Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday? Not unless your flat screen TV is clean. Here’s how:
How to clean series:
Flat Screen TV or Monitor
Today’s flat screen TV’s and monitors must be cleaned differently than the old CRT monitors. The CRT monitors had a glass screen and could be cleaned the same way you would clean any other piece of glass. Flat screens (Plasma, LCD, LED) are much more sensitive and can be easily scratched or damaged so they require some special care when cleaning. Before attempting to clean any TV screen or monitor you should always check the owners manual for instructions or special care.
Follow the easy steps below to safely clean your flat screen monitor or TV in just a few minutes.
- Turn off the TV/monitor and let it fully cool down for roughly 30 minutes. When the screen is dark, it will be easier to see the areas that are dirty or oily, and when it is fully cooled off there is less chance of damaging pixels.
- Use a dry, soft cloth and very gently wipe the screen. A great choice would be the microfiber type of cloth used to clean eyeglasses. Avoid using paper towel and never use anything remotely abrasive.
- If the soft dry cloth did not completely remove the dirt or oil, do not press harder in an attempt to scrub it off. Pushing directly on the screen can often cause pixels to burn out.
- If necessary, dampen the cloth (do not spray the screen) with distilled water or with an equal ratio of distilled water to white vinegar. Many companies also sell small spray bottles of special cleaner for flat screen monitors which you may want to consider but the vinegar mixture is usually just as effective. Avoid cleaning products that contain ammonia, ethyl alcohol, acetone, toluene, ethyl acid, methyl chloride, or window cleaner (which is mostly ammonia). These chemicals can react with the materials that the flat screen is made of which could yellow the screen or cause other kinds of damage. Also avoid tap water as the minerals can leave white spots on the screen. Never spray liquid directly on an LED, LCD, or plasma screen. It could run inside the monitor and cause damage.