| * Easily Scratched! | | | | water! Some even contain other harmful |
| First we have to understand a little bit of | | | | chemicals such as ethylene glycol, which may be |
| background about LCD screens to know why we | | | | ok on older glass CRT monitors, but should NOT |
| should be careful when cleaning. LCD stands for | | | | be used on LCD screens! Some of the extra |
| Liquid Crystal Display; which has crystal molecules | | | | chemicals can also be harmful to the environment |
| sandwiched under layers of polarized panels. | | | | and to your health. |
| These panels are usually made of "plastic-like" | | | | - Be sure to use Mineral water! Not tap water; |
| polymer materials, and like any plastics they can | | | | you don't want hard mineral spots on your screen. |
| be easily scratched or gouged, even by just your | | | | - Don't use tissue paper; they will leave lint and |
| fingernails! That's why cleaning LCDs requires | | | | spots of paper stuck to your monitor. Also |
| special care while cleaning compared to the old | | | | they're too thin, risking damage from your |
| glass CRT monitors! | | | | fingernails poking through. |
| * What You'll Need | | | | - Don't apply too much solution. If you do, just |
| - rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl alcohol) | | | | wipe it off with the cloth and use less. |
| - distilled water (not tap water!) | | | | - You can also use lint-free lens wipes from |
| - A soft cloth (lint-free) | | | | photography stores, but they're thinner so be |
| * Steps | | | | careful about your fingernails poking through. |
| 1. Dilute the rubbing alcohol into a mix with about | | | | - For a cheap ready-made solution from the |
| 50% alcohol and the rest distilled water. | | | | store, you can also use CD/DVD cleaner, It's |
| 2. Pour this solution into a spray bottle. Old | | | | already designed to be plastic-safe, and is a simple |
| Windex bottles are good as they spray in a mist | | | | solution of about 50% isopropyl alcohol. |
| pattern with just the right amount to get good | | | | * Some Precautions |
| coverage on your screen. The spray bottles that | | | | - Don't use Windex or other glass cleaners! These |
| squirt a single stream tend to drip solution all over | | | | contain ammonia, which is ok for glass, but WILL |
| the place. | | | | hurt your LCD screen! |
| 3. Spray the mix onto a soft lint-free cloth. Old | | | | - Try not to use the really cheap paper towels, |
| t-shirts and microfiber car wash cloths are both | | | | like the tough brown ones in public washrooms. |
| good choices. Large cloths are better since it helps | | | | They can scratch your screen. |
| to reduce the risk of leaving streaks on the | | | | - Be sure to shut down your computer and your |
| screen from too much pressure. | | | | monitor, then unplug from the wall. This reduces |
| 4. Gently wipe the cloth on the screen in a circular | | | | the risk of electric damage in case you spill some |
| consistent motion. Apply even pressure to the | | | | of the solution on components. |
| cloth and be careful not to push too hard, or | | | | - Don't drink isopropyl alcohol! It's toxic! |
| scrape the screen with your fingernails! | | | | - If you aren't sure, you can test a small corner |
| * Suggestions | | | | of the screen first. |
| - Costly products that you buy at the "computer | | | | Follow the steps and suggestions above, and your |
| screen cleaning" aisle of your local computer store | | | | trusty LCD monitor should give you years of |
| contain the same basic ingredients of alcohol and | | | | clean, clear, trouble-free service. |