7 Tips to Clean Your LED or LCD Display’s Monitor

Keeping your precious rugged LCD monitors or LED screens clean and tidy can be challenging. This is especially true if you happen to have handsy young children who like to touch everything or pets running amuck in your household or even if you happen to work in a particularly messy environment such as a construction site or restaurant. Sometimes, rogue bits of debris can attach themselves to your electronic devices and while this is entirely out of your control for the most part, there are a few effective and harmless cleaning solutions you can put into practice to keep your electronics clean and running smoothly. Continue reading to learn about helpful tips for cleaning your LCD and LED screens without causing internal or external damage.

Prepare the LCD or LED Screen

Before you can get down to the cleaning part, you need to prepare your LCD or LED screen in order to reduce the risk of liquids penetrating the surface and causing internal damage. Keep in mind that modern screens might technically include higher end features than the old school CRT screens from your childhood, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more durable. In fact, modern LCD and LED screens are actually a lot more fragile and easily susceptible to damage if they’re not cared for properly. To prepare the screen for cleaning, make sure you shut down the system entirely, disconnect it from its power source, and then let it cool down for a few minutes. This will reduce the risk of electrocution and it’ll make it easier to clean the screen without resulting in annoying and unattractive streaks.

Never Press Down on an LCD or LED Screen

Occasionally, you’ll have to contend with a tough spot, streak, or fingerprint marking that takes a little extra effort to clean. If this happens, don’t panic and definitely don’t press down harder with a cloth or try to scrape it off with your fingernails or any other tool as this can cause severe damage to the top layer or anti-gloss coating. The best thing to do is use a non-abrasive cleaning solution such as isopropyl alcohol that’s diluted with either pure or distilled water. Spray the solution onto a microfiber cloth and gently wipe down the area in either an up and down or side to side motion. Applying too much pressure to even the most rugged touchscreen can compromise its limited durability.

Types of Cleaning Cloths to Use

There are a few types of cleaning cloths you can use to wipe down your rugged LCD monitor either at home or at work. The most recommended one is microfiber cloth for a multitude of reasons. First, microfiber is a state-of-the-art technological development that’s a thin and soft, yet strong enough material to thoroughly clean your electronic devices without risking damaging them in any way. Most of the time, computer and flatscreen TV manufacturers provide microfiber cloths with their products along with a specific set of maintenance and cleaning instructions. Microfiber cloths are immune to collecting or spreading lint across your screen, and because of the intricate way in which the minuscule fibers are intertwined these cloths are able to trap larger quantities of dirt and dust without leaving streaks. You can also use a cotton tea towel, a cotton t-shirt, or cotton handkerchief if you’re in a bind and don’t have microfiber cloths on hand.

Never Spray Liquid Cleaners Directly onto the Screen

This point can’t be emphasized enough. Even though it may seem like common sense that electronic devices shouldn’t come into direct contact with any liquids (especially if they’re still plugged in), not everyone seems to think so and many people have made the mistake of spraying cleaning agents onto their devices. The safer and smarter way to clean any rackmount LCD display is by first wiping it down with a dry cloth and then spraying a small amount of the cleaning solution onto a different cloth and wiping it down gently. After you do this, wipe it down with a clean dry cloth to remove any remaining liquid.

Refrain from Using Cleaning Products That Contain Ammonia

Always avoid using ammonia or rubbing alcohol based cleaners on your touchscreen devices. The devices themselves might be constructed with the capability to withstand most types of damages, but certain features they possess aren’t. Ammonia and rubbing alcohol can irreparably strip away or damage the extremely delicate anti-glare coating on the screen, which will not only negatively alter your viewing experience but also make your device a lot harder to use in strong sunlight.

Vacuum Dust from the Edges

Dust that settles between the gaps in the screen where the bezel and the top layer of glass or plastic meet can penetrate deeper and cause internal damage to your device. Regularly using a vacuum with a soft-bristled brush (to prevent scratching) can help you keep your device clean and free of any issues.

Spray the Surface with Compressed Air

For extra measure, you can also spray the surface of your screen, computer keyboard, or even the vent on the back of the device with a can of compressed air to blast away any lingering and stubborn debris or dust. If any of it lands on the surface of the device, make sure to gently wipe it away with a clean cloth to prevent it from making its way back into your device. Implementing this cleaning method on a regular basis will ultimately help to guarantee the longevity and functionality of your device.

Nauticomp Inc. is the proud designer, manufacturer and distributor of countless rugged LCD and LED monitors and displays. We’ve been working in the technological industry for more than 20 years and supply a variety of businesses including marine bases, military bases, restaurants, casinos, retail stores, shopping centers, and healthcare facilities with durable and high-quality LED and LCD displays that serve a wide range of purposes. For more information about our company or our products, please feel free to contact us.