for cleaning dirty screens. But today most LCD or LED screens come with a matte finish and are often layered with a protective coating. You cannot use any random cleaning chemicals on them since they can react with screen coatings.

Steps to Clean Laptop Screen

Step-1 Arrange the cleaning material

• Microfiber Cloth. For cleaning a screen, you need a lint-free soft cloth. The best example of a micro-fiber soft cloth is a cloth wiper that is used to clean eyeglasses. You should avoid using paper towels or tissue paper since they can leave scratches on ultra-sensitive laptop screens. I have used Magicfiber’s Microfiber cleaning cloth and found that it is the best option among cleaning fabrics.
• Sponge. For wet cleaning, I recommend using a sponge or a thick absorbing microfiber cloth. Some users have reported outstanding results with iCloth screen wipers.
• Distilled Water. I won’t recommend regular tap water since it can leave some mineral residues on the screen. You should rather use distilled water for this purpose.
• Spray Bottle. You can either buy one from the store or use an empty spray bottle from home.
• Isopropyl alcohol. This is an alcoholic based solvent that dries up quickly from the surface.

Step 2 Turn Off the laptop

Turn off the laptop before you proceed.  It is essential to keep your system electronically safe. Turning the screen off will also make the fingerprints or other marks clearly visible on the black screen and you will be able to clean it completely.

Step-3 Cleaning

• If you need to get rid of dust from the screen, you simply need to wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth.
• In case you find stains that do not go away with a simple dry microfiber cloth, dip a sponge in distilled water and wring it well to remove all the water. Now clean the screen with it by making horizontal movements. Make sure that you don’t leave any water drippings from the sponge. If you don’t take care of this, you will damage the screen forever.
• To remove tough oily stains or finger smudges you will not succeed with a dry cloth or wet sponge. You must use a solution of distilled water and Isopropyl alcohol in equal quantities and fill it in a spray bottle. Now spray this solution on the microfiber cloth and clean the screen with delicate movement.

Warning   Do not spray water or any cleaning solution directly onto the screen. While wiping the screen always support it with a hand on the back of the laptop screen.

Step 4- Turn On the Laptop

If you have used a wet cloth to clean the screen, wait for few minutes to let the moisture dry before turning on the laptop.

Final Words

So the crux of the whole process is that you should never use any harsh chemicals that may react with the modern day screen’s coatings. Use distilled water and an ultra-soft lint free cloth for delicately cleaning laptop screen. Do not apply pressure. Which method have you recently used for cleaning the screen? Your opinion matters to us. So share your experience of cleaning laptop screen in the comments section.