How do I clean a TV or monitor screen?

Modern screens are not glass. They have a soft plastic outer layer with an anti-glare coating that ammonia and alcohol dissolve. The damage is immediate, permanent and instantly visible whenever the screen is off.

What you'll need

• Microfibre cloth
• Distilled water (optional)

Step by step

1. Turn the screen off and let it cool.A dark screen shows marks far better, and a cool surface stops cleaner evaporating into streaks before you can wipe it.
2. Dust first with a dry microfibre cloth.Most marks are dust. Light pressure, straight lines rather than circles. This alone handles the majority.
3. For fingerprints, dampen a corner of the cloth with water only.Barely damp. Distilled water avoids the mineral spots tap water leaves in hard water areas.
4. Never spray anything onto the screen.Liquid runs down into the bezel and gets inside the panel, where it causes permanent damage. Always onto the cloth.
5. Use very light pressure.Pressing on an LCD can cause permanent discolouration. If a mark needs pressure, it needs a different approach rather than more force.
6. Never use glass cleaner, alcohol, vinegar or kitchen spray.Ammonia and alcohol dissolve the anti-glare coating and leave permanently cloudy patches. This is the single most damaging thing people do to screens.
7. Dry with a second clean dry cloth.It prevents streaking. Two cloths, one damp and one dry, is the whole method.
8. Clean the frame and vents separately.The plastic surround tolerates a mild cleaner that the screen does not. Keep the two cloths distinct.

Tips

• Screen-specific cleaning sprays exist and are safe, but plain water on a microfibre cloth handles almost everything.
• Wash microfibre cloths without fabric softener. It coats the fibres and leaves smears rather than absorbing them.
• Never use paper towel or tissue on a screen. Wood fibres are abrasive enough to scratch the soft coating.

Common mistakes

• Using glass cleaner — Ammonia dissolves the anti-glare coating, leaving permanent cloudy patches that are obvious whenever the screen is off.
• Spraying directly onto the screen — Liquid runs into the bezel and reaches the electronics, causing damage that cleaning was meant to avoid.
• Using kitchen roll — Paper is abrasive at this scale and leaves fine scratches that accumulate into a hazy surface.

Questions people ask