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A Guide to Cleaning Laptop Screens

A Guide to Cleaning Laptop Screens

Let’s face it. You touch your laptop multiple times a day and the screen can get dusty and grimy fast. It also probably has a patchwork of fingerprints on it too. Cleaning your laptop screen is a big part of laptop maintenance but it’s often skipped or done incorrectly. If you’re not careful, you might end up damaging or scratching your screen. Here’s our quick guide on keeping your screen pristine and smear-free.

Your Cleaning Kit

 Keep a microfiber cloth (the kind used to clean eyeglasses) handy to clean away dry dust without scratching your screen. Most high-end laptop screens are made of Corning’s Gorilla Glass which is tough but prone to micro-scratches. If you have stubborn smears or stains, use a new household sponge dampened with plain distilled or filtered water. Never use plain tap water. You can make a homemade cleaner with 50 percent distilled water and 50 percent white vinegar if you want to disinfect your screen. Always use a damp sponge, never a wet one. Though you can put a drop of dishwashing liquid in your distilled water, as a rule, avoid over-the-counter household cleaners. They contain chemicals that will damage or compromise your screen.

Safety Tips

 Always shut down your laptop and unplug it from the power source before you clean. This rule applies even if you’re just cleaning with a dry microfiber cloth. A black screen makes it easier to spot specks of dirt. If you’re going to be using a damp sponge, make sure you remove the battery and cover the keys with a light sheet of plastic. Wait for your screen to dry completely before you power your laptop back on or close the lid.

How to Wipe

 Press the cloth or sponge gently on the screen and wipe in one direction. Never scrub your screen or apply force. If you wring out your sponge well, you won’t get any drops of water on your screen but if you do, clean them up right away. If there is an area with an especially tough stain, work your cloth or sponge in a gentle circle motion on the affected area and then go over the whole screen again to avoid streaks.