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Hardware

Safely Cleaning LCD Displays? 46

Posted by Cliff from the but-spring-cleaning-was-months-ago dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I own several laptops and one flat-panel LCD display, and I am trying to find a good way to keep them clean without damaging them. Using the alcohol-based cleaning wipes that I normally use for my CRT displays doesn't seem right, and I had an (idiot) friend who shorted out a great many of the transistors on his laptop's LCD by spraying Windex on it. What's the best way to clean these things without damaging them or creating buildup that I'll just have to clean off again separately?"
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Safely Cleaning LCD Displays? More

Safely Cleaning LCD Displays?

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  • You can use windex... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Takeel ( 155086 ) <v32gd4r02NO@SPAMsneakemail.com> on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @02:47AM (#4226132) Homepage Journal
    ...just don't be a moron like your friend. Spray it on the cloth.
    • ...just don't be a moron like your friend. Spray it on the cloth.

      I second that.
    • I find warm water does the job very well - plus I *heard* (tm) that some LCD screens have some 'magic coating' that windex can damage. Who knows.

      Use warm water to damp cloth 1, wipe screen, dry with cloth 2. Beautiful.

      Oh, and tell anyone who uses the computer to NOT TOUCH THE SCREEN!

    • Re:You can use windex... (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      f you're really paranoid, use photographic lens cleaning pads. I'm thinking of a disposable sort sold by a company named "Pec-Pad," something similar to which should be available at any real camera store for not much money. They soak up dust by themselves, dry. They're non-abrasive on any surface you're likely to care about cleaning. Photographers with multi-$k, delicately-coated lenses use them. And you toss them when you're finished with them. And because photographic supplies are generally expensive, I use lens cleaning solution that's intended for eyewear. It's a generic thing, sold under the name of whatever department store I happen to be at when I realize that I need some, and usually found near the pharmacy. It's made specifically to not muck up the coatings and materials of optical eyewear, which are not dissimilar from those coatings and materials used in computer displays. It also does a better job of removing nicotine haze than anything else I've used, ever - including Windex, Simple Green, isopropyl alcohol, an ammonia+water mix, and acetone. (I also use it on the inside of my car windows...) Honestly, though, just avoid using paper towels. You wouldn't drag a rough-cut 2x4 across your LCD display, and so should not rub it with an even more abrasive towel made from wood. I usually use a soft cotton cloth from the kitchen. Things don't get scratched, and they're easy to wash. The type of cleaning agent you use doesn't really matter. Most (not all!) displays use coatings which are made to withstand alcohol, ammonia, and all the other strange stuff found in Windex. Spray a bit of cleaning stuff onto the cloth, and then proceed to clean the display with it. Don't bother spraying chemicals directly onto the screen, as it really doesn't take much soap/solvent to get rid of fingergrease. Wipe the stuff all over the display, paying attention to the sides and corners, where dust will tend to be pushed by your actions. Use slight very slight pressure, as if you were washing a Rolls Royce. Switch to a dry cloth (or a dry portion of the same cloth), and wipe until dry (or the rainbow patterns disappear). This prevents streaking from whatever residue might be left behind - and there will always be some. BTW, If the display were pourous, the LCD would evaporate long before any cleaning would be required, especially if the weather was warm, much as the pourous skin of the aforepictured former living thing has permitted much of her internal fluid to disappear into the atmosphere.

    • NO WINDEX!!! (Score:2, Informative)

      by nathana ( 2525 )
      AIIEEEE!! Do NOT use Windex. Ammonia-based solutions will YELLOW the surface of the LCD over a period of time.

      I do as IBM suggests for my ThinkPad: a 50/50 solution of water and isopropyl alcohol on a soft, lint-free cloth (I use a clean, old T-shirt). Works great.

  • I prefer a simple moist cloth... (Score:5, Informative)

    by ihtagik ( 318795 ) on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @02:59AM (#4226160)
    When cleaning LCD panels, including laptop displays, be very careful. The plastic coating on the front of the display is semi porous, so fluid can run down the front of the display and short out some of the edge transistors, blowing out some of the display elements. Pre-moistened towelettes are the best way to go, but if you prefer a spray on cleaner, use it very sparingly. LCD Cleaning Tips [youthtech.com]

    I think best results are achieved by wiping the screen with an absorbent cotton/flannel cloth dipped into a very dilute soap solution and squeezed until it is moist. Also instead of trying to scrub any dirt build up try rubbing gently in a circular motion. Once done you should wipe any droplets of water off the panel or risk messing it up.

    • Apple mostly agrees (Score:2, Informative)

      by Otter ( 3800 )
      According to the manual for my TiBook:

      To clean your PowerBook screen do the following:
      • Shut down your PowerBook.
      • Dampen a clean, soft, lint-free cloth or paper with water only and wipe the screen. Do not spray liquid directly on the screen.
    • I can say spraying cleaner on a screen is very bad, as I have a laptop that has a few white horizontal lines across the screen. A few years ago, I sprayed cleaner on the surface and much of the top half turned white. Shutting off the power saved most of it, but a few white lines remained permanently shorted.

      I'm not sure how the driver transistors would fail or if it was the contact between the connectors and the screen itself that were damaged. Interesting.
    • Seriously. Tear them in half or so, or there will be too much liquid.


      Unfortunately, my household doesn't stock them any more, and my screen is dirty :(


      hawk

  • Scotch Brite Cloth (Score:4, Informative)

    by MrMac ( 116497 ) on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @03:18AM (#4226191)
    You should get 'Scotch Brite High Performance Cloth'.. this stuff is fantastic.. it's fiber is woven in such a way that it cleans glass with no liquid and dosen't scratch. I use in on my glasses and all of my computer moitors, tv's and any LCD panels I have.. a Newton, PowewBook. You can use it in conjunction with a little bit of cleaner like Windex or even water. They are washable, they cost about $4 a piece - check out your grocery store buy the sponges and stuff or Wal-Mart, etc....

  • Try google (Score:2, Informative)

    by MrScience ( 126570 )
    A quick search [google.com] on google groups turned up many hits, including a link to this pdf [k12.md.us]. Read your manual. Also: "Probably more important is the cloth you use. I like to use a soft cotton cloth, even an old t-shirt. With the right cloth, you can even use spit for a small spot. With the wrong cloth you'll screw up the screen no matter what you use." here [google.com]

  • So, (Score:5, Funny)

    by Perdo ( 151843 ) on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @03:42AM (#4226249) Homepage Journal
    We get a lab of new iMacs into the school.

    A week later, we ship them all back.

    First it was a rash of cracked screens.

    The kids were poking their fingers into them.

    Then it was a broken arm.

    They both wanted to look at it.

    But the children could not match what came next:

    They all got washed with whiteboard cleaner.

    By the principal.

    An hour before open house.

    The PHB said "they ARE white."

    It turned them blue.

    The parents got to see their tax dollars at work.

    We traded them for eMacs.

    The PHB kept his job.

    • Re:So, (Score:3, Funny)

      by moosesocks ( 264553 )
      I can relate to a similar experience:

      English class, the last week of school. (it should be noted that this English classroom had (old) computers at every desk)

      Teacher tells us we can skip the lesson if we tidy up the room. We blindly agree

      She tells to windex all the computers, making sure to get 'inside of them' really good.

      Now, I know quite a bit about computers, and the teacher obviously didn't know anything. I had offered solutions to problems the computers had presented earlier in the year, only to be told that I was arrogant and insulting the teacher's knowledge, and the teacher hated me since. So, I shut my mouth while I watched in horror as students squirted windex inside monitors and power supplies.

      That summer, i spent about 2 weeks working for the school fixing computers. The other 'techies' were astonished as to how most of the computers ended up with bad monitors, motherboards, and power supplies.

      It was then that I learned what a pain it is to figure out WHICH parts of the 25 computers in the lab she had destroyed (hmmm... is this PC dead because the monitor just doesn't work, has a bad motherboard, power supply, or video card)
  • Formula 409 for everything external. That stuff is great when used with moderation. The particular flavor I currently have is "Glass and Surface with Citris Scent", comes in purple and looks like Grape Kool-aid. (hmmmm kool-aid.) Seriously, I have used this stuff on everything, keyboard, optical mouse , case, monitor, laptop lcd, laptop case, ipaq.

    There isn't anything harmful to your hardware if used with care. (ie. don't be a dumbass and spray the shit all over the place to fill every nook and cranny so the stuff gets inside what it is your cleaning.) I just spray a little (emphasis on the word little) on a clean rag (Clean is important)and wipe. No big deal.
    • years ago, in college, i was sitting in my (nasty) car with a bottle of windex, cleaning the inside mirrors and windows. while i was there, i figured i'd try it out on the other plastic parts, too. worked great. so then i spilled some (don't lay those bottles on their side when full... they leak) on the nasty greasy (i worked in restaurants) disgusting formerly-blue floor. know what? it CAME CLEAN! i then proceeded to clean the entire floor of the car with windex. amazing. worked like a champ. so yeah, i think it can handle a little LCD screen...
  • I had an (idiot) friend who shorted out a great many of the transistors on his laptop's LCD by spraying Windex on it.

    Just imagine if he called Tech Support for this one.

    Idiot Friend "Dude, like man, like you got to help me. Dude like my new monitor dosen't, like you know work."

    Tech Support "So what's wrong with it. Please describe in more detail."

    IF "Well dude, there was a puff of smoke like it was smokin' a little doobie, and it hasn't worked since then."

    TS "Really? Ok we'll send you a new one right away when did this happen?"

    IF "Like a few minutes ago man, right after I sprayed half a bottle of windex on the screen it was gettin real dirty from my fingerprints. I like to smoke big fattys and poke the screen to see that cool thing it does."

  • iKlear LCD Cleaner (Score:3, Informative)

    by NeuroPulse ( 524779 ) on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @06:58AM (#4226636)
    Cleaner made for this purpose.

    http://www.iKlear.com/
    • used on: Cinema Display, Studio Display, and Sony WEGA. works beautifully. has no alcohol or ammonia. comes with spray and cloth.

      lasts forever. the small kit at the Apple Store has a lot of product in it. worth the $25.
    • I have to agree. Not only is it great for LCD screens, but it does wonders for DVD cleaning as well. I have rescued unplayable discs from NetFlix with just a couple of squirts.
  • I use a suction vac with a soft brush to remove dust from the screen, keyboard and any openings first. Then wipe the screen and any dirty areas (palm rest, mouse buttons, heavily used keys) with alcohol wipes (I use ReliOn Alchol Swabs available at local pharmacies for about $2/100).

    The vacuuming first is important; it prevents the dust caking when wiping with the alcohol (makes the screen look smeared).

    The laptop fan also tends to suck in dust; laptops are "heat challenged" as it is. Use the suction vac on the air inlets and exhaust for the fan to remove as much as possible.

    I've been using this technique on both laptops and desktops with no problems for about 5 years now.

  • LCD screen cleaner (Score:2, Informative)

    by XO ( 250276 )
    Screen Cleaning Gel [radioshack.com]

  • Easy Clean (Score:3, Funny)

    by stinkydog ( 191778 ) <sd@s t r angedog.net> on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @08:30AM (#4226963) Homepage
    I reccomend the dishwasher. Open the laptop and place in face down on the top rack. Add some Cascade and clean away. I will also get all those crumbs and Mountain Dew spots off the keyboard.

    SD

  • Just read... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by nomel ( 244635 ) <turd&inorbit,com> on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @12:09PM (#4228811) Homepage Journal
    the users manual. They don't expect people to be intelligent or anything...that's why they pack the little manual they send you with information. One of the sections should be called something like Care and maintenance. All laptop manuals I have had tell how to properly clean the screen (lite detergent on a rag). Also, the screen should be covered with a protective coating (they all have a polarized piece of plastic film) that should keep the transistors from being exposed to the outside, so your friend probably dripped water inside or something...unless it ate through the plastic.

    Just turn it off and pull the battery when you clean it...if you get water in it, don't worry about it, just wait until you think the water inside is dry before you turn it back on.
  • I found Endust for Electronics works fine on laptops and flat panel monitors. Just spray some onto a soft cloth and whipe away. You can pick it up at any CompUSA, Best Buy, or Office Depot for around 4 bucks..

  • Orange (Score:2, Interesting)

    by decep ( 137319 )
    Having a two year old can be rough on a LCD screen. In fact, just last night, my son used a colored pencil on my 18" desktop screen. No physical harm, just markings. I also setup an old laptop for him to bang on when I'm working (he just wants to be like me) and he used a crayon on the laptop LCD. Since I didn't care about the laptop screen, I decided to try one of the various "Orange" cleaning agents (the foaming kind) on the screen. Much to my suprise, the crayon and the colored pencil markings were removed with barely any pressure on the screens.

    Both LCDs probably look better now than they did when they were brand new. No streaks, no damage, just clean.
  • To clean the LCD:

    1. Turn off the computer or display.
    2. Dampen a clean, soft, lint-free cloth or paper with water only.
    3. Wipe the screen. Do not spray liquid directly on the screen.

    You may also use a mild glass cleaner that contains no alcohol or ammonia. Most office supply stores sell cleaning kits specifically designed for this purpose.

    For more information, refer to Apple's [apple.com] information on the subject.
    The reason not to use alcohol is that, over time, it will remove the plasticisers from the front surface of the screen, causing it to become brittle and go yellow.
    -- kai

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