Cleaning a laptop screen.

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:24 am

Guys, I need help cleaning a laptop screen. First of all, I DIDN'T DO IT, but instead of telling you the horrible story involving retardness and kool-aid, my laptop's screen is dirty.

What's the best way of cleaning a laptop screen with regular household items? If there is no way, what do I need to buy to clean it?

AntoineWG · Post by **AntoineWG** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:25 am

Spray some glass cleaner on a clean soft cloth. Gently wipe the screen with the cloth. Do not spray anything directly on the screen.

SquareHead · Post by **SquareHead** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:34 am

AntoineWG wrote:Spray some glass cleaner on a clean soft cloth. Gently wipe the screen with the cloth. Do not spray anything directly on the screen.

I have used this one, but I have read that the ammonia in glass cleaner can hurt the protective coating on the screen, I have heard that a 50% combination of rubbing alcohol and water works pretty well.

Starman Ghost · Post by **Starman Ghost** » Thu May 10, 2007 12:10 pm

SquareHead wrote:
AntoineWG wrote:Spray some glass cleaner on a clean soft cloth. Gently wipe the screen with the cloth. Do not spray anything directly on the screen.
I have used this one, but I have read that the ammonia in glass cleaner can hurt the protective coating on the screen, I have heard that a 50% combination of rubbing alcohol and water works pretty well.

Use ammonia-free glass cleaner? You can tell it's ammonia-free if it doesn't smell like piss.

SquareHead · Post by **SquareHead** » Thu May 10, 2007 12:16 pm

AntoineWG wrote:Do not spray anything directly on the screen.

I have to say, this is the most important instruction right here though.

darkbenny · Post by **darkbenny** » Thu May 10, 2007 2:59 pm

If it's just kool-aid, why not plain ol' water on a soft cloth?

kieran_ · Post by **kieran_** » Thu May 10, 2007 6:10 pm

Are there different methods for LCD and CRT screens?

My crt and HP laptop LCD screen could do witha scrubbing.

AntoineWG · Post by **AntoineWG** » Thu May 10, 2007 6:29 pm

Same method. Alcohol or glass cleaner sprayed on a cloth first.

I've never had a problem with amonia-based glass cleaner on any monitor.

casualsax3 · Post by **casualsax3** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:17 pm

Windex has ammonia, for what it's worth. CRT's are brutally durable - windex them just as you would a window or a TV - LCD's on the other hand are not - a soft cloth with water is your best bet, or go out and buy some LCD screen wipes.

SquareHead · Post by **SquareHead** » Thu May 10, 2007 11:12 pm

casualsax3 wrote:or go out and buy some LCD screen wipes.

All those are really are alcohol based wetnaps.

soulmata · Post by **soulmata** » Fri May 11, 2007 12:27 am

wetnaps already have alcohol in them

like others have said, isoprpyl + warm water is a sure thing

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » Fri May 11, 2007 12:33 am

So, if I want to make the alcohol and water mixture, exactly how do I do it? half alcohol and half water or what?

Thanks for the replies.

SquareHead · Post by **SquareHead** » Fri May 11, 2007 1:12 am

Joe Camacho wrote:So, if I want to make the alcohol and water mixture, exactly how do I do it? half alcohol and half water or what?

Thanks for the replies.

About like that. Go and buy a bottle of rubbing alcohol, check the % on the bottle, some are 70, some are 90, and even some I think as high as 99. Just adjust how much water you mix with.

whicker · Post by **whicker** » Fri May 11, 2007 3:22 am

I typically wipe off the plastic lcd screens with coffee filters. If you think about it for a second, would people put up with lint in their coffee?

Anyways, coffee filter and water. Maybe put some hand soap on it to get sticky stuff off easier.

As for alcohol, pfft. I wouldn't make a special trip for that. Isopropanol is great for getting heatsink paste off of chips, however.

PHoNyMiKe · Post by **PHoNyMiKe** » Fri May 11, 2007 3:46 am

water + soft cloth / clean shirt, rub gently. there has never been a spec on an LCD that I could not 100% remove with my own spit and t-shirt, but for professional results use water and cloth that is not covering your body.