How to Clean a Laptop Screen Using Household Products

Laptop screens often accumulate dust, food debris, and other foreign objects after a while and start to look ugly. It is important that you use a mild detergent to clean your laptop screen, because the LCD surface is easily damaged. If you don't want to buy a special screen cleaning solution, you can use a synthetic microfiber cloth and a vinegar-water solution.

Clean the screen with a synthetic microfiber cloth

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Turn off the computer and unplug the power cord and battery. Cleaning an active screen can cause permanent damage, so you should play it safe and turn the device off completely instead of leaving it in sleep mode.

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Prepare synthetic microfiber towels. This towel is made from a material that does not shed lint and is very soft. If you use a regular towel, t-shirt, or other type of towel, they may leave debris on the screen or scratch the surface.

Avoid using paper products. Do not use napkins, paper towels, toilet paper or other types of paper as they can scratch and damage the screen.

Synthetic microfiber towels are suitable for cleaning all types of screens and lenses.

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Use a cloth to gently wipe the screen. A single wipe can remove dirt and debris from the screen. Wipe gently without using too much force, because if you press down too hard you can damage the screen.

When wiping in a circular motion, you can reach hard-to-reach spots.

Don't rub the screen, or you'll damage the pixels by overheating.

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Clean the laptop frame with a mild cleaning solution. If the screen border is dirty, you can use regular household cleaner and paper towels; Be careful not to touch the screen.

Use cleaning solution

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Turn off the monitor and unplug the power cord and battery. Because this method uses liquid to clean the screen, it is important that you turn off your computer and remove the power cord.

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Mix a mild cleaning solution. The ideal solution is distilled water that is chemical-free and gentle on screens. If you need to use a stronger solution, you can mix 50/50 white vinegar and distilled water for effective results.

Use only pure white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar or other vinegar.

Distilled water is better than tap water because it does not contain chemicals.

The manufacturer no longer recommends using solutions containing alcohol, ammonia or other strong solvents on LCD displays.

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Put the solution into a small spray bottle. This is a type of spray bottle that pushes down from the top to create liquid vapor, similar to a perfume bottle. Pour the solution into the spray bottle and close the lid. However, do not spray directly on the screen.

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Apply a small amount of solution to a synthetic microfiber towel. Towels without static electricity and fabric fibers are best suited. Remember not to use a regular towel because it can scratch the screen. Do not wet the towel, just moisten it with a spray bottle.

Wet wipes may drip or slide when cleaning the screen, and the solution may leak onto the bezel and cause permanent screen damage.

Try spraying the solution on one corner of the towel at a time so the towel isn't too wet.

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Wipe the cloth over the screen in a circular motion. Quick circular motions can generally remove streaking. Press lightly and evenly on the towel. Use only enough force to make the towel come into contact with the screen. Be careful not to press your fingers on the cloth or the screen, because using too much force when cleaning the screen can permanently damage the LCD matrix and make it unusable.

Hold the screen at the top or bottom to avoid getting it dirty while cleaning.

You may have to wipe several times to remove the stain. You must also moisten the cloth while cleaning, depending on the number of times you need to clean the screen.

Know what not to do

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Never wet the screen directly. Under any circumstances, do not spray water directly on the laptop screen. This makes it easy for water to flow into the device, so you should limit it to a minimum. Only use water when it is applied to a soft fabric.

Do not dip the towel in water. A wet towel will drip water onto the device, causing damage to it. If you accidentally use too much water, you should squeeze it thoroughly until all the water is gone.

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Do not use regular cleaning solutions to clean the screen. The safest solution for the screen is water and vinegar or a specialized cleaning solution for LCD screens. Do not use the following substances:

Window cleaning solution

Multipurpose solution

Dishwashing liquid or any type of soap

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Never rub the screen. If you press too hard you can permanently damage your laptop. Rub gently in a circular motion when cleaning the screen. Do not use a brush or anything other than a soft cloth to clean the screen.

Update 26 October 2023
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